Railer

Something that always played on my mind is how to the buffers retract when not needed and they can be be pulled out when standard coupling is used. Is it the case of a hydraulic piston is drained/ tapped off somewhere so the buffer can be pushed back when not needed and then the hydraulic piston is re pressurised when in normal use. Is it the same for rolling stock Mk2/3s and for the push pull 201s.

Yeah, The Wanderer posted up a shot of the EGV in dark blue and some body work changes being plated over a number of weeks ago. That's why I was questioning this green livery at the start of this thread.

Must have been some left over paint from the horrible 29k livery. That's what this looks like to me so far head on. I was hoping and expecting a blue livery like the NIR 201s first had.

The Mk3s being refurbed over in Scotland are in blue for photos I've seen. well the EGV is anyway. What's happening here with the green? TTC, you should post that photo up on the Boards 201 thread too. If not can I drop it over there at some stage?

Reading that is says it's a bad idea to use water for an ammonia leak unless there is a 100 fold amount of water in excess of ammonia to be washed away otherwise you are just spreading the problem. And there was Irish rail with a barrier wagon filled with water at each end of the train. It would do more harm than good in any sort of serious accident. Any minor leak of either liquid or gas will just evapourate away on it on and it's not really flamable at all

Great shots Hurricane, 8208 looks very well. I notice it's got it's EVN numbers and 209 even with the full livery now applied still has the old numbers. Also did you notice the mods to 8101 I was on about a while back. You can just about see the water run off system installed in your photos.

I'll offer the asking price for the lot.

The reason the corridor connections were modeled short of the BR Mk1s was because the prototypes were fitted with the modern pullman style connections and knuckle couplers that only became common from the Mk2s onwards. For Irish Rail they had the older suspension style as that was what all Irish stock at the time had and screw couplers.

That's because with British locos the cooling group is generally at the no1 end and it's the opposite for American designs.

Yep same again, like the 141 layout, the steps are closer the no1 cab.

Here are the pictures. I find the one of 207 interesting because it looks like it does not yet have it's yellow face but to me that appears to be an Enterprise modified Mk3 EGV that it's hauling with the no2 end leading, it's also possibly the cleanest that loco has been in a very long time. But 207 had a full yellow face before the EGV modifications began so it must be something else or a trick of the light. It's not a Mk4 end coach as they are flat ends with more cable connections. Unless it's on an EGV stock transfer like when 221 hauled all 4 to Belfast from Inchicore.

Yes I believe that is correct.

Thank's for the info rebelred. I thought all the 201s were turned around the time the Enterprise stock was delivered in 1997 as I have never seen a 201 with cab 2 leading on the Enterprise. Same when the 201s worked Mk3 PPs on the Northern line in the late '90s they all seemed to be turned compared to when they first entered service. Suppose it is/was a much easier process to get a 201 assigned to the Enterprise turned at the GVS junction triangle.

I'll post up some shot later this evening when I get home. I don't know which end is which on the 141s or 071s. On the 201s, the no1 end is the silencer end. Or as some call is the "big" cab end as the drivers doors are further away from the side windows that the other end. An easy way to tell is the fuel tank is at the no2 end. I think the no2 end of the 071s is the fan end.

Just looking at the pictures printed on the boxes of the 201s tonight and 2 of them stood out. One was the picture of 222, it's captured in the IC livery leaving Connolly on a push pull Mk3 service, clearly on a rail tour or GAA special. What got me was that the loco is the wrong way round. All the push pull capable 201s were turned during the late '90s so that the no1 end faced North out of Connolly, same on the Heuston side of the network. By the time the IC livery was in use ist was very rare to see a loco reversed. The other is the picture of 207 on the box of 233. Looks like 207 is hauling an Enterprise Mk3 EGV but again the loco is the worng way around unless it was on an EGV transfer from Belfast to Dublin. It's hard to place it from the photo.

Not for every day operations sure, but it will soon be a reality with the Belmond service when it launches. Top and tail 201s with an EGV. Can't wait for it.

216 is going to look class when it's finished. Hope Belmond's second 201 is not too far behind, whatever it turns out to be.

You still need a genny vehicle. HEP on the 201s is now isolated as it's not required anymore. So even with a 201 top and tail you still need a genny to power the train just like Belmond is doing.

In theory the more you spent, the more you saved, that's how I'm justifying it anyway:dig:. I'm going to cry when I get my credit card bill, can safely say this will be the first in a long time when I won't be able to clear it this month.

The 201s were from 2 different orders not 3. Ten were ordered first 201-205 and 210-214, the rest were ordered later to a different spec and the numbers were changed so that 206-209 were in this order and spec. This was because the first 10 locos have different draw gear and buffer design meaning they can't be equipped with or use auto or knuckle couplers and they wanted loco numbers 206-209 to be allocated to Enterprise duties for historic reasons. With the EVN numbering system IE have now broken the class down into 3 sub classes. The 110s which are the 10 stored 201s, the 210s that are all the non NIR equipped push pull 201s and the 310s that are push pull capable and equipped for working the Enterprise.

Need to add in the delivery dates of the 8500, 8510 and 8520 class DARTs from 2000, 2001 and 2003 respectively.

I've found out that the modification is for catching the dirt like a gutter system that comes from the pantograph rubbing against the OHLE and helps keeping the units clean. The 8500s have them fitted as standard.

I love to see how much stock they shifted. Thanks to this sale I've more 071s than Irish Rail, have to cancel the summer holidays.

The 201s also got new LED marker lights around the same time. I think an even newer version of the LEDs have been installed on 8209 since it's overhaul.

The joys of Parcel Motel for those situations.