GS&WR Class 52

The Great Southern and Western Railway (GS&WR) Class 52 consisted of twenty 4-4-0 express passenger tender locomotives designed by John Aspinall. Aspinall also built a further fifteen similar but slightly larger locomotives of GS&WR Class 60.^{[1]: 67–72}

GS&WR 52 & 60 Classes
No. 60 at Abbeyleix 1909
Type and origin Power type Steam Designer J Aspinall Builder Inchicore Build date 1883—1895 Total produced 30 plus 15 in class 60
Specifications Configuration: ​  • Whyte 4-4-0 Gauge 5 ft 3 in (1,600 mm) Leading dia. 3 ft 0 in (910 mm) Driver dia. 6 ft 7 in (2,010 mm) Length 27 ft 6+1⁄2 in (8,395 mm) Axle load 12.4 long tons (12.6 t) Loco weight 36.4 long tons (37.0 t) Water cap. 2,730 imp gal (12,400 L; 3,280 US gal) Boiler pressure 160 lbf/in2 (1.10 MPa) Cylinders 2 Cylinder size 17 in × 22 in (432 mm × 559 mm)
Performance figures Tractive effort 10,940 lbf (48.66 kN)
Career Operators GS&WR GSR CIÉ Class D17/D14/D13 (Inchicore) Number in class 30+15 Numbers 1,3,4,9,11,12,14,16,18,20,52—59,97,98 60—65,85—89,93—96 Locale Ireland Withdrawn 1959
Details for Class 52 as built[1]: 67–72

The locomotives were built soon after Aspinall took up his post, and were to an extent a derivation of an Alexander McDonnell 2-4-0 design incorporating the same boiler but having a leading bogie.^{[2]: 148–150}

Improved Class 60

The Class 60 was a more powerful evolution of Class 52, being slightly heavier and having an increased tractive effort.^[3]

Service

The GSR Class 52 was initially deployed on fast express main-line services, and were almost immediately displayed to more secondary duties by the GS&WR Class 60.^[1] The arrival of the GS&WR Class 301 and later more powerful locomotives seen them all displaced to secondary routes. They were even known to work Dublin to Bray suburban services on very rare occasions despite their large diameter wheels being less suitable for fast acceleration.^[3]