CIÉ No. CC1
Encyclopedia
Córas Iompair Éireann
No. CC1, generally known as the Turf Burner, was a prototype 0-6-6-0
articulated steam locomotive designed by Oliver Bulleid
to burn turf (an Irish term for peat
used as fuel) and built at CIÉ's Inchicore Works in Dublin. CC1 shared some, but not all, of the characteristics of Bulleid's previous attempt to develop a modern steam locomotive, the Leader
. Like the one completed Leader, CC1 had a relatively short career and was never used in front-line service. It was the last steam locomotive to be constructed for an Irish railway.
in 1848. Further experiments were conducted over the years on the Waterford and Limerick, Great Southern and Western
, Belfast and Northern Counties and Listowel and Ballybunion Railways, but there is no evidence of routine use. During the Emergency (World War II
), shortages of imported coal led to the use of turf as one of several substitutes (others included loose coal dust
and briquettes of anthracite dust bonded with pitch
).
The first locomotives designed specifically to burn turf were three 0-4-0
well tank engines, built by Andrew Barclay of Kilmarnock, Scotland, and introduced by the nationalised turf producer Bord na Móna
on its 3 ft (914 mm) gauge lines at Clonsast, near Portarlington, in 1949. They were withdrawn after three years' service, but all survive in some form: two preserved on, respectively, The Giant's Causeway and Bushmills Railway
and the Irish Steam Preservation Society
's railway and one heavily rebuilt into the Talyllyn Railway
's 0-4-2T locomotive 7, Tom Rolt.
and energy security
. In the aftermath of World War II, turf production was greatly expanded and the Electricity Supply Board
began to develop turf-fired power stations; Bord na Móna succeeded the Turf Development Board in 1946. The winter of 1946–1947 saw severe coal shortages that led to the cancellation of most CIÉ rail services and further strengthened the case for an alternative fuel. CIÉ had carried out limited experiments with oil firing
in 1945 and later converted a total of 93 steam locomotives to this fuel in 1946–47; however, the oil-burning scheme was abandoned in late 1947 as coal supplies began to return to normal, although a further experiment was made in 1954. It was against this backdrop that Bulleid joined CIÉ.
general manager James Milne was appointed by the Irish government to review rail, road and canal transport in the country. Milne was supported by three assistants and three further technical assessors; Oliver Bulleid, then still Chief Mechanical Engineer
of British Railways Southern Region
, was amongst the latter. The resulting Milne Report, submitted in December, advised the rationalisation of the steam locomotive fleet and the construction of new, standardised steam locomotives; however, it saw diesel traction's advantages as unproven.
Bulleid retired from BR in September 1949 and became consulting mechanical engineer to CIÉ, succeeding to the post of Chief Mechanical Engineer a year later. He indicated his interest in turf-burning locomotives at an early stage, and laboratory experiments and tests in stationary boilers were underway by 1950. Preparations for the conversion of an existing locomotive to burn turf began in early 1951.
locomotive number 356, built by the North British Locomotive Company
as an 0-6-0
in 1903 and subsequently rebuilt by the GS&WR, was converted into a testbed for the turf-burning project. Modifications to 356 included a new firebox
, fitted with tuyeres, and two Crosti
-type feedwater heater
s, one on either side of the main boiler, which used heat from exhaust gases to heat boiler feedwater. Preheating coils were also located in the tender's water tank, and the chimney was positioned at the rear of the tender. Turf was fed to the firebox via an auger
; there was no means of regulating this process. Steaming trials with the modified 356 began in 1952. Difficulties with steaming led to the addition of a forced-draught fan, which was mounted on a wagon behind the tender and driven by a Leyland bus engine. The results of trials with 356 were mixed, and the locomotive was broken up in 1957; however, some of the concepts were incorporated into CC1.
and a six-axle locomotive with only four axles driven. Before deciding to mount the steam engines on the bogies (as he had done in the Leader), he investigated the idea of engines mounted on the main frame and driving the bogies via shafts or gears (see Geared steam locomotive
). Bulleid intended to make use of sleeve valve
s, as he had done in the Leader, and sought advice from Sir Harry Ricardo on the matter. However, he ultimately reverted to piston valves in the face of political pressure to make progress on the locomotive's development.
on two three-axle bogies, all wheels on each bogie being driven by a two-cylinder steam engine via a chain transmission
. A double-ended boiler, comprising two square barrels and a single central firebox, was located in the central part of the locomotive. Turf and water were supplied from bunkers and tanks at either end. As in 356, augers were used to feed turf from the bunkers to the firebox, where two mechanical stokers were fitted. Between the bunkers and the boiler were the cabs and a smokebox
and superheater
for each boiler barrel. Hot gases were ducted from the smokeboxes to feedwater heaters and then to induction fans (driven by steam turbine
s) before exhausting from the locomotive's two chimneys. Spark arrestors were fitted at a later stage, along with a system for passing captured sparks back to the firebox. The overall layout resembled a Double Fairlie, although CC1 differed in having only one boiler and in having its buffers and drawgear mounted on the locomotive frame, rather than on the bogies.
and Portarlington. One run (operating light engine) was made to Mullingar
and back, on the former Midland Great Western main line
, but ride quality suffered on this route's sharp curves. A review of the trial results by Bulleid's assistant, John Click (a secondee from BR) showed that the locomotive generally performed well, with excellent riding (apart from the above exception) at speeds up to 70 mph (113 km/h); much of the test running was at high speeds. Turf consumption and noise levels were also very favourable.
were fitted. Issues also arose with leakage of the drive chains' oil baths, a problem common to multiple Bulleid designs.
for visiting dignitaries during a meeting of the Institution of Locomotive Engineers in May 1958. Bulleid's retirement on the 30th of that month ended CC1's career. In December 1958, the CIÉ board formally abandoned the CC1 project. The locomotive was officially withdrawn in 1963, following the delivery of the CIE 141 Class
diesels from EMD
. Several sources describe CC1 as having been broken up in 1965. However, the boiler was "retained for possible stationary use" and the chassis appears to have survived into the 1970s, having been described as "still surviv[ing] at Inchicore" in 1975 and photographed at least once in this period. Later, a retired CIÉ executive commented that the scrapping was "a pity" because "such an oddity deserved preservation."
Córas Iompair Éireann
Córas Iompair Éireann , or CIÉ, is a statutory corporation of the Irish state, answerable to the Irish Government and responsible for most public transport in the Republic of Ireland and, jointly with its Northern Ireland counterpart, the Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company, between the...
No. CC1, generally known as the Turf Burner, was a prototype 0-6-6-0
0-6-6-0
In Whyte notation, a 0-6-6-0 is a railroad steam locomotive that has two articulated sections, each with six coupled driving wheels, without any leading wheels or trailing wheels.-Equivalent classifications:Other equivalent classifications are:...
articulated steam locomotive designed by Oliver Bulleid
Oliver Bulleid
Oliver Vaughan Snell Bulleid was a British railway and mechanical engineer best known as the Chief Mechanical Engineer of the Southern Railway between 1937 and the 1948 nationalisation, developing many well-known locomotives.- Early life and Great Northern Railway :He was born in Invercargill,...
to burn turf (an Irish term for peat
Peat
Peat is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation matter or histosol. Peat forms in wetland bogs, moors, muskegs, pocosins, mires, and peat swamp forests. Peat is harvested as an important source of fuel in certain parts of the world...
used as fuel) and built at CIÉ's Inchicore Works in Dublin. CC1 shared some, but not all, of the characteristics of Bulleid's previous attempt to develop a modern steam locomotive, the Leader
SR Leader Class
The Leader was a class of experimental 0-6-6-0T articulated steam locomotive, produced in the United Kingdom to the design of the innovative engineer Oliver Bulleid. The Leader was an attempt to extend the life of steam traction by eliminating many of the operational drawbacks associated with...
. Like the one completed Leader, CC1 had a relatively short career and was never used in front-line service. It was the last steam locomotive to be constructed for an Irish railway.
Turf as locomotive fuel
Experiments with turf as a fuel for steam locomotives began in the early days of Irish railways. The first use of turf in a locomotive was on the Midland Great Western RailwayMidland Great Western Railway
The Midland Great Western Railway was the third largest Irish gauge railway company in Ireland. It was incorporated in 1845 and absorbed into the Great Southern Railway in 1924. It served part of Leinster, County Cavan in Ulster and much of Connaught...
in 1848. Further experiments were conducted over the years on the Waterford and Limerick, Great Southern and Western
Great Southern and Western Railway
The Great Southern and Western Railway was the largest Irish gauge railway company in Ireland in the late 19th and early 20th centuries...
, Belfast and Northern Counties and Listowel and Ballybunion Railways, but there is no evidence of routine use. During the Emergency (World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
), shortages of imported coal led to the use of turf as one of several substitutes (others included loose coal dust
Coal dust
Coal dust is a fine powdered form of coal, which is created by the crushing, grinding, or pulverizing of coal. Because of the brittle nature of coal, coal dust can be created during mining, transportation, or by mechanically handling coal.-Explosions:...
and briquettes of anthracite dust bonded with pitch
Pitch (resin)
Pitch is the name for any of a number of viscoelastic, solid polymers. Pitch can be made from petroleum products or plants. Petroleum-derived pitch is also called bitumen. Pitch produced from plants is also known as resin. Products made from plant resin are also known as rosin.Pitch was...
).
The first locomotives designed specifically to burn turf were three 0-4-0
0-4-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-4-0 represents one of the simplest possible types, that with two axles and four coupled wheels, all of which are driven...
well tank engines, built by Andrew Barclay of Kilmarnock, Scotland, and introduced by the nationalised turf producer Bord na Móna
Bord na Móna
Bord na Móna , abbreviated BNM, is a semi-state company in Ireland, created in 1946 by the Turf Development Act 1946. The company is responsible for the mechanised harvesting of peat, primarily in the Midlands of Ireland...
on its 3 ft (914 mm) gauge lines at Clonsast, near Portarlington, in 1949. They were withdrawn after three years' service, but all survive in some form: two preserved on, respectively, The Giant's Causeway and Bushmills Railway
The Giant's Causeway and Bushmills Railway
The Giant's Causeway and Bushmills Railway is a gauge narrow gauge heritage railway operating between the Giant's Causeway and Bushmills on the coast of County Antrim, Northern Ireland...
and the Irish Steam Preservation Society
Irish Steam Preservation Society
The Irish Steam Preservation Society was formed in 1965 in Stradbally, in Ireland. Under the auspices of Colonel Kidd, it held the first steam fair in Ireland on St Stephen's Day that year....
's railway and one heavily rebuilt into the Talyllyn Railway
Talyllyn Railway
The Talyllyn Railway is a narrow-gauge preserved railway in Wales running for from Tywyn on the Mid-Wales coast to Nant Gwernol near the village of Abergynolwyn. The line was opened in 1866 to carry slate from the quarries at Bryn Eglwys to Tywyn, and was the first narrow gauge railway in Britain...
's 0-4-2T locomotive 7, Tom Rolt.
The postwar years: turf development and fuel experiments
From the 1930s onwards (originally through the Turf Development Board), the Irish government aimed to encourage turf production for reasons of rural developmentRural development
Rural development in general denotes economic development and community development actions and initiatives taken to improve the standard of living in non-urban neighbourhoods, remote villages and the countryside...
and energy security
Energy security
Energy security is a term for an association between national security and the availability of natural resources for energy consumption. Access to cheap energy has become essential to the functioning of modern economies. However, the uneven distribution of energy supplies among countries has led...
. In the aftermath of World War II, turf production was greatly expanded and the Electricity Supply Board
Electricity Supply Board
The Electricity Supply Board , is a semi-state electricity company in Ireland. While historically a monopoly, the ESB now operates as a commercial semi-state concern in a liberalised and competitive market...
began to develop turf-fired power stations; Bord na Móna succeeded the Turf Development Board in 1946. The winter of 1946–1947 saw severe coal shortages that led to the cancellation of most CIÉ rail services and further strengthened the case for an alternative fuel. CIÉ had carried out limited experiments with oil firing
Oil burner (engine)
An oil burner engine is a steam engine that uses oil as its fuel. The term is often used with reference to a locomotive or ship engine that burns oil, to heat water, to produce steam which drives the pistons, or turbines, from which the power is derived. Some engines of this form were originally...
in 1945 and later converted a total of 93 steam locomotives to this fuel in 1946–47; however, the oil-burning scheme was abandoned in late 1947 as coal supplies began to return to normal, although a further experiment was made in 1954. It was against this backdrop that Bulleid joined CIÉ.
Bulleid comes to Ireland
In July 1948, former Great Western RailwayGreat Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
general manager James Milne was appointed by the Irish government to review rail, road and canal transport in the country. Milne was supported by three assistants and three further technical assessors; Oliver Bulleid, then still Chief Mechanical Engineer
Chief Mechanical Engineer
Chief Mechanical Engineer and Locomotive Superintendent are titles applied by British, Australian, and New Zealand railway companies to the person ultimately responsible to the board of the company for the building and maintaining of the locomotives and rolling stock...
of British Railways Southern Region
Southern Region of British Railways
The Southern Region was a region of British Railways from 1948. The region ceased to be an operating unit in its own right in the 1980s and was wound up at the end of 1992. The region covered south London, southern England and the south coast, including the busy commuter belt areas of Kent, Sussex...
, was amongst the latter. The resulting Milne Report, submitted in December, advised the rationalisation of the steam locomotive fleet and the construction of new, standardised steam locomotives; however, it saw diesel traction's advantages as unproven.
Bulleid retired from BR in September 1949 and became consulting mechanical engineer to CIÉ, succeeding to the post of Chief Mechanical Engineer a year later. He indicated his interest in turf-burning locomotives at an early stage, and laboratory experiments and tests in stationary boilers were underway by 1950. Preparations for the conversion of an existing locomotive to burn turf began in early 1951.
Experiments with converted locomotive
The former Great Southern and Western Railway class K3 2-6-02-6-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle, usually in a leading truck, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels. This arrangement is commonly called a Mogul...
locomotive number 356, built by the North British Locomotive Company
North British Locomotive Company
The North British Locomotive Company was created in 1903 through the merger of three Glasgow locomotive manufacturing companies; Sharp Stewart and Company , Neilson, Reid and Company and Dübs and Company , creating the largest locomotive manufacturing company in Europe.Its main factories were...
as an 0-6-0
0-6-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels...
in 1903 and subsequently rebuilt by the GS&WR, was converted into a testbed for the turf-burning project. Modifications to 356 included a new firebox
Firebox
In a steam engine, the firebox is the area where the fuel is burned, producing heat to boil the water in the boiler. Most are somewhat box-shaped, hence the name.-Railway locomotive firebox :...
, fitted with tuyeres, and two Crosti
Franco-Crosti boiler
The Franco-Crosti boiler is a type of boiler used for steam locomotives. It was designed in the 1930s by Attilio Franco and Dr Piero Crosti, two engineers working for the Ferrovie dello Stato , the Italian state railway.- Purpose :...
-type feedwater heater
Feedwater heater
A feedwater heater is a power plant component used to pre-heat water delivered to a steam generating boiler. Preheating the feedwater reduces the irreversibilities involved in steam generation and therefore improves the thermodynamic efficiency of the system...
s, one on either side of the main boiler, which used heat from exhaust gases to heat boiler feedwater. Preheating coils were also located in the tender's water tank, and the chimney was positioned at the rear of the tender. Turf was fed to the firebox via an auger
Auger
An auger is a drilling device, or drill bit, that usually includes a rotating helical screw blade called a "flighting" to act as a screw conveyor to remove the drilled out material...
; there was no means of regulating this process. Steaming trials with the modified 356 began in 1952. Difficulties with steaming led to the addition of a forced-draught fan, which was mounted on a wagon behind the tender and driven by a Leyland bus engine. The results of trials with 356 were mixed, and the locomotive was broken up in 1957; however, some of the concepts were incorporated into CC1.
Discarded concepts
Bulleid rejected a number of variants before deciding on CC1's configuration. In addition to the 0-6-6-0 wheel arrangement ultimately chosen, he considered an 0-4-4-00-4-4-0
In the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotive wheel arrangement, a 0-4-4-0 is a locomotive with no leading truck, two sets of four driving wheels, and no trailing truck. Examples of this type were constructed as Mallet, Meyer and Double Fairlie locomotives...
and a six-axle locomotive with only four axles driven. Before deciding to mount the steam engines on the bogies (as he had done in the Leader), he investigated the idea of engines mounted on the main frame and driving the bogies via shafts or gears (see Geared steam locomotive
Geared steam locomotive
A geared steam locomotive is a type of steam locomotive which uses reduction gearing in the drivetrain, as opposed to the common directly driven design....
). Bulleid intended to make use of sleeve valve
Sleeve valve
The sleeve valve is a type of valve mechanism for piston engines, distinct from the usual poppet valve. Sleeve-valve engines saw use in a number of pre-World War II luxury cars and in USA in the Willys-Knight car and light truck...
s, as he had done in the Leader, and sought advice from Sir Harry Ricardo on the matter. However, he ultimately reverted to piston valves in the face of political pressure to make progress on the locomotive's development.
The final design
CC1 was a double-ended tank locomotiveTank locomotive
A tank locomotive or tank engine is a steam locomotive that carries its water in one or more on-board water tanks, instead of pulling it behind it in a tender. It will most likely also have some kind of bunker to hold the fuel. There are several different types of tank locomotive dependent upon...
on two three-axle bogies, all wheels on each bogie being driven by a two-cylinder steam engine via a chain transmission
Chain drive
Chain drive is a way of transmitting mechanical power from one place to another. It is often used to convey power to the wheels of a vehicle, particularly bicycles and motorcycles...
. A double-ended boiler, comprising two square barrels and a single central firebox, was located in the central part of the locomotive. Turf and water were supplied from bunkers and tanks at either end. As in 356, augers were used to feed turf from the bunkers to the firebox, where two mechanical stokers were fitted. Between the bunkers and the boiler were the cabs and a smokebox
Smokebox
A smokebox is one of the major basic parts of a Steam locomotive exhaust system. Smoke and hot gases pass from the firebox through tubes where they pass heat to the surrounding water in the boiler. The smoke then enters the smokebox, and is exhausted to the atmosphere through the chimney .To assist...
and superheater
Superheater
A superheater is a device used to convert saturated steam or wet steam into dry steam used for power generation or processes. There are three types of superheaters namely: radiant, convection, and separately fired...
for each boiler barrel. Hot gases were ducted from the smokeboxes to feedwater heaters and then to induction fans (driven by steam turbine
Steam turbine
A steam turbine is a mechanical device that extracts thermal energy from pressurized steam, and converts it into rotary motion. Its modern manifestation was invented by Sir Charles Parsons in 1884....
s) before exhausting from the locomotive's two chimneys. Spark arrestors were fitted at a later stage, along with a system for passing captured sparks back to the firebox. The overall layout resembled a Double Fairlie, although CC1 differed in having only one boiler and in having its buffers and drawgear mounted on the locomotive frame, rather than on the bogies.
CC1 and Leader designs compared
Several commentators have compared CC1 to Leader. Both designs were 0-6-6-0 tank locomotives with twin cabs and both had bogie-mounted steam engines driving the wheels via chains. However, CC1 was shorter and lighter than Leader, with two cylinders (themselves slightly smaller than Leader's) per bogie, rather than three, as well as smaller driving wheels. CC1's cabs were inset from the locomotive's ends (like those of, for example, the Pennsylvania Railroad's GG1 electric locomotive), whereas Leader's were located at the ends. CC1's double-ended boiler design contrasted with Leader's single-ended boiler; the boiler was also located in the middle of the locomotive, rather than towards one end, and was not offset from the locomotive's longitudinal centre line. The fuel bunkers and water tanks were also located at one end of the locomotive in Leader but both ends in CC1. CC1's lack of sleeve valves has already been mentioned. Finally, there were changes associated with the difference in fuel; the coal-fired Leader did not require the augers, mechanical stokers and induced-draught fans fitted to CC1.Testing
CC1 was first steamed in July 1957 and began main line trials the following month. Between August and October, the locomotive ran 2,147 miles (3,444 km). Most test runs were on the Dublin-Cork main line; two runs went to Cork and back, and others terminated at points between HazelhatchHazelhatch
Hazelhatch is an area on the border between County Kildare and County Dublin in Ireland. It is located approximately halfway between Celbridge and Newcastle. It is located on the R405 regional road. The Grand Canal passes through the area, and Hazelhatch is one of the places of recreational...
and Portarlington. One run (operating light engine) was made to Mullingar
Mullingar
Mullingar is the county town of County Westmeath in Ireland. The Counties of Meath and Westmeath Act of 1542, proclaimed Westmeath a county, separating it from Meath. Mullingar became the administrative centre for County Westmeath...
and back, on the former Midland Great Western main line
Dublin-Sligo railway line
The Dublin to Sligo line is a main line railway route operated by Iarnród Éireann in the Republic of Ireland. It starts in Dublin Connolly station, terminating at Mac Diarmada railway station in Sligo...
, but ride quality suffered on this route's sharp curves. A review of the trial results by Bulleid's assistant, John Click (a secondee from BR) showed that the locomotive generally performed well, with excellent riding (apart from the above exception) at speeds up to 70 mph (113 km/h); much of the test running was at high speeds. Turf consumption and noise levels were also very favourable.
Problems experienced
Like Leader, CC1 experienced a variety of problems during testing, some of which were addressed through modifications; for example, the installation of the spark arrestors mentioned above cured problems of spark emission. The locomotive's water consumption was high and the boiler's double-ended nature and sectional construction gave rise to various difficulties, as did the locomotive's twin regulators and its reversing gear. When operating with CC1's number 2 end leading, the driver and fireman were on the same side of the locomotive, posing problems in signal sighting; steam and smoke exacerbated the problem until smoke deflectorsSmoke deflectors
Smoke deflectors are vertical plates attached to the front of a steam locomotive on each side of the smokebox. They are designed to lift smoke away from the locomotive at speed so that the driver has better visibility unimpaired by drifting smoke....
were fitted. Issues also arose with leakage of the drive chains' oil baths, a problem common to multiple Bulleid designs.
Proposed successors
It was intended that CC1 would be the forerunner of a class of fifty locomotives, which would normally burn oil but would be capable of using turf in emergencies. On the basis of the trial results, John Click developed a design for a single-ended version of CC1, which would address space, weight and other problems experienced with the CC1 configuration. This locomotive would have had a single-ended boiler barrel (still of square section) with a cab located at the firebox end of the boiler; water tanks would be located at either end of the locomotive and a bunker at the cab end. Click believed that the design had export potential, but the entire project was to come to an end shortly thereafter.Post-testing use, withdrawal and disposal
After the end of the testing programme, CC1 reportedly made a few trips hauling transfer freight trains in the Dublin area. Bulleid himself is reported to have driven the locomotive on trips between Inchicore and ClondalkinClondalkin railway station
Clondalkin/Fonthill railway station serves the suburb of Clondalkin in County Dublin. It is served by South Western Commuter services. It opened on 13 October 2008,...
for visiting dignitaries during a meeting of the Institution of Locomotive Engineers in May 1958. Bulleid's retirement on the 30th of that month ended CC1's career. In December 1958, the CIÉ board formally abandoned the CC1 project. The locomotive was officially withdrawn in 1963, following the delivery of the CIE 141 Class
CIE 141 Class
The Córas Iompair Éireann 141 class locomotives were delivered in November and December 1962 from General Motors Electro Motive Division , the first consignment being unloaded at the North Wall, Dublin on 22 November...
diesels from EMD
General Motors Electro-Motive Division
Electro-Motive Diesel, Inc., also referred to as "EMD", is a wholly owned subsidiary of Progress Rail Services Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Caterpillar Inc., that designs, manufactures and sells diesel-electric locomotives and diesel power engines worldwide under the Electro-Motive...
. Several sources describe CC1 as having been broken up in 1965. However, the boiler was "retained for possible stationary use" and the chassis appears to have survived into the 1970s, having been described as "still surviv[ing] at Inchicore" in 1975 and photographed at least once in this period. Later, a retired CIÉ executive commented that the scrapping was "a pity" because "such an oddity deserved preservation."