152 is one of 37 141 class locos, built by General Motors for CIÉ in 1962; this class also included 146. The loco originally carried the number B152. The 141 class locomotives worked all over the CIÉ and later Iarnród Éireann/Irish Rail network, both on their own and in multiple (both within class and with the 121 and 181 types). They were also frequent visitors to the Northern Ireland Railways system, regularly working the ‘Enterprise’ from Dublin to Belfast, in addition to cross border freight services.
The 141 Class locos proved to be highly versatile locomotives, performing on everything from Cork expresses to rural freight services. In their early years they managed to visit some parts of the Irish railway network that have since disappeared. Examples of these include the Sligo-Claremorris line and the Loughrea branch. They also got at least far as Omagh on the ‘Derry Road’ from Portadown. In the 1970s, CIÉ dispensed with the ‘letter’ classification system, and B152 simply became 152.
The larger 071 class locomotives took over top-link services in the late 1970s. The 141s continued to work across the system and were the backbone of many secondary passenger services well into the early 1990s. They persisted on branchline and cross country workings into the 2000s. With the withdrawal of the last E class diesel shunters in the 1980s, the 141 class locomotives found a role on shunting and station pilot duties in terminal stations such as Connolly and Heuston. The fleet also undertook shunting duties in Dublin’s North Wall freight yards. 152 and her sisters also handled a lot of freight traffic. The Permanent Way Department favoured these locomotives for use on its infrastructure trains too. The locomotives sometimes worked for Northern Ireland Railways on loan as needed.
With a handful of exceptions, most of the 141 class locos continued in service well into the new millennium, with a gradual withdrawal commencing from around 2007 onwards as freight traffic declined and newer Intercity Railcar units allowed enough 071 and 201 classes to take over their remaining duties. 152 was one of the last in mainline service. The loco worked its last train, a ballast working, in the west of Ireland in early 2010.
152 was then purchased by the Irish Traction Group. While the group already had another 141 class loco, 146, 152 was bought as a useful source of strategic spares. It is as easy to buy a whole locomotive as to strip individual ones for spares. Many of these spares are also compatible with the group’s other ‘small GM’ locomotives, 124 and 190. 152 moved to the West Clare Railway at Moyasta Junction, Co Clare in 2010 (on a lowloader). This was for display in a museum project that unfortunately hasn’t proved possible yet. ITG reached an agreement to move its Moyasta-based locomotives to Downpatrick in 2024. 152 moved to its new home on a lowloader in June 2025. While it’s not likely to run again, she is nonetheless a useful asset to the railway as a source of spares to keep her sister GM locos running.