Yuku free message boards

Pairs of 141s sadly aren't up to the task of rescuing a MK4 set and hauling it to its destination. after a 201 fails on a MK4 passengers are irate enough without having to tell them a few miles on "Sorry but the 45 yr old rescue loco has failed too". Next time you are travelling out of Cork listen to how hard the loco has to work to push the brutish MK4s up to Rathpeacon, and thats a 3200HP machine!! An 071 is a happy medium they are available for the 3 exclusively Pilot workings at Athlone,Portlaoise and Limerick Junction and still have enough strength in numbers to cover most freight workings which they are suitable for.
Only yesterday 081 proved her worth coming to the rescue when 234 failed on the 1530 ex Cork.
I would hope that in the next yr or so some of them might receive railcar compatible drophead dellner couplers for easy coupling to 2600,2700,2800,29000 and 22000 Railcars quickly should the need arise. That would make them truely versatile. However I.E probably could't make a financial case for this equipment as even in the 2700s darkest days of trying to destroy the Rosslare line it has always been incredibly rare for I.E locos to haul stricken railcars.

Pairs of 141s have never been ideally suited to hauling long air braked passenger trains!! There is a much higher demand on the compressors as they are supplying the brake system, each coaches air reservoir, air for the doors, air suspension, even ridiculous things like the drivers seat in the DVT, air dampers in the hVAC system you name it!!! So pity the poor passengers who would have to wait while they huffed and puffed trying to charge up 8 coaches and a dead loco on the back all 440tons approx!! They'd never manage to get up to any decent speed whereas an 071 can and has rescued MK4s and been sufficently fast to continue as a service train to Dublin.
Bo-Bos are much better on freight where their lower power to wheel ratio allows them to avoid the wheel slip problems which often plagues the 071s. Also they are particularly useful on Limerick bound freight as 071s are not permitted to Kilmastulla or Castlemungret. However now even pairs of bo-Bos are banned off the norfolk in certain instances if the load is too heavy-h.gricer can probably elaborate???

Anyhow Connaught this time next yr i'm sure it'll be an orange 201 sitting in Athlone or Portlaoise on Pilot duty and 071s dawdling around with a few per way flats and ballast hoppers about the system!!! The nature of the changing railway.