R-T-R 80 Class NIR DMU?

[Auto-Train Original]

Surprised no commercial Thumpers available to date. Long service life, lots of liveries. Was used by Irish Rail, and I believe they even hauled freight trains?

Would there be serious demand? 

[Galteemore]

4 minutes ago, Auto-Train Original said:

Surprised no commercial Thumpers available to date. Long service life, lots of liveries. Was used by Irish Rail, and I believe they even hauled freight trains?

Would there be serious demand? 

They didn’t haul freight. MPD and 70 class did. All the same, would be popular. 

[Robert Shrives]

Been saying it for years!  I guess after the Hunslets sell out on the second batch ! Then with enough pennies found down the side of the breakout furniture in IRM towers might just lead to an 80 class  being announced. The selection of colours and the fun mixing of liveries means buying sets will really be a plural activity. 

Robert   

[Mol_PMB]

Some of the former Enterprise Mk2 coaches and a driving trailer were repurposed into 80 class trailers to replace damaged vehicles. For a while, one set comprised ex-Enterprise intermediate and driving trailers, basically types already made by IRM. All you would need is the power car and a repaint of the coaches. That wasn't a typical set though.

 

Jonathan Allen has quite a few photos of 80s hauling parcels vans of various types (including converted AEC / MED cars and NCC brown vans), in their early days:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/152343870@N07/25652512517

https://www.flickr.com/photos/152343870@N07/38515339670

https://www.flickr.com/photos/152343870@N07/52858373472

https://www.flickr.com/photos/152343870@N07/52859340950

https://www.flickr.com/photos/152343870@N07/52140511098

https://www.flickr.com/photos/152343870@N07/26651868158

 

I've also seen photos of 80s dragging 1 class shunters: 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/152343870@N07/51784934903

And here's an 80 with a short PW train: 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/152343870@N07/52140730349

 

I confess these are not in the same league as the 70s antics on freight and mixed trains:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/152343870@N07/25591673517

https://www.flickr.com/photos/152343870@N07/40247664354

 

[jhb171achill]

Iconic yokes indeed (though it was the MPDs, rather than these, whicg pulled goods trains).

They kept the NI railways going through most of the troubles, being the mainstay for the last quarter of the 20th century. Not my own cup of tea, but of immense historical value.

Parcels were always seen as "passenger" business rather than goods trains.

[GSWR 90]

A certain power car has also pulled around a variety of things in recent years

 

Edited 20 hours ago by GSWR 90

[NIRCLASS80]

If the 80 class are ever produced rtr I will likely be bankrupt. Put me down for lots!