1989: BR Intercity mk. 2 in Belfast/Dublin consist

[jamesontheroad]

Howdy all. I've had repeated problems getting my account to work on the Irish Railway News Yuku forum, so maybe I'll be able to find an answer here (perhaps from csalem?)

In this photo, dated 31 March 1989...

http://railscanireland.fotopic.net/p47876550.html

... a mk.2 carriage in BR blue/grey Intercity livery is seen arriving / departing at Dublin Connolly station. Presumably it's part of an Enterprise service, considering the NIR Intercity livery on the adjoining coaches.

What was this coach doing in Ireland? Was it a specially re-guaged carriage from Britain on trial with NIR? How long was it in NI / RoI for? Many years later, NIR bought some old mk. 2 carriages from Gatwick Express and reguaged them for peak time loco hauled services, but this would have been long before that...

Thanks!

 

[royaloak]

The only thing I can find is Mk2F FO 3367 purchased by NIR 1989 and renumbered 904, so it may have been used in service immediately on arrival after changing the bogies.

If you find out any different could you post it, or let my know, as it is a bit of an anomaly.

Is it thought the 91? in the corner is the number because 911-915 were converted from mark 2B coaches (no air con) and this is a mark 2D or later non brake coach.

 

[theblackwatch]

You are correct, the coach is 3367, which was exported to Ireland in the late 80s after being bought by NIR. Re-gauging the vehicles is a simple job - all that is needed is a bogie change, and I believe the former Gatwck Express vehicles actually had this done on the docks in Ireland, when the bogies were swapped with a number of coaches returning to the UK (including 3367) after being disposed of by NIR.

Although it caried NIR colours in the 1990s, 3367 has since reverted back to BR blue/grey, having been repainted at Derby a few years back after a period in store at Sinderby.

 

[Csalem]

Yeah the coach is 904. The 91? on the corner is how my father labelled it which I just copied. There is another shot in the collection labelled 904 which I assume is meant to be 914. I think there is another shot somewhere in the house of this coach in service in BR blue/grey. Must try to find it and post it on the site. There is this shot on somebody else's website:
http://northernirelandrailways1975-2003.fotopic.net/p54088350.html

I also have on my site the carriage in NIR livery in Tuam, a genuine shot from the past!
http://railscanireland.fotopic.net/p47878628.html

Of course in the early 1990s there were BR Blue/Grey Mark 2A/Bs in Inchicore at the time of the fire in the carriage works. They could be seen dotted around the site in various state of conditions, some of them going into service in Ireland (in orange/black) while others didn't.

Finally, this carriage was scrapped last year in Inchicore:
http://railscanireland.fotopic.net/p43851570.html
On the side visible it is in standard IE livery, but the other side it was mostly still in the BREL International livery. Sadly it never ran on the Irish network.

 

[poshbakerloo]

That was probs there prized coach...with AC! lol

 

[jamesontheroad]

Interesting! Thanks everyone. I like the idea that even if this carriage isn't in Ireland anymore, the bogies might still be here in Belfast under the mothballed Gatwick set parked imup at the Adelaide depot

 

[FlyingScot]

The person on the coach must be like where am I?lol

 

[Csalem]

Did a bit of searching and found the other shot of the carriage in Ireland. This shot was taken in Dundalk:

 

[4SRKT]

That was probs there prized coach...with AC! lol

Grill/bar car no 546 also had aircon. It was converted from a Mk IIf TSO to complement the lovely Mk IIc 547, which (I think) had been one of the original PV Mk II coaches bought new from BREL to work with the Hunslets in 1970. 547 is now preserved as a crucial part of the RPSI's Mk II rake. 546 and 547 were I believe the only Mk II full catering vehicles ever to run on a UK railway (although CIE had some Mk IId ones built new for them in 1972, one of which turned up twice a day in Belfast, and which were also lovely coaches).


(((((Mk II stock)))))

 

[royaloak]

Interesting! Thanks everyone. I like the idea that even if this carriage isn't in Ireland anymore, the bogies might still be here in Belfast under the mothballed Gatwick set parked imup at the Adelaide depot

But they are not the original bogies from this coach, they were changed on the dock-side to the coaches coming back to England.