ARTHUR GUINNESS, SON & CO., ST.
JAMES' GATE BREWERY 
0-4-0ST 
No. 3BG 'GUINNESS'

The Guinness engine at Whitehead in 2008. Photo by C P Friel.

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WITHDRAWN : 1965 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, number plates and works 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.