The Flying Irishman!
The flying Irishman
Shortly before 8am, on the 9th June 1994 an Antonov Design Bereau Antonov-124 Ruslan [UR82066] landed at Dublin Airport. This in itself was unusual. Even before the giant freighter had rumbled to a halt on the cargo apron, a new Irish record was set. it was the heaviest air freight load to land in Ireland.
Aboard was a new 112 ton General Motors locomotive for Irish Rail. The locomotive was built by General Motors at London Ontario. From there it was flown to Dublin via Montreal, Gander and Reykjavik for en-route refuelling of the Antonov. The remaining locomotives arrived in a more traditional manner!
The locomotive numbered “201” in the Irish Rail fleet was the pioneer of the 201 class. It was the first of 10 high speed locomotives for Iarnrod Eireann (subsequently increased to 32). Given the massive investment in railcars in recent years it is likely that this will be the only locomotive order placed by Iarnrod Eireann?
The loco sported a new style Iarnrod Eireann logo which was officially launched on the 24th June 1994. Abnormal Loads Engineering (A.L. E.) of Stafford were contracted to bring the locomotive to the Irish Rail works in Inchicore from Dublin airport.
The eagerness of the team delegated with the move was dulled somewhat by the Antonov’s crews work hours restrictions /legal limits. The extraction of the locomotive required the presence of the loadmaster, who was a member of the crew. The crew as a whole were out of hours and were promptly sent to a hotel to rest.
It was later in the evening of June 9th that 201 emerged from the aircraft. Tracks had to be laid to position the locomotive onto the road trailer upon which it was to be transported. It is not every day that a locomotive is hauled through the streets of Dublin! Unloading was not completed by the mid-night deadline of June 9th, which had imposed by the Gardai,(police} with reference to minimal road traffic disruption, so 201 sat on the cargo ramp for 24 hours awaiting its move by road to Inchicore. This happened overnight on the 10th and 11th June. Upon leaving the airport it travelled down the M1 as far as the R102 (Coolock), Santry Avenue, Ballymun Road and toward the city quays. It paused briefly outside Iarnrod Eireann’s headquarters at Hueston station in the wee small hours of June 11th, for some “official” photographs. From there it was a relatively straightforward journey to Inchicore. The whole journey from Dublin airport to Inchicore was completed in a little over three hours.
201 entered service on the 29th July 1994 to Cork. With the massive increase in DMU’s to Irish Rail in recent years, and the almost total disappearance of freight traffic, 201 became surplus to operational requirements and was placed in storage in December 2008. Several more of the class are also in storage. Any 201 class not equipped for push - pull operation has been stored. Their fate remains very uncertain
The Flying Irishman!
The flying Irishman
Shortly before 8am, on the 9th June 1994 an Antonov Design Bereau Antonov-124 Ruslan [UR82066] landed at Dublin Airport. This in itself was unusual. Even before the giant freighter had rumbled to a halt on the cargo apron, a new Irish record was set. it was the heaviest air freight load to land in Ireland.
Aboard was a new 112 ton General Motors locomotive for Irish Rail. The locomotive was built by General Motors at London Ontario. From there it was flown to Dublin via Montreal, Gander and Reykjavik for en-route refuelling of the Antonov. The remaining locomotives arrived in a more traditional manner!
The locomotive numbered “201” in the Irish Rail fleet was the pioneer of the 201 class. It was the first of 10 high speed locomotives for Iarnrod Eireann (subsequently increased to 32). Given the massive investment in railcars in recent years it is likely that this will be the only locomotive order placed by Iarnrod Eireann?
The loco sported a new style Iarnrod Eireann logo which was officially launched on the 24th June 1994. Abnormal Loads Engineering (A.L. E.) of Stafford were contracted to bring the locomotive to the Irish Rail works in Inchicore from Dublin airport.
The eagerness of the team delegated with the move was dulled somewhat by the Antonov’s crews work hours restrictions /legal limits. The extraction of the locomotive required the presence of the loadmaster, who was a member of the crew. The crew as a whole were out of hours and were promptly sent to a hotel to rest.
It was later in the evening of June 9th that 201 emerged from the aircraft. Tracks had to be laid to position the locomotive onto the road trailer upon which it was to be transported. It is not every day that a locomotive is hauled through the streets of Dublin! Unloading was not completed by the mid-night deadline of June 9th, which had imposed by the Gardai,(police} with reference to minimal road traffic disruption, so 201 sat on the cargo ramp for 24 hours awaiting its move by road to Inchicore. This happened overnight on the 10th and 11th June. Upon leaving the airport it travelled down the M1 as far as the R102 (Coolock), Santry Avenue, Ballymun Road and toward the city quays. It paused briefly outside Iarnrod Eireann’s headquarters at Hueston station in the wee small hours of June 11th, for some “official” photographs. From there it was a relatively straightforward journey to Inchicore. The whole journey from Dublin airport to Inchicore was completed in a little over three hours.
201 entered service on the 29th July 1994 to Cork. With the massive increase in DMU’s to Irish Rail in recent years, and the almost total disappearance of freight traffic, 201 became surplus to operational requirements and was placed in storage in December 2008. Several more of the class are also in storage. Any 201 class not equipped for push - pull operation has been stored. Their fate remains very uncertain