NEW GROUND FOR COMPOUND ON ‘SEA BREEZE’ SPECIAL
First Rosslare trip for GnR(I) 4-4-0, following record long-distance run.
Afirst-ever run by a Great Northern Compound from Dublin to Rosslare is in prospect for the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland’s ‘Sea Breeze’ special on July 8. Class ‘V’ 4-4-0 No. 85 Merlin is booked for the trip from Dublin to Wexford, with a further excursion from Wexford to Rosslare Europort during the afternoon. It will be No. 85’s first foray over the scenic Dublin & South Eastern Railway line, much of which follows the coastline. Until now, steam runs along the 103-mile route have been worked by DSER ‘Mogul’ No. 461, LMS(NCC) 2-6-4T No. 4 and, in earlier days, ‘J15’ 0-6-0 No. 186. But No. 85 is now permitted on the line as the track has been upgraded to accommodate Irish Rail’s 201 class diesel locomotives. Until recently, the ‘201s’ were not allowed beyond Shelton Abbey yard near Arklow, which they frequented with ammonia trains. The 1932-built 4-4-0 set a new record for a GNR(I) Compound on May 14 when it hauled the RPSI’s ‘Cork & Kerry’ special all the way from Tralee to Whitehead – a distance of 340 miles. The marathon journey, which
included a servicing stop at Dublin Connolly, took almost 14 hours. The Compound had been due to come out of service at Dublin, but had to stand in for No. 4, which had failed on shed at Connolly with firebar problems. Experimental steel firebars enabled the ‘Jeep’ to work a Balbriggan Festival special on May 27. On June 10 Merlin was set to work from Whitehead to Dublin with the first leg of the RPSI’s ‘Steam Enterprise’, with No. 4 working the train back north. The 2-6-4T was due to receive several routine jobs at Whitehead over the summer but was expected to haul the ‘Steam & Jazz’ trains, starting on June 15.