GNRI Class S

The Great Northern Railway (Ireland) class S was a class of five 4-4-0 steam locomotive that the Great Northern Railway introduced in 1913 to haul Belfast – Dublin express passenger trains. They were followed two years later by the three similar class S2 locomotives.
All were built by Beyer, Peacock and Company at their Gorton Foundry, Manchester.
== Table of locomotives ==
Class	GNRI No.	Name 	BP serial No.	Rebuilt	1958 	Withdrawn	Notes
S 	170 	Errigal 	5628 	1939 	CIÉ 170N	1965 	
S 	171 	Slieve Gullion	5629 	1938 	CIÉ 171N	1965 	Preserved
S 	172 	Slieve Donard 	5630 	1938 	UTA 60 	1965 	
S 	173 	Galtee More 	5631 	1938 	UTA 61 	1964 	
S 	174 	Carrantuohill 	5632 	1939 	CIÉ 174N	1965 	
S2 	190 	Lugnaquilla 	5901 	1939 	UTA 62 	1965 	Named in 1939
S2 	191 	Croagh Patrick	5902 	1939 	CIÉ 191N	1960 	Named in 1939
S2 	192 	Slievenamon 	5903 	1938 	UTA 63 	1965 	Named in 1938
== History ==
The locomotives were delivered during a time when the GNRI was removing names from locomotives. The S class locomotives carried names from new, but gradually lost them, so by 1925, only 170 Errigal retained its name. This it lost in 1930. The S2 locomotives were allocated the names Lugnaquilla, Carlingford, and Mount Hamilton, but they were never carried. With the introduction the class V locomotives in 1932, the GNRI revived the practice of naming locomotives; the S2 class acquired new names, and the S class regained their old ones as they went through the works for rebuilding in the late 1930s. All were named after mountains in Ireland.
Much of the GNR network was closed in 1957 and the remaining system was split between Córas Iompair Éireann (CIÉ) and the Ulster Transport Authority (UTA) in 1958, with the fleet divided as equally as possible between the two parties. The UTA renumbered their locomotives, whereas the CIÉ merely added an "N" suffix to the locomotives' former GNRI numbers.
CIÉ soon replaced its remaining steam locomotives with diesels and sold four of its former GNRI steam locomotives – all three S class and one VS class – to the UTA in 1963.
The UTA based some of its S class locomotives in Belfast and used it to haul trains on the Belfast – Portadown main line and Portadown – Derry "Derry Road".
== Preservation ==
One member of the class, No. 171 Slieve Gullion, is preserved. In preservation it has covered most of the Irish railway system, including many non-GNR(I) lines. The locomotive was in service until 2002 when its boiler certificate expired. Growing Rural Opportunities Within (GROW) South Antrim is now funding the locomotive's restoration. In January 2014 the locomotive was transported to Railway Restoration North East Ltd in Shildon, County Durham, which is undertaking the work.
Category:Steam locomotives
Category:4-4-0 locomotives
Category:4-4-0 steam locomotives
Category:Tender locomotives
Category:Great Northern (IE) locomotives
Category:Ulster Transport Authority
Category:CIÉ locomotives
Category:Four-coupled locomotives
Category:Ireland
Category:United Kingdom
Category:Beyer locomotives
Category:Built in 1913
Category:Built in 1915
Category:RPSI
Category:Locomotives
Category:Sole survivor
Category:Irish locomotives