Class 141/181 Profile and Models

Class 141/181

149 at Drogheda. Date unknown. ©Darren Hall

The CIE 141 Class locomotives were built in 1962 by General Motors Electro Motive Division (EMD) in the United States. Numbered B141 to B177, they were an updated version of the 121 Class locomotives, mechanically very similar but with cabs at each end. Later in 1966, a batch of 12 additional locomotives were built as Class 181 - these were virtually identical to the 141s but had a more powerful 645 engine, thermostatically controlled cooling fan and inlet shutters. Following crew training trials between Inchicore and Monasterevin (passenger trains), Kildare (goods trains), and Hazelhatch (light engines), the class appeared on main line trials from Amiens Street (Connolly) to Drogheda, and Westland Row (Pearse) to Arklow on Tuesday 4 December 1962, entering traffic on the Dublin to Cork main line four days later. In later years, regular passenger duties included trains on the Rosslare to Waterford/Limerick lines, until they were superseded by railcars on these duties.

(Information provided via Wikipedia)

Type of Locomotive

Diesel-Electric

Builder

Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD)

Build Dates

1962 to 1966

Total Built

Class 141: 37
Class 181: 12

Tractive Effort

Class 141: 44,000 lbf
Class 181: 38,000 lbf

Power Output

Class 141: 960hp
Class 181: 1,100hp

Top Speed

75 mph

Wheel Configuration

Bo-Bo

Operated By

Córas Iompair Éireann (CIE)
Iarnród Éireann/ Irish Rail

Main Duties

Mixed Traffic

In Service Until

2011

Surviving Examples

Class 141: 5
Class 181: 1