“A Class locos of CIE/Irish Rail, 1965-95” by Tony Cooke

Speaker: Tony Cooke

Tony is a career-served railwayman with Irish Rail, mainly as a driver and driving examiner. Combining his own photos with those of David Boyle, he tells the fascinating story of the A Class, the first major diesel loco fleet in Ireland. His images will show the locos operating throughout the Republic, including closed branches, shed and yard shots, and covering passenger, freight and engineering duties. He will also explain the introduction of the class in the 1950’s, the performance of the Crossley engine and subsequent re-engining with GM power units, through to mentioning some early casualties, and withdrawal and scrapping of the class. They were versatile workhorses, well deserving their place in Irish railway history.