Jawfin

This is quite something. An interesting alternative to these new-fangled track recording coaches https://its.smugmug.com/Travel/2012-Photos/July-2012/i-DhNQznf (scroll down!)

The Ulster Transport Authority wins hands-down for going the furthest with railcar freight - their '70' class overfloor-engined units regularly hauled complete CIÉ freights from London/Derry to Lisburn. The earlier underfloor-engined MPD ('Multi-Purpose-Diesel') railcars were also used on general freight, apparently being capable of hauling about 10 loaded wagons each. Failures, however, were very high. Twin-end (bubble) cars were also regularly used for shunting as well. Earlier railcars and railbuses from the SLNCR, GNR, and NCC, had the capability of hauling the odd van or a specially-designed luggage wagon. The more recent '80' class from the 1970s, with a 4SRKT engine the same as the 70s, weren't used on freight but could happily haul eachother about and occasionally shunt or move the odd non-80 item of stock - I believe this also includes steam engine No. 85 'Merlin'. Other instances when they were used like locos included the transfer of the three 'DH' locos for preservation, and power car 90 hauling 450 class railcar 458 (again with a 4SRKT engine) from Belfast Central to York Road Depot. Some nice photos of the 70s in action here: http://www.preservedthumpers.com/nir-thumper-freight.html

Hi all - these may be of interest. I visited the two remaining MK IIIAs (Internationals) recently, 6203 (the green one - ex-99524) at Carragh Nurseries (garden centre) near Naas, and 6205 (ex-99526) at Killashee House Hotel, also near Naas. The latter body doesn't appear to want 6205 or the Craven also on site, 1558, because they're such eyesores. Probably not what BREL was expecting of these 30 years ago!

I quote from another forum: 'I was on the Cork-Dublin train at 15:30 yesterday and there was a "Cu na Mara" coach mixed into a standard IE Mark 3 set. While the Cu na Mara / international coach was indeed a bit more spacious it suffered from extremely poor lighting. The interior of the coach was so dim that it was difficult to read a newspaper. All of the lights seemed to be working so I can only assume that it is some kind of a design flaw or that IE had a dimmer activated! Overall, I didn't like the coach much at all. The windows are *WAY* too heavily tinted for Irish weather, the interior seemed dull and grey and dead compared to the MK3s. The automatic carriage end doors were very narrow and difficult to move luggage through. The luggage racks were tiny. The toilets cubicals were darkly coloured and generally not very nice. It also seemed to have features from the older MK2 fleet. i.e. the lighting arrangement looked similar, the air conditioners seemed to be at either end of the luggage racks etc.. Ugly riviting / screws all around the windows etc To top that off the automatic door at one end of the coach wasn't working and the heating was pretty ineffective. There was a noticable draft all the time and compared to the MK3 coaches the temprature was way lower on board. I can see why this coach type wasn't really the huge international sucess that BREL intended. I would reckon that the normal IE Mark 3 stock is vastly superior from a customer experience point of view. They're actually quite pleasant on board and the interior finish and panels are far more "finished" looking. The International/Cu na Mara coach seemed a bit more "screwed together".'

Thanks all very much - I'd very much like to see the two that are left in Nass http://www.cs.vintagecarriagestrust.org/se/CarriageInfo.asp?Ref=3495 Could this be the coach you're looking for?

Hello all I hear that each of the International coaches had different interior layouts - would anyone happen to be able to give a general idea of what the layouts were for each coach? (An opinion on what it was like to travel on them would be appreciated as well - apparently they weren't great!) Also, would anyone happen to know which coach became which when they were sold and renumbered to IE to become the Cu na Mara set?

Not strictly from the UK, but it was at the time of building in 1897: MGWR 84, Clifden, Ireland From my rather dull and vague notes on it: MGWR 84 was built in 1897 as a 5-compartment third in Broadstone, according to Atock’s standard design for 3rd class modernisation. Seats 60. Two endmost compartments had a half-partition (half-back) between them, and a ladies-only compartment was present at the other end. One of 77 built between 1890 and 1900. “M,” suffix added to Midland stock after GSR amalgamation. Became a second in 1954 when third class was abolished. Became departamental 467A after withdrawal (1964?). Preserved by GSRPS in Mallow in early-1980s, and saved by private members when the group collapsed. Arrived at Clifden Station House Hotel in 2000-and-something for eventual restoration for their museum (ex-trainshed). Restoration (which probably won't happen) will probably cost about €75,000. It's not really much of a shame, I suppose, we already have two others the same and a third which is very similar. There was the very tattered remains of a GNR (of Ireland, that is) 6-wheeler near my house that I was eager to see, but unfortunately just before I was going to get a proper visit to it last year I had learned that it had fallen apart http://s0.geograph.org.uk/photos/34/65/346570_80f19ddf.jpg As bad as it looks, it would have been interesting to see. However, I think the one at Downpatrick and the one in Omeath are similar enough