Role model Charlie is one of the last steam train drivers in Ireland

THE old steam train evokes a romantic image in the mind, but one man who spent his career shoveling fuel into boiler fireboxes to keep her lit, covered in soot and sleeping in dormitories between shifts, has no wish to revisit his former workplace, such was the hard graft involved.

Inchicore resident Charles Koppenhofer (90), started working on the trains for the CIE (which later became Irish Rail), in 1949 and retired in 1997.

Not long after starting, he graduated to fireman, a hard physical role tasked with feeding coal and water in the boiler, before finishing his career as a train driver.

By 1960, most of the main line trains in Ireland were dieselised, with the last public main line passenger steam train withdrawn in 1970.

By that stage Charles had spent over two decades at the coalface, and rather unsurprisingly, he has not been on a train since retirement.

“No not really, it wasn’t a passion but a job,” said Charles, when asked has he been on a train since.

“It was comparable to a taxi-man, but you had 500 people behind you, and there are laws and rules that need to be abided by.

“It was a dirty job, you wore a smock to cover your clothes. But there was plenty of places you could have a shower, they were very considerate employers in that respect.

“As a fireman, the heat could be overbearing. You were stoking a large fire, a 110 pound pressure boiler. You were on your own doing this, accompanied by the driver, but you had to stay with it the whole trip. There was dormitories where you could rest and sleep.

“It was a huge improvement to work on a diesel train.”

Back at home in The Ranch, Inchicore, Charles raised six kids with his wife Sadie, who sadly passed away last year.

“We were married over 60 years, a lifetime,” lamented Charles of his dear wife.

Charles suffered two strokes in retirement, which impacted his mobility, particularly on the left side of his body.

Charles on a Guinness advert outside Cleary’s Pub in Inchicore

“It sort of put a dampner on things, I was looking forward to retirement.”

Thankfully, he has four daughters who are more than happy to look after their father.

“My daughters are very agreeable to look after me,” he acknowledged.

Charles pragmatism might stem from his family background, his grandfather Frederick Koppenhofer, who emigrated to Ireland from Germany, and opened a butcher shop in Bray.

According to the family lore, Frederick and his son Charles Snr, were jailed in Ireland during World War 2, and lost everything.

Charles Koppenhofer Snr subsequently married, and worked at the dental college in Trinity College, but died when Charles Jr was only ten-years-old, from TB, which was rampant in the 1940/50s.

His mother remarried but his step father also died.

Despite these tragedies, including losing one of his own daughters to illness many years ago, Charles recalls a life filled with more good than bad.

“One of my passengers was Mary Robinson, who was President of Ireland at the time,” he said.

Born in April, 1932, Charles was also a promising football player in his day, scouted by coach Paddy Coad for Shamrock Rovers Youths.

“At the time, I cycled to Milltown for training twice a week, and worked nights, but I had to give up the football, I was losing too much weight,” he recalled.

Last year, Charles received a letter from President Michael D Higgins for his 90th birthday, but he met the President in person at the Áras before in 2021, when he accompanied one of his daughters Anita, who was invited there in her role with Women’s Aid.

Granddaughter Emma Geraghty praised an “impactful” Charles who has been a “role model” for the family.

“He’s one of the last remaining steam train drivers of Ireland and his face can be seen outside Cleary’s pub, Inchicore, on a Guinness advert – a proud Irishman and Guinness drinker too,” said Emma.

“He’s met the President and recently received a letter from Michael D Higgins, too celebrating his birthday. He never mentioned his fishing either, where he won loads of competitions.

We want to try to acknowledge our Granda Charlie as much as possible for just how impactful and supportive he is to the whole family and his community as he grew up supporting others and is a continued role model to many.”