DNGR Locomotives

The 26 miles long Dundalk, Newry and Greenore Railway was originally conceived in the 1860's (as the Dundalk and Enniskillen Railway} to provide a link between the towns in its title and the London and North Western Railway port at Greenore, from where a ferry service operated to Holyhead. The railway was opened from Greenore to Dundalk in 1873 and extended to Newry three years later. The LNWR eventually became the owning company and the provider of its locomotives and stock, the locomotives coming from its Crewe Works. The railway passed to the London, Midland and Scottish Railway in 1923 but an agreement was reached in 1933 for the line to be worked by the Great Northern Railway (Ireland). The line closed on 31st December 1951 but was not finally wound up until 1957 by act of consent.

Locomotive History

All the locomotives were 0-6-0 saddle tanks, with inside cylinders, to the designs of LNWR Chief Mechanical Engineer, John Ramsbottom, the first three locomotives being built by the LNWR works in Crewe, England, in 1873, and, later, to work the extension of the line to Newry, two similar locos were built, again at Crewe, in 1876. The sixth and final locomotive was added in 1898. The locomotives were consecutively numbered, in order of building, from 1 to 6 and also carried names (see table). Locomotive No.5 "Carlingford" was withdrawn in 1928 and scrapped.

During World War II three of the remaining 5 locomotives were loaned to the L.M.S. Northern Counties Committee for shunting duties around York Road, Belfast but were returned due to not being satisfactory to NCC's needs. The line closed on 31st December 1951, and although the stock list showed 5 steam locomotive only one was serviceable, No. 2 "Greenore". Also on the final stock list was a petrol railcar. No. 1 'Macrory' lay in store at Adelaide, Belfast for possible preservation but was scrapped. The remaining 4 locomotives 2 'Greenore', 3 'Dundalk', 4 'Newry' & 6 'Holyhead' were scrapped by Hammond Land Foundry in Sutton, Co. Dublin.

Locomotives.

Livery.

Rather like Henry Ford when he introduced his "Model T" in later years, locomotives from Crewe works could have come in any colour but the General Manager of the time (1873), William Cawkwell, decreed it should be black.

Preservation.

Consideration was given to the preservation of locomotive No.1 "Macrory" but, in the end, no locomotives were preserved, only a 6 wheel composite coach was saved and can now be found in the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum, Cultra, Co. Down. However, a GNR(I) 2-4-2t JT class locomotive, No. 93 which worked on the Greenore line has also been preserved and is displayed with the DNGR coach in Cultra. All the locomotive nameplates, however, are preserved.

External links

* [http://www.irishrailwayana.com/pa002.htm Dundalk, Newry and Greenore Railway]