Great Southern & Western 4-4-2 Locomotives in Ireland

Class 317 (Locobase 20693)

Data from E E Joynt, "The Modern Locomotives of the Great Southern and Western Railway", Locomotive Magazine, Volume XXIV [24] (15 August 1918), p. 131.

Joynt's survey says that the 317 differed from the 37 class (Locobase 20692) "chiefly in the shape of the tanks." Like the 37s, they worked the southern district hauling Cork to Queenstown trains and on the Youghal branch.

Class 32 (Locobase 10301)

Data from "Great Southern & Western Ry Bogie Tank Engines," The Locomotive Magazine, Volume VIII [7] (4 April 1903), p. 234-235; and E E Joynt, "The Modern Locomotives of the Great Southern and Western Railway", Locomotive Magazine, Volume XXIV [24] (15 August 1918), p. 131.

Locomotive Superintendent Coey's take on a short-haul commuter engine. As such tank engines (described as ten-wheeled bogie tanks or four-coupled bogie tanks - no wonder Whyte's system proved so popular!) went, this was a relatively small machine both in terms of cylinder volume and heating surface. (The firebox heating surface was relatively large, however.)

The "very serviceable" quartet operated in the southern district on the Kenmare and Valencia Harbour branches as well as trains running bewteen Mallow, Killarney, and Tralee.

Class 37/C7 (Locobase 20692)

Data from E E Joynt, "The Modern Locomotives of the Great Southern and Western Railway", Locomotive Magazine, Volume XXIV [24] (15 July 1918), p. 113.

Although Henry Ivatt's goal of reducing weight on the leading truck in the two Class 35 engines, he chose to complete two more engines to a 4-4-2T layout. The result was nearly identical to the 35s, but with loaded weight perfectly distributed over the rear three axles and the remainder spread over two axles rather than one. He also added almost 5 feet to the locomotive's wheelbase.