Irish invented battery-powered trains 85 years before Tesla Ireland Made YouTube Transport historians 'Ireland Made' look into the fascinating history of the Irish chemist who created the Drumm Battery Train. Dr. James J. Drumm was an Irish chemist who did advanced research into the development of powerful traction batteries at University College Dublin (UCD). He completed his college education in 1918 and worked in industry in the UK and Ireland until 1925, when he began his research at UCD. WATCH: A scenic train ride through the Irish countryside in 1947 A speed of 88 kph (55 mph), it is stated, was maintained for the greater part of the journey from Dublin to Bray. In February 1932, the Drumm battery train was charged at Inchicore and went on a test run to Portarlington and back — a total distance of 130 kilometers (80 miles) — on a single charge. This was repeated several times, after which the train went into regular service. Four Drumm Battery train units operated successfully on the Dublin to Bray section of the line with occasional runs to Greystones, some five miles beyond, from 1932 to 1948. During 'The Emergency' years (WWII 1939-1945), coal and petrol shortages affected steam locomotive and road transport. This meant that the Drumm trains had increased use. The war's impact had a knock-on effect on the company, as it was unable to source raw materials for batteries or secure orders for the Drumm Traction Battery system. Electricity shortages also occurred on the Shannon due to low water levels, affecting the Drumm trains. By the summer of 1944, the Minister for Industry and Commerce, Sean Lemmas, was non-committal about prolonging the life of the Drumm trains. A decision was taken to withdraw the trains from service on the 12th of July 1949, when the last Drumm train left Bray. All four railcars were converted at Inchicore into ordinary passenger stock and hauled by steam locomotives. In the mid-1950s, they were withdrawn and replaced by new diesel railcars. These pioneering railcars were scrapped between 1957 and 1964. Sign up to IrishCentral's newsletter to stay up-to-date with everything Irish!