GSR Class 800

The Great Southern Railways Class 800 were the biggest and most powerful engines ever to run in Ireland by a large margin. They were designed under the supervision of E. C. Bredin. His Chief Draughtsman, H. J. A. Beaumont, prepared the drawings.

Design

The engines had three 18.5 by 28 inches (470 × 711 mm) cylinders and 225 pounds per square inch (1.55 MPa) boiler pressure. The nominal tractive effort was 34,799 lbf (154.8 kN), which corresponded with Great British main-line power. Further, it was the only design which exploited the full extent of the extra width afforded by the 5 ft 3 in (1.60 m) gauge. Originally four or five were to be built, named Maeḋḃ,^[1] Maċa, Táilte, Gráinne, and Deirdre, but only three were eventually turned out - 800 Maeḋḃ in 1939, with Maċa (801) and Tailté (802) in 1940, along with a fourth boiler which acted as a spare. They were intended for the Dublin–Cork route but wartime coal shortages and the early 1950s advent of diesels on main line services resulted in their never having had much chance to show what they were capable of. In the 1950s they gradually became neglected and even resorted to light goods trains on occasion, with little other work to do.

The name and number plates were of cast bronze with polished raised lettering and beading on a blue painted background. The nameplates’ lattering was in Gaelic script using dot above in place of the 'h' (see Irish orthography), although at first locomotive 800 carried an Anglicised name Maeve in roman type.

No. 800 Maeḋḃ was withdrawn from service in 1962 and is now on display at the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum, Cultra, Northern Ireland.

Livery

The locos were turned out in a completely unique livery, which no other locomotives ever carried. In the height of the Great Southern era, when every single locomotive in Ireland wore a plain unlined battleship grey livery, these engines were turned out in a smart mid green, with a distinct bluish tint. The green was lined in black and light yellow, and the GSR coat of arms was carried on the tender, flanked by large pale yellow letters "G S", which appear to have been shaded in red and gold. The cabside number plates and nameplates had blue backgrounds, and raised polished brass rims and numerals.

In Córas Iompair Éireann days they received the 1950s standard green, somewhat darker than they had carried before, with black and white lining. This is the livery the preserved 800 carries, though rather than the CIÉ "Flying snail" emblem which would be appropriate to this later livery, it incorrectly carries the earlier "G S" without shading, and a replaced GSR coat of arms.

See also

• Coaching Stock of Ireland
• Diesel Locomotives of Ireland
• Multiple Units of Ireland
• Steam locomotives of Ireland

References

1. ^ Andrewsheritagetransport.fotopic.net

• Clements, Jeremy & McMahon, Michael (2008). Locomotives of the GSR. Newtonards, County Down: Colourpoint Books. pp. 271–277. ISBN 978-1-906578-26-8.