Cork & Macroom 2-4-0 Locomotives in Ireland

Class 2 (Locobase 10252)

Data from "The Cork & Macroom Direct Ry," The Locomotive Magazine, Vol VII I (3 jan 1903), p. 8

Although 24 1/2 miles in length, this little railway was completely isolated from all of the others in the South of Ireland. Distanced from its nearby rival Cork, Bandon & South Coast Railway by animus and no direct connection, the C & M struggled on its own. Its terminus resided in a remote section of the city and its single line snaked through Ballincollig, Kilumney, Kilcrea, Crookstown Road, Dooniskey, to end at Macroom. Two bridges crossing the Rivers Lee and Tullale were the significant civil-engineering accomplishments and the grade never worsened beyond 1 in 98 (about 1%), which occurred in two places.

The locomotives shown in the specs were rebuilt from three of the four Dubs and Company engines that were originally produced in 1865 (1 and 2), 1867 (3), and 1868 (4). In the late 1890s reconstruction (4 in 1897, 2 in 1898, and 3 in 1899), the dome was moved from over the firebox forward and the boiler encouraged to resist 130 psi in place of the original 120.

The C & M's chief source of passengers were the tourists who came to see the sights in the summer. At the time of the 1903 article, the M & CR offered 4 trains each way each weekday (including Saturday) and two running to Macroom and one to Ballincollig on Sunday. Ultimately the C & M and the C, B & SC were forced into a shotgun union that didn't flourish. The former declined quickly once motor vehicle traffic increased around Cork. Regular passenger service ended in 1930 and all other runs stopped in 1953.