124 is one of 15 121 class locomotives built by General Motors for CIÉ in 1960, in fact these were the first GM-built locos to be exported to Europe. Based on the GM’s GL8 ‘Switcher’ design, they were distinct from other CIÉ mainline diesels in that they only had one cab. Originally numbered B124, she arrived in Dublin aboard the SS Irish Poplar (II) on 4th January 1961, and was the initial locomotive to be unloaded. The first of five GM classes that would enter CIÉ/IÉ service over the following four decades, they arrived in a distinctive grey livery and quickly became known as ‘the Yanks’ by CIÉ staff. B124 entered service on 31st March 1961, and the type was so successful that CIÉ would go on to order 37 more locomotives shortly after, this time with two cabs.
An unfortunate incident with a platelayer’s trolley led to a ban on the single cabbed locos working ‘nose first’ early on, although they were permitted to do so between Inchicore depot and the North Wall freight yards and between Dundalk station and Dundalk Barrack St goods depot. This meant that the locos had to use turntables at the end of the their journeys, in the 1960s there would still have been an abundance of these left over from steam days. The class were later fitted for multiple working, allowing them operate in multiple both within their own class and with the 141 and 181 classes. In such cases the need to turn the locos around was removed. They would go on to work passenger and freight trains all over the CIÉ system, and were know to venture into Northern Ireland as well, with the class taking over ‘Enterprise’ duties between Dublin and Belfast in the early 1960s. Notably, B124 worked the last down Mallow to Waterford train on the now closed route via Fermoy on 27th March 1967. Originally number B124, CIÉ dispensed with the letter classifications in the 1970s, when she became simply ‘124’.
Being single cabbed locomotives, they were a natural fit on push-pull duties, with some locomotives taking over from the C class diesels on the infamous ‘Greystones shuttle’ using an AEC railcar set (which included our own 6111) in the 1980s. They would have a second bout of push-pull duties with the arrival of the mkIII push-pull sets in 1989, with one of these small locomotives being entrusted to haul 6 heavy mKIII carriages laden with commuters between Dublin and Dundalk. 124 received a temporary experimental livery incorporating a green dash along the cab side, although this was soon removed. Even in the early 1990s it was not unknown for the class to work passenger trains single handed on the Dublin-Rosslare route, which fortunately still retained turntables at both ends.
The arrival of the more powerful 201 class GMs in 1994/5 saw the 121 class locomotives ousted from their Dublin push-pull workings, but they still remained the mainstay of the Limerick-Limerick Junction ‘short’ push-pull set right up until early 2004.
A comprehensive rebuild programme commenced in Inchicore in the early 2000s, but the decline in freight traffic saw this programme stopped after just four locomotives, with most of the 121 class locomotives withdrawn by March 2003. However, 124, along with 134, were retained to work the Limerick push-pull service until sufficient railcars were available to take over that duty in early 2004.
124 and 134 kept going, finding gainful employment on freight workings and were even know to occasionally work the Friday Only Dublin-Ennis working forward from Limerick to the Clare town. Naturally, they became very popular on enthusiast railtours around this time, with both locomotives featuring on a number of railtours during the mid-2000s. Towards the end, their main duties tended to be around Permanent Way trains, and after working their final such train to Portlaoise in March 2008, both locomotives returned to Inchicore Works were they were finally stood down.
In 2009, the Irish Traction Group (ITG) purchased locomotive 124 for preservation, and moved her to the West Clare Railway’s Moyasta premises in November of that year. She was covered under a tarpaulin, and would slumber for there for another 16 years. In late 2024, the ITG reached agreement with DCDR to transfer 124 and the other ITG-owned Moyasta locos to Downpatrick. 124 arrived at DCDR on 1st June 2025; just two weeks later, ITG volunteers successfully started her for the first time in preservation. Two months frenzied work saw 124 ready for the August 2025 Diesel Day, during which it worked the first 121 class passenger train in preservation.
Her being one of the very first GM locomotives exported to Europe means that she is a very worthy candidate for operation at Ireland’s only standard gauge heritage railway, representing an important step in the development of locomotive traction not just in Ireland, in Europe in general.
