NIR 101 Class

Northern Ireland Railways 101 class

NIR 101 Eagle with an Enterprise Service in Dublin 1980-09-15.

Type and origin Power type Diesel-electric Builder Hunslet Engine Company Serial number 7197–7199 Build date March–June 1970 Total produced 3

Specifications Configuration: ​  • UIC Bo′Bo′ Gauge 1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in) Prime mover EE CSVT Mk II Train brakes Air

Performance figures Power output 1,350 hp (1,010 kW)

Career Operators Northern Ireland Railways Class 101 Numbers 101–103 Withdrawn 1989–1998 Disposition One preserved, two scrapped

With the return to the working of the Belfast - Dublin "Enterprise" service with coaching stock instead of augmented diesel railcar sets Northern Ireland Railways (NIR) found itself with no suitable main line diesel locomotives. The Class 101 (DL) became the answer to the immediate problem working in conjunction with the newly acquired ex – BR Mk. 2 coaches.

The 101 Class of NIR consisted of three mainline diesel-electric locomotives designed for use with the Enterprise passenger services between Belfast and Dublin. The intention was to reduce the time for the 180 km (112 ³⁄₄-mile) journey to two hours. The design of the superstructure and bogies was carried out by the Hunslet Engine Company of Leeds with English Electric / AEI being responsible for the electrical traction. The contract stipulated a ten-month delivery period but with Hunslet's workshops already committed, the superstructure and assembly was contracted out to (BREL), Doncaster, Hunslet providing the bogies. They were of Bo-Bo wheel arrangement and fitted with CSVT Mk. II 1,350 horsepower (1,010 kW) engines. The locomotives were fitted with buckeye couplers as standard and had air brake capability for operation with the Mk.2 coaches. They were visually, mechanically & electrically very similar to the 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 ³⁄₈ in) metre gauge KTMB class 22 (Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad - Malaysian Railways) locomotives built by English Electric at around the same time, however these had had a Co-Co arrangement and an uprated power unit. A small number are still operated.