CIÉ built E421 in their Inchicore Works in 1962. Maybach of Germany supplied its prime mover. The class leader of the 14-strong ‘E Class’, E421 made its debut on a test run in September 1962. In spectacular fashion, it hurled itself off the tracks at 60mph near Newbridge in County Kildare. The derailment was attributed to the class’s unusual wheel arrangement of three asymmetrically-arranged powered axles. As a result of E421’s escapades, CIÉ restricted the E class from its design speed of 60mph to just 25mph. They lived almost their entire working lives shunting as a result, mainly in Dublin’s goods and locomotive yards.
The transport company took E421 out of service 1983 and it remained in store at Inchicore Works until 1986. That year, we purchased it for preservation – it was our very first locomotive! Our late former President, William Gillespie OBE, generously funded the purchase. In honour of his generosity we named E421 after him. The locomotive arrived in Downpatrick in November 1986. A lorry brought it up from Dublin.
In January 1987, after weeks of preparation, E421 moved under its own power for the first time in preservation. This was the first time any locomotive had moved under its own power in Downpatrick since the BCDR closed in 1950. In December that year it worked our very first passenger trains, hauling our NCC brake van between Downpatrick and the Loop Platform. E421 was in almost constant service until 2010. Eventually 23 years of work caught up with it and we took the locomotive out of service in the face of numerous issues.
As the owner of the locomotive, Bill Gillespie requested it go on display in the Carriage Gallery until such time that a full overhaul could take place on. With the A39 and three G Class diesels working at the railway, and a B Class on its way in fully operational condition, he was reluctant to spend the many thousands of pounds required to get E421 working again, especially when none of the aforementioned diesels require the two hours of pre-heating before use that the E Class does.
We have cosmetically restored E421 and placed it in the Gallery for all to enjoy. Here it takes pride of place at the front alongside the Railmotor and our vintage carriages. Though very far down the list of priorities, we hope that E421 will run again in the future. Our locomotive crew misses the distinctive noise of the Maybach engine!
Its classmate, E432, is also part of our preserved Irish locomotive collection.