These 4-4-0 locomotives built from 1895 at Vulcan Foundry and named Rathdown, Rathmines, Rathnew and Rathdrum.[1] In their initial form they were poor steamers, the suggestion being the locomotive superintendent Grierson had specified larger cylinders on a previous design for an English railway without balancing this with an increased boiler. His successor Cronin rebuilt the locomotives with Belpaire boilers resulting in improved performance. On amalgamation to Great Southern Railways in 1925 they became numbered 450 to 453 and allocated to class 450/D8[Note 1]. They were withdrawn between 1939 and 1940.[1]
Operations
These engines took over the express passenger trains from the smaller 2-4-0 type on the DW&WR's Dublin—Wexford mainline route.[Note 2][2]
Notes and references
Notes
^No. 453 had a different boiler and was sometimes referred as Class 453/D9. It was the only survivor after 1934.
^The Dublin—Wexford was the DW&WR's only mainline route. It did have an extension to Waterford but the rival GS&WR's route their from Dublin was far more direct.
References
^ abcClements, Jeremy; McMahon, Michael (2008). Locomotives of the GSR. Colourpoint Books. pp. 15, 129–132, 145. ISBN9781906578268.
^Ahrons, E. L. (1954). L. L. Asher (ed.). Locomotive and train working in the latter part of the nineteenth century". Vol. six. W Heffer & Sons Ltd. p. 48.
