Класс Гнри V

Великая северная железная дорога (Ирландия) класс V
85 Мерлин подходит
hideТип и происхождение Тип мощности Пар Дизайнер Джордж Гловер Строитель Beyer, Peacock & Company Номер заказа 1524 Серийный номер 6731–6735 Build date 1932 Total produced 5
hideSpecifications Configuration: ​  • Whyte 4-4-0  • UIC 2′B h3v Gauge 5 ft 3 in (1,600 mm) Driver dia. 6 ft 7 in (2.007 m) Total weight 103 long tons 11 cwt (232,000 lb or 105.2 t) Boiler pressure 250 psi (1.72 MPa), later 215 psi (1.48 MPa) Cylinders Three – 1 HP (inside) and 2 LP (outside) High-pressure cylinder 17+1⁄4 in × 26 in (438 mm × 660 mm) Low-pressure cylinder 19 in × 26 in (483 mm × 660 mm) Valve gear Stephenson
hidePerformance figures Tractive effort 23,762 lbf (105.70 kN),br.later 20,435 lbf (90.90 kN)
hideCareer Operators Great Northern Railway (Ireland) Ulster Transport Authority CIÉ Class V Numbers 83–87 Nicknames Pounders; Compounds Retired 1959–1963 Preserved No. 85 Merlin One preserved, four scrapped

Великая северная железная дорога V Steam Locomotives составляла 4-4-0 трехцилиндровые локомотивы, построенные в 1932 году Beyer, Peacock & Company для Великой Северной железной дороги (Ирландия) .

Дизайн

Merlin at Inchicore Railway Works

Класс V был предназначен для самой важной пассажирской службы GNR, Дублин - Белфаст . Классы S и S2 , которые ранее обслуживали маршрут, доставляли проблемы, поскольку давление котла было повышено для повышения мощности и производительности. Это повышенное обслуживание (особенно с разбитыми осями рукоятки), и в результате давление котла было сведено обратно. Это обязывало GNR разработать более мощный двигатель.

Джордж Гловер спроектировал результирующий класс V 'с опытом на месте, изученным от команд дизайнеров для британских составных локомотивов 4-4-0 .

Merlin's builder's plate

Локомотивы были заказаны у Beyer, Peacock & Company и доставлены в 1932 году. Они стоили 5847 фунтов стерлингов, что было на 3000 фунтов меньше, чем класс SG3 0-6-0, построенный десять лет назад. Бейер, Павлин построил только локомотивы; Сам GNR построил тендеры в своих работах в Дандулке .

The GNR named the locomotives after birds of prey: 83 Eagle, 84 Falcon, 85 Merlin, 86 Peregrine, and 87 Kestrel. The V class were the first three-cylinder compound locomotives in Ireland. They had a round-topped firebox and Stephenson valve gear and weighed 103 tons 11 cwt including tender. The result was an engine that looked dramatically larger than their predecessor the S Class. This led to the unfounded rumour among railway workers that they had been designed for use in the USSR. As the GNR's only compound locomotives they were often called simply "The Compounds".

They were introduced for the accelerated Dublin – Belfast schedule, on which they reduced running times by up to 22 minutes. However, as for the S Class before them, the demanding timetable resulted in severe maintenance problems: hot axle boxes, connecting rod problems and boiler re-tubes. As a result, the boiler pressure was reduced by 50 lb_f/in², reducing tractive effort by 20%.

Rebuild

No. 87 Kestrel was the first to be rebuilt in 1946 and was the first GNR loco to receive a Harland and Wolff-built square topped Belpaire firebox. Merlin had one fitted in 1950 with its old boiler rebuilt as a spare.

The V Class was chosen to haul the new Enterprise non-stop service between Dublin and Belfast in August 1947. The premium service was limited to seven bogie coaches. In the early 1950s the ‘Pounders’ shared most of the heavy main line work with the newer VS Class but, with the introduction of new British United Traction DMUs in 1957, the class was relieved of its main duties.

Withdrawal from service

In October 1958 the former GNR, by then the Great Northern Railway Board or GNRB, was split between Northern Ireland's Ulster Transport Authority (UTA) and the Republic's CIÉ. Nos. 83, 86 and 87 went to the UTA and Nos. 84 and 85 to CIÉ. The letters ‘UT’ or ‘CIE’ were stencilled on the front buffer beams. CIÉ withdrew steam traction in 1963 and subsequently all but No. 85 Merlin were scrapped.

Preservation

Merlin At Dundalk

Merlin spent its final years as a spare in Dundalk works, occasionally hauling a Dublin train. The Ulster Folk and Transport Museum rescued her from the scrapyard in 1965, acquiring its (minus tender) for £600. It was stored variously at Inchicore, Amiens Street, Dundalk, Adelaide locomotive shed in Belfast and Lisburn before finally moving to the museum's gallery at Witham Street, Belfast, in 1969. Displayed here until 1976, it was moved to Harland and Wolff for a comprehensive overhaul organised by the Museum, the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland (RPSI) and Lord Dunleath. On completion in 1982 it was moved to the RPSI's Whitehead headquarters.

Merlin was officially returned to traffic on 30 June 1986 heading an official Belfast – Dublin Enterprise that September. Itrepeated the trip on the 40th anniversary of the Enterprise the following August, hauling the same length train as in 1947 (seven bogie coaches) and matching the timings of the original run.

Having received a further overhaul in the 1990s, Merlin continued to be leased by the RPSI and used on the main line until its boiler certificate expired in 2004. The locomotive has been overhauled since 2009 and returned to service early in 2014.

Since returning to service in 2013, it has proven very unreliable, with several high-profile failures and has never managed to make it from Dublin to Rosslare and back without some sort of failure. This is unlike the other RPSI locos, 171, 4 or indeed 186 and 461.

Roster

No.	Name	1958 owner	1958 No.	Withdrawn	Notes
83	Eagle	UTA	83X	1960
84	Falcon	CIÉ	—	1959
85	Merlin	CIÉ	85N	1963	Preserved
86	Peregrine	UTA	86X	1961
87	Kestrel	UTA	87X	1960

Model

An 00 gauge model of No. 85 Merlin is currently available as an etched-brass kit from Studio Scale Models. It includes transfers, brass etches and cast white metal parts.

Sources and further reading

• Фрил, Чарльз П. (1995). Мерлин . Colourpoint Transport. Тол. 2. Gortrush: Colourpoint Press . ISBN  1-898392-08-0 .
• Келли, Питер (1993). Железные энтузиасты Альманак . Эрик Добби издательство. ISBN  978-1-85882-008-8 .

Внешние ссылки

• Марки с Gnri Class V Archived 25 сентября 2015 года в The Wayback Machine