NIR 101 Class

Northern Ireland Railways 101 class
NIR 101 Eagle with an Enterprise Service in Dublin 1980-09-15.
Power type	Diesel-electric
Builder	Hunslet Engine Company
Serial number	7197–7199
Build date	March–June 1970
Total produced	3
UIC classification	Bo'Bo'
Gauge	1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in)
Prime mover	EE CSVT Mk II
Power output	1,350 hp (1,010 kW)
Train brakes	Air
Career	Northern Ireland Railways
Class	101
Number	101–103
Retired	1989–1998
Disposition	One under restoration, one being cannibalised, one scrapped

With the return to the working of the Belfast - Dublin "Enterprise" service with coaching stock instead of augmented diesel railcar sets Northern Ireland Railways (NIR) found itself with no suitable main line diesel locomotives. The Class 101 (DL) became the answer to the immediate problem working in conjunction with the newly acquired ex – BR Mk. 2 coaches.

History.

The 101 Class of NIR consisted of three mainline diesel-electric locomotives designed for use with the Enterprise passenger services between Belfast and Dublin. The intention was to reduce the time for the 180 km (112 3/4-mile) journey to two hours. The design of the superstructure and bogies was carried out by the Hunslet Engine Company of Leeds with English Electric / AEI being responsible for the electrical traction. The contract stipulated a ten month delivery period but with Hunslet's workshops already committed, the superstructure and assembly was contracted out to (BREL), Doncaster, Hunslet providing the bogies. They were of Bo-Bo wheel arrangement and fitted with CSVT Mk. II 1,350 horsepower (1,010 kW) engines. The locomotives were fitted with buckeye couplers as standard and had air brake capability for operation with the Mk.2 coaches. They were visually, mechanically & electrically very similar to the metre-gauge KTMB class 22 (Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad - Malaysian Railways) locomotives built by English Electric at around the same time, however these had had a Co-Co arrangement and an uprated power unit. A small number are still operated.

The press launch of the new "Enterprise" was held on 3 July 1970 when a special train, carrying invited guests, ran from Great Victoria Street, Belfast to Dublin with two locomotives working the train, one at each end. This was generally well received, however comments were made^{[by whom?]} regarding the train "hunting" due to the second locomotive pushing from the rear.^{[citation needed]}

All three re-use names previously used by the Great Northern Railway (Ireland) Class V locomotives, as follows:

No.	Name	Builders Details.	Date Completed
101	Eagle	Works No. 7197	8.5.70
102	Falcon	Works No. 7198	22.5.70
103	Merlin	Works No. 7199	8.6.70

Replacement

Towards the end of the 1970s, although only 10 years old the class were suffering regular failures and they were displaced from the principal passenger workings by the arrival of the NIR 111 Class locomotives. The '101's' were cascaded to lesser duties. All three locomotives have since been withdrawn from service, the first having been stored in 1989 (103) and the last in 1998 (102). It was expected that 102 would be re-instated in 2002, but after only one outing it was stopped once more. No. 103 was scrapped in 1997, but 101 and 102 are now owned by the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland, based at their site at Whitehead, County Antrim.

No. 102 is currently in the process of being restored to working order (as of 9/10/05) while 101 is being cannibalised for spare parts.

Livery.

When delivered the locomotives were painted in an unlined maroon livery with, on the ends, a "flowing V" in a golden yellow colour. The "NIR" logo and numbers were transfers. From 1978 the livery was changed to blue with an orange / red shallow 'V' stripe on each end ( See photograph above). The first locomotive in the new livery appeared on 3 July.

External links

• Eiretrains - Irish Locomotives
• Railway Preservation Society of Ireland webpage for preserved 101 Class No.101
• Railway Preservation Society of Ireland webpage for preserved 101 Class No.8102