railfan222

Hi all, I am just curious to know why did the Connolly-Rosslare intercity services switch pernamently over to DMU operation in July 2004? What were the reasons? Regards Kian.

Hi all, I am just curious to know why did the Connolly-Rosslare intercity services switch pernamently over to DMU operation in July 2004? What were the reasons? Regards Kian.

The origins of NIR acquiring the former Mark 2F Gatwicks can be traced back to NIR being short of 80 Class DEMUs. By 2000 with a severe shortage of 80 Class DEMUs, NIR operated a 111+6 Mark 2s (formerly used on the Enterprise service) on a daily Portadown to Belfast Great Victoria Street. There was no evening working for these 6 Mark 2s. Every morning a 111+6 Mark 2s would operate empty from Belfast York Road to Portadown to work the 07:50 Portadown to Belfast Great Victoria Street. After working the 07:50 Portadown-Great Victoria Street the 111 and 6 Mark 2s would work empty back to York Road. From reading the June 2000 IRRS Journal, the 6 Mark 2s in use on the 07:50 Portadown to Belfast Great Victoria Street were suffering from corrosion. Rather than over overhaul them (bar 911 the generator car), NIR purchased 8 Mark 2F coaches when Gatwick Express withdrew them in favour of 460 EMUs. To provide the power for a 9 coach train (including the generator van), coach 911 was rebuilt into a full BG (Brake Generator) which saw the coach renumbered to 8911, the full seating areas of the passenger coach part removed, 2 big generators installed and all passenger windows removed and plated over. Also integral lights were fitted to the north/Belfast End of the BG 8911 and also an 80 Class DEMU driving trailer panel. There are 2 things I find questionable. Why did NIR come up with a plan to replace their NIR Mark 2Bs with French built De Detrichs shared with IE? Why did NIR store some of their NIR Mark 2s after the De Detrichs went into traffic? Finally what year did the NIR Mark 2s stop running into Dublin? It is stated on the IRM history that NIR's Mark 2s could still be found working the cross border route into 1999. Regards Kian.

Hi all, I have got a few questions to ask. I would be grateful if anyone could answer. First Question: Why did IE have to open up public consultation to the public to have their say on the DART extensions to Maynooth, M3 Parkway, Halzelhatch and Drogheda? Second Question: Why did IE extend the DART to Malahide and Greystones in 2000? What were the reasons? Third Question: What will be the frequency of DARTs in both directions between Hazelhatch, Maynooth, M3 Parkway and Drogheda? Fourth Question: Why were Alstom products of the late 90s/early 2000s very bad runners? The 2700s had issues running at 6 cars in length. Why was this so? Regards Kian.

There is ECM Trains who solely make DART 8100 EMUs. Regards Kian.

Hi all, Got a few questions to ask as I am curious. First Question: Were the Murphy Models Cravens, 201s, 071s and 121s produced by Bachmann? If so was it Kader Holdings who produced them? The packaging got with the Cravens and Mark 2s (produced from 2011) don't feature any Bachmann Branchline logos on them like the packaging for the 141s and 181s. Second Question: Why is Paddy Murphy selling his products on Irish Railway Models? Third Question: What factory is making IRM's locos, wagons and coaches? Is it the Accurscale Factory? Fourth Question: Is IRM helping Murphy Models with the production run of the new 201s, Mark 2s and Mark 3s? I would be grateful for anyone who could answer my questions.

Why are they first laying narrow gauge railway and then turning it into a standard gauge railway. Why? Regards Kian.

What ever was wrong with the 8200s? Did they keep on breaking down or did it just simply be hard to get spare parts? The 8200s are surly the shortest ever DART EMUs ever in service.

Is Boskonay one of the team members at IRM? Will Paddy Murphy really be releasing models of Cravens again and the BR Van/GSV? Regards Kian.

Are IRM supporting Murphy Models with the production of the 201s and Mark 3s? Any any cad designs for the new 201s in at any stage? If so It would be nice to see them. I am really really a fan of the 201s. I like their noise they make whenever the driver opens up the notch controller. Regards Kian.

Hi all, Does anyone know when the new Murphy Models 201s and Mark 3s are going to be coming out? Regards Kian.

Wow it is kind of very odd that in the end they (IE) decided not to build the Mark 3 Push/Pulls with double leaf doors. I do wonder why they did not proceed with this? Nice to see that whenever IE bought former MK2s in 1990 and the former BREL International Train coaches in 1994, the semi state company (IE that is) had the staff do refurbish them up. Rather than getting them done up in the UK by contractors. Now I do need to ask the following since I am curious Q1: Where the Inchicore built Mark 3s made out of steel from Ireland or the UK? Q2: Is the carriage shop at Inchicore now the FCR (Fleet Casualty Repair) shop? The FCR shops in Inchicore are where loco and coaches getting repairs done on them. Q3: In that picture of a 111 stopped at a red signal with a feather, where was that photo taken? Regards Kian.

In one of those pictures above I see a orange and black bodyshell with 2 double leaf doors in what appears to be Inchicore Carriage Building Shed. Was that the bodyshell for the proposed Mark 3 based railcars or a mock up of the push pull intermediates with double leaf doors? Regards Kian.

Very good drawings by the IE CME team. I understand now that before the Mark 3 Push/Pulls there were the Park Royals and hauled by the smaller GMs of the 121s, 141s and 181s. How did IE have the ability to fit push/pull capability to the 121s? It seemed that IE were okay with the 121s using their fixed buffers and chain couplers for push/pull working. While with the non push/pull 201s, they were just left to rot outside in Inchicore. It seems that for decades most of the Dublin suburban trains were loco hauled instead of DMU operated. Like with the C201 Class locos. It seemed that CIE really did care about how old the Metrovick C201 locos were when their branchlines closed and so they retrofitted them with push/pull capability and used them with converted AEC Railcar sets until the DART. It is really a simple job to retrofit a fleet of locos not equipped with push/pull to push/pull capable. The Mark 3 Push/Pull driving cab interiors do look nice. Regards Kian.

Hi all I thought I would discuss the topic of couplers on the 201s: All of the push/pull fitted 201s (including NIR 208 and 209) all came with buckeyes fitted onto the long couplers. When all 22 IE 201s were commissioned, IE took off the buckeyes and only fitted them on if a 201 was going to work a Mark 3 Push/Pull. When a push/pull fitted 201 would be working a non push/pull trains or freight train, They would wear red couplers on both ends held on with a screw holder as seen in the photo I took in 2020. Please note that this photo was taken using the zoom function of the camera I used then, In the 2nd photo I took in 2021 shows that the red screw couplers on the push/pull 201s wear when not working push/pull trains were replaced with these blue couplers. Regards Kian O'Leary