These locomotives were built for the Córas Impair Éireann (Irish Railways) in the 1950s and became the backbone of the CIE locomotive fleet performing mixed traffic duties for several decades. However, as built they had Crossley 2-stroke diesel engines which turned out to be very unreliable. Finally in the late 1960s, CIE had the fleet rebuilt with EMD engines which proved much better, though had to be downrated from 1, 650 hp due to stresses on the cooling and transmission systems.
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| CIE A3 in service [1], this locomotive is now preserved |
| Information | |
|---|---|
| Number built: | 60 |
| Built: | 1955-56 |
| Builder: | Metropolitan-Vickers |
| Motor: | Crossley HSTV8 diesel (rebuild) EMD 12-645E diesel |
| Power: | (Crossley) 1, 200 hp (890 kW) (EMD) 1, 325hp (988 kW) |
| Wheel arrangement: | Co-Co |
The locomotives remained in service until final withdrawal in 1995. Four have been preserved.
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| A10 in the workshop [1] |
[1] "New look for Irish transport", International Railway Journal Vol. 1 Issue 4 (1961) p. 28