A wide variety of steam locomotives have been used on Ireland's railways. This page lists most if not all those that have been used in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Irish railways generally followed British practice in locomotive design.
The list that follows is roughly geographic (north to south) order.
Northern Ireland The Ulster Transport Authority, which controlled the railways in Northern Ireland between 1948 and 1966, replaced steam haulage on passenger trains with diesel multiple units, but had only two diesel shunting locomotives, which meant a continued role for steam on freight work. Twenty-three locomotives passed to Northern Ireland Railways in 1967, but most were not used again and all had been withdrawn by 1971.
Belfast and County Down Railway The Belfast and County Down Railway was founded in 1848. It absorbed the Belfast, Hollywood and Bangor Railway in 1884 and continued operating until it was nationalised in its centenary year into the Ulster Transport Authority as a result of the Ireland Act 1949. Type Fleetnumbers Quantitybuilt Manufacturer Datesbuilt Dateswithdrawn Notes 2-2-2 1–4 4 Bury, Curtis and Kennedy 1848 1858–1865 No. 2 renumbered 8 and rebuilt as 0–4–2; withdrawn 1890s 2-2-2WT 1T, 2T 2 William Fairbairn & Sons 1850–1851 1867–1877 Renumbered 4 and 5 in 1859 2-4-0T 5, 6 2 Beyer, Peacock & Company 1857–1858 1894–1894 No. 5 renumbered 7 in 1859 2-4-0T 8 1 Beyer, Peacock & Company 1859 1880s 0-4-2 9, 10 2 William Fairbairn & Sons 1859 1886–1887 2-4-0ST 11–13, 3, 5 5+2 Vulcan Foundry 1864–67 1890–1909 12–13 sold to BH&BR 1–2 in 1870; renumbered 15–16, along with two identical locos bought new by BH&BR (3 & 6) → BCDR 17, 20 2-4-0T 1 1 John Fowler & Co 1867 1909 rebuilt as 0–4–2 in 1884 2-4-0 12, 13 2 Manning Wardle 1868 1888–1904? 0-6-0 14 1 Vulcan Foundry 1875 1904 0-6-0 4 1 Beyer, Peacock & Company 1878 1922 0-4-2 2 1 Sharp, Stewart & Company 1880 1937 rebuilt as 0-4-2T in 1902 0-4-2 8 1 BCDR Queens Quay Works, Belfast 1881 1897 2-4-0T 18, 19 2 Yorkshire Engine Company 1870 1891 ex BH&BR 4 & 5 0-4-2 10, 9, 13, 16 4 Sharp, Stewart & Company 1886–1890 1914–1949 rebuilt as 0–4–2T (1900–1902); 9 renumbered 28 in 1945 2-4-2T 18, 19, 21, 22 4 Beyer, Peacock & Company 1891 1920 Compounds; rebuilt as 4-4-2T in late 1890s 2-4-0 23–25 3 Beyer, Peacock & Company 1892 1921 Compounds 0-6-0 26 1 Beyer, Peacock & Company 1892 1950 2-4-0 6 1 Beyer, Peacock & Company 1894 1956 2-4-2T 5, 7, 8, 27, 28, 29 6 Beyer, Peacock & Company 1896–1897 1923–1950 4-4-2T 30 12 Beyer, Peacock & Company 1901–1921 1956–1962 UTA renumbered by adding 200 0-6-0 14 1 Beyer, Peacock & Company 1904 1954 Renumbered 214 by UTA Railmotor 1–3 3 Kitson & Company 1905–1906 1924 Carriage portions saw further use 0-6-0 10, 4 2 Beyer, Peacock & Company 1914–1921 1956 4 renumbered 204 by UTA 4-6-4T 22–25 4 Beyer, Peacock & Company 1920 1956 Renumbered 222–225 by UTA 0-6-4T 29 1 Beyer, Peacock & Company 1923 1956 Renumbered 229 by UTA 4-4-2T 8, 16, 9 3 Beyer, Peacock & Company 1924–1945 1956 UTA renumbered by adding 200 C d D1 1 Harland & Wolff 1933 Renumbered 2 in 1937 (1A)(A1)d D2 1 Harland & Wolff 1937 Renumbered 28 in 1937
Belfast and Northern Counties Railway (1848–1903) & Northern Counties Committee (1903–1949)
The Belfast and Northern Counties Railway (BNCR), was a railway that served the north-east of Ireland. It had its origins in the Belfast and Ballymena Railway that opened to traffic on 11 April 1848. The Northern Counties Committee came into existence on 1 July 1903 as the result of the Midland Railway taking over the BNCR. At the 1923 Grouping the Committee became part of the London Midland & Scottish Railway (LMS); with the nationalisation of the railways in Britain in 1948 the line passed to the British Transport Commission and in the following year, 1949, it was sold to the Ulster Transport Authority (UTA) as a result of the Ireland Act 1949.
Belfast and Ballymena Railway (1848–1860) and other constituents The early locomotives of the constituent companies were to assorted designs from a number of manufacturers. The first locomotives for the Belfast and Ballymena Railway were purchased from Bury, Curtis and Kennedy. These were four 2-2-2 singles and one 0-4-2 goods engine. Later, four more 2-2-2s were ordered but this time from Sharp Brothers. Fairbairn 2-2-2s were to be found on the Ballymena Ballymena, Ballymoney, Coleraine and Portrush Junction Railway but this company also favoured Sharp locomotives which were double framed 2-4-0s.
Belfast and Northern Counties Railway (1860–1903) The BNCR introduced class letters for its locomotive stock in 1897. The MR (NCC) and later the LMS (NCC) continued to use the system adding new classes as required.
Class Type Fleetnumbers Quantitybuilt Manufacturer Datesbuilt Dateswithdrawn Notes A 4-4-0 3–5, 9, 17, 20, 34, 63–68 13 York Road Works (7)Derby Works (6) 1901–1908 1929–1936 Heavy compound locomotives B 4-4-0 24, 59–62 5 Beyer, Peacock & Company 1897–1898 1924–1932 Light compound locomotives C 2-4-0 21, 33, 50–52, 56–57 7 Beyer, Peacock & Company 1890–1895 1926–1942 Light compound locomotives; 50 renumbered 58 D 2-4-0 50, 55 2 Beyer, Peacock & Company 1895 1944–1946 Heavy compound locomotives; named Jubilee and Parkmount; rebuilt as 4-4-0 in 1897 E 0-6-0 53–54 2 Beyer, Peacock & Company 1892 1934–1944 Compound goods locomotives F 2-4-0 45–46, 23 3 Beyer, Peacock & Company 1880–1885 1938–1942 G 2-4-0 6, 8, 10–11, 22, 27, 29, 40–41 9 Sharp, Stewart & Company (7)Beyer, Peacock & Company (2) 1872–1878 1925–1933 H 2-4-0 12–17 6 Sharp, Stewart & Company 1856 1908–1924 I 2-4-0 40–41 2 Beyer, Peacock & Company 1868 1924 Renumbered 1–2 J 2-4-0T 25, 47–49 4 Beyer, Peacock & Company 1883 1932–1934 Rebuilt as saddle tanks K 0-6-0 7, 28, 30–32, 38–39, 43–44 9 Sharp, Stewart & Company (7)Beyer, Peacock & Company (2) 1867–1880 1925–1947 L 0-6-0 18–19, 35 3 Sharp, Stewart & Company 1857–1861 1925–1933 L1 0-6-0 36–37 2 Beyer, Peacock & Company 1863 1928–1932 M 0-4-2 26 1 York Road Works 1873 1925 N 0-4-0ST 42 1 Sharp, Stewart & Company 1875 1925 O 0-4-2ST 60–62 3 Black, Hawthorn & Company 1874–1875 1911–1923 Narrow gauge locomotives; ex Ballymena, Cushendall and Red Bay Railway 1–3; renumbered 101–103 P 2-4-0T 63–64 2 Beyer, Peacock & Company 1877–1878 1920–1928 Narrow gauge locomotives; ex Ballymena and Larne Railway 1 & 4; renumbered 104–105 Q 0-6-0T 65–67 3 Beyer, Peacock & Company 1877–1882 1931–1933 Narrow gauge locomotives; ex Ballymena & Larne Railway 2, 3 & 6; renumbered 106–108 R 68 1 Beyer, Peacock & Company 1880 1934 Narrow gauge locomotive; ex Ballymena & Larne Railway 5; renumbered 109 S 2-4-2T 69–70 2 Beyer, Peacock & Company 1882 1946–1954 Narrow gauge compound locomotives; renumbered 110–111
Northern Counties Committee (1903–1949) Class Type Fleetnumbers Quantitybuilt Manufacturer Datesbuilt Dateswithdrawn Notes A1 4-4-0 3, 4, 9, 17, 34, 64–66, 68 9 (1927–34) 1947–1954 Simple rebuilds of class A B1 4-4-0 60, 61 3 (1921) (1932) Rebuilds of class B B2 4-4-0 24 1 (1925) (1928) Simple rebuilds of class B B3 4-4-0 21, 24, 28, 60, 61 5 (1927–32) 1938–1947 Simple rebuilds of classes B1, B2, C and C1 C1 2-4-0 21, 51, 52, 57 4 (1926–31) 1931–1947 Rebuilds of class C D1 4-4-0 50 1 (1926) 1946 Rebuild of class D E1 0-6-0 53–54 2 (1907–11) 1934–1944 Rebuilds of class E F1 2-4-0 46 1 (1928) 1938 Rebuild of class F G1 2-4-0 6, 10, 27 3 (1910–13) 1931–1933 Rebuilds of class G K1 0-6-0 30, 32, 38–39, 43–44 6 (1909–22) 1927–1938 Rebuilds of class K S 2-4-2T 112–113, 103–104 4 York Road Works 1908–1920 1938–1954 Narrow gauge compound locomotives; 112–113 renumbered 102–101 S1 2-4-2T 101–102 2 (1928–1930) 1942 Narrow gauge compound locomotives; rebuilds of class S; renumbered 41–42 S2 2-4-4T 110 1 (1931) 1946 Narrow gauge compound locomotive; rebuild of class S T 90–91 2 Derby Works 1905 1913 Railmotor units T 4-4-2T 113–114 2 Kitson & Company 1908 1940–1942 Narrow gauge locomotives; ex Ballycastle Railway 3 & 4 N 0-4-0ST 16 1 York Road Works 1914 1951 U 4-4-0 14–15, 69–70 4 Derby Works 1914–1922 1924–1937 Renumbered 70–73; rebuilt as class U2 U1 4-4-0 1–4 4 York Road Works 1924–1931 1946–1949 Named after Glens U2 4-4-0 70–87 18 North British Locomotive Company (7)York Road Works (7+4) 1924–1936 1956–1963 V 0-6-0 71–73 3 Derby Works 1923 1961–1964 "renumbered" X–Z; then 13–15 — ? 91 1 Sentinel Waggon Works 1925 1932 W 2-6-0 90–104 15 Derby Works (4)York Road Works (11) 1933–1942 1956–1965 Most named WT 2-6-4T 1–10, 50–57 18 Derby Works 1946–1950 1968–1971 Nicknamed "Jeeps" Y 0-6-0T 18–19 2 WG Bagnall (1)Hunslet Engine Company (1) 1926–1928 1956–1963 Re-gauged LMS Fowler Class 3F; arrived 1944
Cross-Border Lines Following the division of Ireland in 1921 into two administrations, a number of railways now found themselves operating on both sides of the newly created boundary between Northern Ireland and the Irish Free State (later Republic of Ireland).
West Donegal Railway The West Donegal Railway became the Donegal Railway in 1892; and the County Donegal Railways Joint Committee after being jointly acquired in 1906 by the Great Northern Railway and the Midland Railway's Northern Counties Committee. Class Type Fleetnumbers Quantitybuilt Manufacturer Datesbuilt Dateswithdrawn Notes 1 2-4-0T 1–3 3 Sharp, Stewart & Company 1881 1909–1926 2 4-6-0T 4–9 6 Neilson & Company 1893 1931–1937 3 4-4-4T 10–11 2 Neilson, Reid & Company 1902 1933 4 4-6-4T 12–15 4 Nasmyth, Wilson & Company 1904 1953–1959 Renumbered 9–12 in 1937 5 2-6-4T 16–20 5 Nasmyth, Wilson & Company 1907 1940–1950 Renumbered 4–8 in 1937 5A 2-6-4T 21, 2A, 3A 3 Nasmyth, Wilson & Company 1912 1959 Renumbered 1–3 in 1937
Dundalk, Newry and Greenore Railway Class Type Fleetnumbers Quantitybuilt Manufacturer Datesbuilt Dateswithdrawn Notes — 0-6-0ST 1–6 6 LNWR Crewe Works 1873–1898 1928–1951
Great Northern Railway The Great Northern Railway (GNR) was formed in 1876 acquiring a variety of locomotives. Nos 1 to 23 were from Dublin and Drogheda Railway; Nos. 24 to 41 from the Dublin and Belfast Junction Railway; Nos. 43 to circa 78 from the Irish North Western Railway and Londonderry and Enniskillen Railway; Numbers in the eighties from the Newry and Armagh Railway and nos. 100 to 141 from the Ulster Railway. Later acquisitions in the 1880s from the Newry, Warrenpoint, and Rostrevor and the Belfast Central Railway were numbered in the Nineties. The GNR straddled the border between the Republic and Northern Ireland (after 1921), and so was not incorporated in either the CIÉ or Ulster Transport Authority. However, mounting losses saw the network purchased jointly by the Irish and British governments on 1 September 1953. It was run as a joint board, independent of the CIÉ and UTA, until 30 September 1958 when it was dissolved and the remaining stock split equally between the two railways.
? (1877–1881) Class Type Fleetnumbers Quantitybuilt Manufacturer Datesbuilt Dateswithdrawn Notes B 6, 26–27, 34, 62–63, 65–67 9 Sharp, Stewart & Company 1877–1880 1925–1938 G 2-4-0 24–25, 46–47, 59, 80 6 Beyer, Peacock & Company 1877–1883 1913–1921 Several renumbered H 2-4-0 84–87 4 Beyer, Peacock & Company 1880–1881 1931–1932 James Crawford Park (1881–1895)