073 repainted into IR white stripe livery

The_Wanderer

Following the repainting of locomotive 071 into its original C.I.E. livery in May 2016 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the class, another anniversary in Irish Railway history was looming in 2017 as it would be 30 years since the founding of Iarnrod Eireann on the 2nd February 1987 when C.I.E. was split up into three subsidiary companies of Iarnrod Eireann, Bus Eireann and Dublin Bus.

In February 2017, staff members Driver Ken Fox of Cork, Guard Noel Enright of Westport and Neil Dinnen Intercity Fleet Controller, Laois Train Care Depot made a suggestion to Peter Smyth, Chief Mechanical Engineer Iarnrod Eireann of repainting another 071 Class locomotive into a heritage livery, the original Iarnrod Eireann livery from 1987.

For the 30th anniversary, No. 073 was the chosen candidate for repainting into the white stripe livery as it was undergoing a body overhaul in Inchicore Works. The locomotive was repainted at the Paint Spray Shop in May 2017, with minor finishing work carried out in June 2017.

To re-launch 073 an event took place at Inchicore on Friday 7th July, where a line-up of three 071 Class locomotives was arranged to showcase some of the different liveries the fleet have carried over the last 41 years.

Click the image below to see all the photos from Inchicore today.

Del.Monte

Can't be long now before they start scrapping or disposing of them like they did with No.36, the DWWR carriages and the Turfburner. Good enough to be paint up and displayed one year and the next year...

The_Wanderer

Seriously like? Seriously.

Can't you have a bit of a more positive outlook in life for once?

Salmon Leap

Great idea on 073, looks fabulous as well, although I can never remember seeing any of the class ex-works as a youngster 😀 When can we expect to see her out and about?

Jamie2k9

Shame there was no track for a silver 071 as well.

Damien360

Any idea what line that engine operated on ?

My dad would be interested in this.

I got a ride in one of those in the late 70's when my dad brought me to work and organised with the driver to allow me in the cab. I still remember the big panel just behind me with all the warning signs. Got on track side near Ballinsloe. Stayed on for about 2 stops I think before being brought back to the loud guard/post carriage.

Losty Dublin

Damien360 wrote: »

Any idea what line that engine operated on ?

My dad would be interested in this.

I got a ride in one of those in the late 70's when my dad brought me to work and organised with the driver to allow me in the cab. I still remember the big panel just behind me with all the warning signs. Got on track side near Ballinsloe. Stayed on for about 2 stops I think before being brought back to the loud guard/post carriage.

It would have worked on most lines on the CIE network. The likely few exceptions for an 071 would be the long closed North Kerry route, the long closed freight only branches to Kingscourt, New Ross and Fenit and possibly the section between Rosslare and Wellingtonbridge.

Losty Dublin

The_Wanderer wrote: »

Seriously like? Seriously.

Can't you have a bit of a more positive outlook in life for once?

Be fair; he's reckoning that they'll get more than the going rate at Hammond Lane

metrovick001

071 traversed Rosslaire-Waterford on many occasions.

Losty Dublin wrote: »

It would have worked on most lines on the CIE network. The likely few exceptions for an 071 would be the long closed North Kerry route, the long closed freight only branches to Kingscourt, New Ross and Fenit and possibly the section between Rosslare and Wellingtonbridge.

end of the road

The_Wanderer wrote: »

Seriously like? Seriously.

Can't you have a bit of a more positive outlook in life for once?

why? maybe if CIE didn't have the history of nonsense that it does, then such viewpoints wouldn't exist.

anyway, it will be great to see the loco out and about.

uxiant

They look so much better in the orange.

tnegun

Which 071 was the last to be repainted from the orange livery to grey? I seem to remember one possibly 080 hung on in it for a long time. I thought it was gone after than one went in, its great to see it back!

The_Wanderer

A very grubby 084 was the last one.

https://thewandererphotos.smugmug.com/2012Photos/September-2012/i-jZ3rsHP

McAlban

The_Wanderer wrote: »

A very grubby 084 was the last one.

https://thewandererphotos.smugmug.com/2012Photos/September-2012/i-jZ3rsHP

Wow, Compared to 073, they'd really let that one rot!

dublinman1990

073 look great being back in the white stripe livery again. My favourite Irish Rail livery of all time. Great memories.

Del.Monte

dublinman1990 wrote: »

073 look great being back in the white stripe livery again. My favourite Irish Rail livery of all time. Great memories.

With apologies for being negative (again) but the 'toothpaste' stripe destroyed the orange and black livery - such as it was. One of the main reasons that I gave up taking railway photographs. I've always found it somewhat ironic that the only decent liveries CIE have come up with in decades are to be found on the nominally 'freight only' 071's.





I rest my case.

MGWR

The_Wanderer wrote: »

Seriously like? Seriously.

Can't you have a bit of a more positive outlook in life for once?

When one knows what to expect out of IE and has endured decades of it, "positive" is a relative term. I'd say "mildly sanguine" is as good as I myself could get at this point.

whisky_galore

uxiant wrote: »

They look so much better in the orange.

A great relief from Austerity Grey.

Okon

Del.Monte wrote: »

With apologies for being negative (again) but the 'toothpaste' stripe destroyed the orange and black livery - such as it was. One of the main reasons that I gave up taking railway photographs. I've always found it somewhat ironic that the only decent liveries CIE have come up with in decades are to be found on the nominally 'freight only' 071's.





I rest my case.

I like all of them liveries apart from the grey one at the bottom, which I find dull. The CIE Orange/Black is my favourite, as it's the era I grew up with. The 071's were always very dirty so I rarely saw a clean Orange/Black 071 though.

Heisenberg1

My favourite livery of them all was the NIR blue one the nicest of them IMO.

MGWR

The first NIR livery I recall was the maroon, which I saw on the Enterprise Mark 2B/Class 101 push-pull trains. The Class 101 really stood out against the CIE Metrovicks and GMs with the Hunslet bodies and the four-stroke EE diesel engines (all of CIE's were two-stroke EMDs), as well as the maroon, which resembled the Pennsylvania Railroad's "Tuscan Red" a bit with the gold stripes.

Heisenberg1

MGWR wrote: »

The first NIR livery I recall was the maroon, which I saw on the Enterprise Mark 2B/Class 101 push-pull trains.

Totally forgot about that didn't that run a shuttle between Bray/Greystones for while.

end of the road

Heisenberg1 wrote: »

Totally forgot about that didn't that run a shuttle between Bray/Greystones for while.

no that was a couple of class 80 railcars which were loaned to IE.

L1011

Same livery however - looked quite bad when dirty

tabbey

Heisenberg1 wrote: »

My favourite livery of them all was the NIR blue one the nicest of them IMO.

I have to agree with this in the case of 071 / 111 classes and especially the 201 class, but the NIR Hunslet in their second livery of red & yellow edged it in my view.

A major problem for any livery in Irish Rail and CIE was the shocking filth and general tattiness which characterised their appearance. Train washing equipment was supposed to be used by trains moving through at a half mile per hour. I have seldom seen them going at less than 2-3 mph, consequently they were always filthy.
Another problem with 121, 141, 181 and 071 locos is that they are too narrow for mechanical washers. All locos and railcars need their front ends washed manually.

In other countries, you see a detergent bucket and brush sitting on the platforms and drivers availing of extended station stops to clean their windscreens at least. In this jurisdiction, the attitude seems to be "not my job".

Another livery long forgotten, was the light grey originally applied to the 121 class. The yellow numerals and flashes were soon almost invisible. I have seen one or two photos of this livery,new and clear,but would love to see a real loco with this livery in pristine condition. Perhaps RPSI or ITG may yet oblige.

As for the retro liveries applied recently to 071 and 073, they look fabulous, partially they are a novelty, but also because they are clean. In fairness, I must commend the present staff in Inchicore for keeping 071 immaculate, long may it continue.

The_Wanderer

tabbey wrote: »

Another livery long forgotten, was the light grey originally applied to the 121 class

Watch this space.......

monument

Del.Monte wrote: »

Can't be long now before they start scrapping or disposing of them like they did with No.36, the DWWR carriages and the Turfburner. Good enough to be paint up and displayed one year and the next year...

Del.Monte wrote: »

Have you become a Mod now too? Better just add me to your ignore list.

No, you need to stop trolling. Every thread isn't open for you or others to bring up history and complain about unrelated issues -- ie off-topic and trolling.

For the record: Your other post with the image is fine, but not the posts quoted above.

-- moderator

Cookie_Monster

much better looking than 071, at least the orange is now correct for the overall livery rather than the completely the wrong shade like on 071