GNRI Class VS

The Great Northern Railway (Ireland) VS class steam locomotives were 4-4-0 three-cylinder simple expansion steam locomotives built in 1948 at the Dundalk works of the GNRI. They were procured in order to operate the Enterprise train service between Dublin and Belfast and were the last series of steam engines ordered by the company.[2]

Great Northern Railway (Ireland) class VS
No. 207 Boyne taking on water at Conniberry, Co. Laois
Type and origin Power type Steam Builder Dundalk works Serial number 6961–6965 Build date 1948 Total produced 5
Specifications Configuration: ​  • Whyte 4-4-0  • UIC 2′B h3 Gauge 5 ft 3 in (1,600 mm) Driver dia. 6 ft 7 in (2.007 m)[1] Adhesive weight 41 t Loco weight 67 t Boiler pressure 220 psi (1.52 MPa)[1] Cylinders 3 Cylinder size 15 ^1⁄4 in × 26 in (387 mm × 660 mm)[1] Valve gear Walschaert
Performance figures Tractive effort 21,469 lbf (95.5 kN)
Career Operators Great Northern Railway (Ireland) Class VS Numbers 206-210 Retired 1965

Design

The locomotives of class VS, designed by Mcintosh, were very similar to the compound locomotives of GNRI Class V, built in 1932 by Beyer, Peacock and Company. Unlike the latter, however, they had only simple expansion steam engines with Walschaerts valve gear.[3] Their wheel arrangement was due to the restricted space in the Dundalk workshops. Class VS used the same Belpaire boilers as class V with an evaporation surface of 1,235 square feet (114.7 m²) and a superheating surface of 295 square feet (27.4 m²),[1] and other parts were also interchangeable.[2] The locomotives were equipped with smoke deflectors, rocking grates, hopper ashpans, and self-cleaning fireboxes with a grate area of 25 square feet (2.3 m²),[1] and were fitted with 4,000 imperial gallons (18 m³) Stanier type tenders.[3]

Roster

Five locomotives of this type were built. Their works numbers were 6961 to 6965,[3] their running numbers were 206 to 210.[2] They were named after the rivers Liffey, Boyne, Lagan, Foyle, and Erne, and were taken out of service by 1965.[4]

References

1. J.D.H. Smith. "Great Northern Railway Company (Ireland) steam locomotives". Retrieved 23 January 2018.
2. "Irish Railways: 1946 - 1996. Great Northern Railway (Ireland)". Irish Railway Record Society. 2001.
3. "Great Northern Railway (Ireland)". Steamindex. 11 January 2015.
4. "Great Northern 4-4-0 Locomotives in Ireland". Locobase. Retrieved 23 January 2018.