ARTHUR
GUINNESS, SON & CO., ST.
JAMES'
GATE BREWERY
0-4-0ST
No.
3BG 'GUINNESS'
The Guinness engine in action at Whitehead
in 2011. Photo by R Edwards.
BUILT BY : HUDSWELL, CLARKE
& CO., LEEDS, ENGLAND. (WORKS NO. 1152)
YEAR BUILT : 1919
WITHDRAWN : 1965
LAST MAJOR OVERHAUL COMPLETED
: 2003
Built for shunting Ireland's
largest privately owned broad gauge industrial system this locomotive became
the RPSI's first preserved locomotive, being presented to the Society in
1965. The famous Dublin brewery operated an extensive 1'10" gauge
system within the complex from 1874 to 1965 with broad gauge locos being
used to transfer traffic from there to Kingsbridge (now Heuston) Station
for onward transhipment. Originally the engine carried side sheets covering
the motion, but these were removed by the RPSI for maintenance reasons.
The bell and number plates seen in the picture below are
also not currently fitted. No 3 spent a number of years at the RPSI's Whitehead
base before being leased to the Downpatrick & Ardglass Railway for
the commencement of their steam operations in 1989. The locomotive
was used at Downpatrick between then and 1996, when she was stopped for
overhaul. She was returned to Whitehead on 28th December 2001 and
she soon entered the works for overhaul to running order. Livery
was originally dark green, but in later years a dark blue livery was carried.
The "Guinness" nameplates now carried came from Guinness's diesel shunter
No. 4, which is now scrapped.
The Guinness engine is currently
in working order at Whitehead and is used for shunting, crew training and
for "Summer Steam" train rides within the site. The locomotive's 90th birthday
was celebrated with a cake on one of the "Summer Steam" open days in August
2009.
No.3BG 'Guinness' outside the RPSI's Whitehead depot
in the 1970s. Photo by JA Lockett.
Keeping
Steam alive in Ireland since 1964
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