CIÉ constructed E432 in 1963 at their Inchicore Works. Part of the 14-strong ‘E Class’, the loco carries a Mayback power unit. The E Class worked as shunters, mainly in the Dublin area but also in Cork and Limerick. Originally, CIÉ intended to run the E Class at 60mph on mixed traffic branch line trains. The class leader, E421, had a derailment early on so CIÉ restricted the locos to 30moh thereafter.
CIÉ withdrew E432 from service in 1983 and remained in store at Inchicore Works until 1986. That year, our railway purchased it, and its sister, E421, for preservation. We originally bought as a source of spares for the latter, which we were restoring to haul our first passenger trains at the time. However, we soon realised the E432 could be a runner in its own right following the unexpected acquisition of even more spare parts. E421 moved to Downpatrick in November 1986, but E432 had to wait until early 1987 before it could follow.
By 1988, E432 was operational once again, and as we later found out from CIÉ drivers, it had enjoyed a better reputation than E421 during their days in company service! After over a decade in service with us, we withdrew E432 in 2004 as it needed a major overhaul. The locomotive is currently stored out of use in our yard until such time when funding and manpower permit its restoration. Unfortunately it is highly unlikely that this will be anytime in the foreseeable future.