[eghamrails]

For the past while I've been researching, studying and modelling Irish railways, more specifically the passenger coaching stock. As a result there are a number of vehicles and liveries on my workbench, although a few remain which I am still yet to tackle (I'm waiting for the ALPS printer to come down in price so that I can achieve intricate white decals). In case anyone is interested in seeing how these look:

NIR Enterprise silver/blue (dark stripe):

NIR Enterprise silver/blue (light stripe):

NIR Enterprise silver/blue 1st class (light stripe):

NIR Enterprise revised:

NIR Enterprise mark IId purchased from BR in 1988:

General shot of NIR Enterprise rake:

NIR Translink ex-Gatwick vehicle:

NIR Translink 80 class intermediate:

One other livery I'm considering is the maroon/blue of the 1970s. One thing though - would anyone happen to know what the numbering scheme of these vehicles was?

 

[FUNGUS]

Very nice! I do like the look of the irish Locos, The colour scheme is very eye catching. Looks like youve a nicely detailed model railway there. Keep up the good work.
Steve

 

[eghamrails]

Thanks. If only this layout were my own! It belongs to my local railway club. Historically I model the British cousins (Sealink, Network Rail, Railtrack, WCRC, etc) but I do like the Irish colour schemes as you say. If anyone is interested then let me know.

 

[dwb]

As of 13 November 1978 the numbers for BREL built Enterprise stock was as follows:

547 - Grill/Bar car Mk11b bodyshell, B4 bogie
801 - First class (open) Mk11b bodyshell, B4 bogie
811-812 - Brake driving trailer standard class (open), Mk11b bodyshell, B4 bogie
813 - Driving trailer first (open) Mk11c bodyshell, B4 bogie
821-824 - Standard class (open), Mk11b bodyshell, B4 bogie
825-828 - Standard class (open), Mk 11c bodyshell, B4 bogie

Source: "Locomotives & Rolling Stock of CIE and NIR" - O.Doyle and S.Hirsch. Published 1979 Signal Press, Malahide Co.Dublin. ISBN 0 906591 00 7

The mono photos in the book suggest the stock was in the silver / blue scheme you have already modelled by this date but there does not appear to be a "InterCity" in the logo in the photos.

I hope this may help

David

 

[eghamrails]

Thanks David for that info - absolutely invaluable and really appreciated. Re the InterCity logo on the silver/blue, it seemed that some vehicles did and some didn't - or whether they all did to begin with and some lost it as they went through the works in later life - I don't know. I stumbled on this fotopic site which shows the mixture:

http://n-i-r.fotopic.net/c1608454.html

So those numbers you list - are those in the silver/blue or still in the previous maroon/blue at that point? I seem to recall seeing another buffet (546) as well as 2 more driving trailers (814/815)? My knowledge of this is sketchy at best though.

Thanks,
Steve

 

[dwb]

As far as I can tell, the earliest photo on the foto-optic site is 1985. Those in the book I am quoting from will be 1978 or earlier.

With regard to more stock, the introduction to the coaching section states this about NIR coaches for the Enterprise:-

"In 1970 in an effort to boost cross-border travel, NIR introduced the locomotive hauled 'Enterprise' train and a fleet of eight coaches were acquired initially with the addition of a further five two years later".

That's 13 vehicles and if my maths is correct, there are 13 vehicles in the list I posted - 8 Mk11b based and 5 Mk11c.

All this means is that the other vehicles you have seen were introduced after November 1978. The 81x number series for driving trailers is a logical extension of existing stock. Why they would have 846 rather than 848 for the next bar/buffer car I don't know but the number is adjacent.

There are three photos in the book - 847, 801 and 811. All are silver/blue. With such a small fleet of coaches and with the Enterprise being NIR's flagship service, I would expect all the coaches to have been repainted en mass for a big relaunch. That kind of thing would almost certainly have been reported in the papers, so there's a chance that one of "The Belfast Telegraph" or "The Irish Times" will have an online archive you could search for an article.

Services like the Enterprise tend to get rebranded after 5 or 6 years. Given it was introduced in 1970, I would guess the livery change happened sometime in 77/78.

David

 

[eghamrails]

Great info and certainly fills in one or two mental gaps!

Thanks,
Steve

 

[K9-70]

The original Enterprise livery for the Mk2b's was maroon upper body, thin white stripe and blue lower body, with the NIR logo in Gold.
This livery lasted until around 1978 when the coaches where refurbished and repainted in the silver and blue livery. These coaches only
coaches are fitted with the 3 pipe brake system, and where push/pull fitted and could only work with the Hunslet 101 Class locomotive of which NIR had three of
them on their books.

During 1980, NIR took delivery of two General Motors 111 Class locomotives as well as 12 second hand ex Western Region Mk2b Brake and First Corridor coaches.
The livery was Silver and Blue.

Open First 901 converted from 801
Corridor First 902 ex 13509 (FK)

Brake (all Mk2b's)
Brake Standard Generator Van 911 ex 14104 (BFK)
Brake First Generator Van 912 ex 14108 (BFK)
Brake Standard Generator Van 913 ex 14111 (BFK) (converted to Brake Executive Generator Van 1989)

Standard (*Compartment Standard) (all Mk2b's)
921 ex 13490 (FK)
922* ex 13495 (FK)
923 ex 13496 (FK)
924 ex 13508 (FK)
925 ex 13503 (FK)
926 ex 13498 (FK)
927 ex 13506 (FK)
928* ex 13510 (FK)
929 ex 5577 (Mk2c, TSO) (later renumbered 933)
930 ex 5573 (Mk2c, TSO)
931 ex 5531 (Mk2c, TSO)

To stock 1982, Grill/Bar/Dining Car
546 ex 5970 (TSO) and RSS 1800
To stock 1983 First Open
903 ex 3166 (FO)
To stock 1983 Brake Standard Generator Van
914 ex 14110 (BFK)
915 ex 14106 (BFK)

Mid 1980's the above coaches where refurbished and had a white stripe added above and below the blue center stripe
to donate which coaches had been refurbished or not. From memory, the Intercity Sector branding was only carried on
the refurbished coaches and not the unrefurbished coaches.

To stock 1988 Open First
904 ex 3367 (FO) due to shortage of stock, this coach entered service for a short time still wearing the BR Blue and Grey
livery, but numbered 904.

Stock converted and renumbered from earlier Mk2b vehicles from 1990
547 number retained
812 Driving Brake Standard renumbered 916???
813 Driving Brake First to 917 Brake Standard First (1990)
821 (Mk2c) Buffet Standard to 948 Buffet Standard (1990)
Converted to 80 Class trailers
822 to 934
823 to 935
825 to 932

The final livery was blue (upper), white/yellow/black/yellow/white (center) sliver (lower) with Intercity branding.

K9-70

 

[eghamrails]

Wow, super info K9-70! Really appreciate that.