page_title: CIE 201 Class
section_title: Preservation
hierarchical_section_title: CIE 201 Class / Preservation
caption_attribution_description: English: ITG-Owned C Class No. C231 at Downpatrick, the day it arrived from Moyasta.
context_page_description: The Córas Iompair Éireann 201 Class was a class of 34 diesel electric locomotives manufactured by Metropolitan-Vickers at their Dukinfield Works in Manchester. They were a smaller, lighter and less powerful version of the 001 Class and were originally intended for branch line passenger and freight duties. They were introduced in 1956 and, although their duties changed over the years, were in regular service on the Irish railway network until the mid-1980s.
context_section_description: Two 201 Class locomotives, numbers 226 and 231, have been preserved by the Irish Traction Group 226 was the first mainline diesel to be preserved in Ireland. C231 is currently based at the Downpatrick and County Down Railway, painted in CIÉ Green livery, whilst 226 is undergoing restoration at Carrick-on-Suir. 
  A third example, NIR 106/CIÉ 227 was preserved privately and displayed at Cahirciveen, County Kerry   and carries the number C202, which was supposedly the number of the locomotive hauling the last train from Cahirciveen in 1960 but it was in fact both 227 and 201 which worked the last up and down trains.  Irish Rail recovered the engine for reuse in its 141/181 class locomotives.  This locomotive and its three remaining siblings were stored in an unprotected site on NIR. Metal theft at this stage rendered it and its sisters a write off as far as ever running again was concerned.  Whilst scrapping of its sisters was taking place this locomotive was further stripped of almost all internal equipment (compressor, exhauster, air tanks, cooler fan, etc)  before being moved to Cahirsiveen in 1997. The locomotive was cosmetically restored and repainted in silver and renumbered C202. The almost empty engine room was floored with plywood. While in Cahirsiveen the body suffered extensive corrosion from 7 years of open air display near the sea and its windows were smashed again. An arson attack on the locomotive as well as its "eye sore" appearance on the landscape meant that scrapping was becoming very likely. In around 2004, the locomotive was saved from scrapping by a member of the now defunct "A15r [sic] Group and moved from Caherciveen to a site used by a heritage railway at Bilberry, Waterford with the intention of being restored as part of a scheme to reopen the New Ross railway.  However, during her time in Bilberry the locomotive was further vandalised. The plywood floor was ripped up and any remaining traction motor cable was cut out by metal thieves. The locomotive also suffered further deterioration due to being stored in the open with rainwater entering through broken windows and rotten roof panels. In 2010, the locomotive was relocated to a more secure site near Kilmacow village, and traveled the 10 km journey to this premises in Kilmacow by road on a low loader.  It is believed that the wish of the current owners is still that 227 will be restored at least cosmetically, but this seems unlikely. As of July 2016, the locomotive remained in its derelict state at the Kilmacow site along with several other Bord na Mona locomotives and a Wickham inspection car."
caption: C231 At DCDR
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