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Wickham Inspection Cars

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dave182

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Hi guys,

 

Just looking for some information on the Wickham Insection Cars. I picked up one from Des over the weekend.

 

When were the introduced?

Were they all yellow? Any livery variations?

How many?

Did they carry running numbers?

 

Any info or pictures appreciated as always!

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All the info is available in the 4th edition of Irish Rlys Traction & Travel.

 

There were at least 4 built by Wickham's of Ware, England - a firm that also built garden sheds. They were built in 1962 and supplied to CIE.

 

CIE No - Builders No

710 - 8918 - was damaged in a collision on the Wexford line and subsequently dumped with the remains of another in Enniscorthy - both now gone.

711 - 8917

713 - 8916

714 - 8920

 

Two are now preserved at Downpatrick - one of which belonged to the Irish Narrow Gauge Trust at Dromod.

 

They were all painted yellow and only one (711) ? had the running number painted on the outside.

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1962 Ford Zephyr (?) engine in them, not too sure. There's a little information sheet about them on the Wickham at Downpatrick under overhaul, "Rosie," I'll get a picture of it for you soon. 9 seats, it appears, and the driver's seat looks to be in a funny position.

The one in the, "New," shed at Downpatrick carries numbers, so it's probably 8917, as previosuly said. Interestingly, at least part of it's currently in a very worn undercoat-y pink...

 

I have heard that another one of them is at Moyasta, anyone able to confirm this?

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Thought it was a Cortina engine, the driver sits to one side in the middle of the car, the front row seats being for engineers,managers, inspectors etc. There was also a 'floor window' for inspecting the track, at least on some of them

Edited by Blaine
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Thought it was a Cortina engine, the driver sits to one side in the middle of the car, the front row seats being for engineers,managers, inspectors etc. There was also a 'floor window' for inspecting the track, at least on some of them

 

 

Spent some time in them in the mid 70's

We travelled from Amiens St to Dundalk and back to Gormanstown

There was a perspex floor in it, as we were inspecting the track for "suspect devices" !

What we would have done had we found one, God only knows

I would say the sight of a fully laden Wickham thundering down the track at a mighy 25MPH would have put the fear of God into any terrorists

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This issue of Irish Railfans News http://www.steamtrainsireland.com/IRFN/IRFN0803.pdf from 1962 shows 5 Wickhams being supplied and their depot allocations. I was lucky enough to travel over the Burma Road from Collooney to Claremorris in a Wickham in 1981 and over the Tralee/Fenit branch in 1988. I am searching for pictures of same and will post if they turn up.

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Limerick Junction is the setting for this one. Joe St.Leger the photographer. As an aside, the Waterford inspection car had a hamper with a complete set of GSWR crockery which was used for special occasions (visits of the CCE) - I was given a soup plate from it many years ago.

 

IMG_6338.JPG

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