North Atlantic Express Diner

[Kirley]

I'm working on a model of the North Atlantic Diner, UTA No. 549 to run with my MPD's.

 

Colm Flanagan, 33lima and Dhu Varren have been of great help in providing details of the roof and interior. It was great help to get drawings and an interior picture.

 

 

The carriage was finished in mahogany with blue linoleum and rugs on the floor.

 

 

The colour of the curtains was not specified but appear to be lighter than the dark brunswick green colour on the outside of the carriage. My interior designer suggested a gold colour for of the curtains but I tried a mock-up and don't think they would have used that colour combination.

 

 

 

Anyone any suggestions please?

[tonybonneyba]

Have you ever been to the Downpatrick & Co. Down Railway ? As I'm sure you can get plenty of info there for the current & furture projects, the DCDR are open during 09:00-1600 on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays & Saturdays. But be aware no trains are running till hollaween. I think the gold suits....

[jhb171achill]

The green is possibly a bit flat and light... curtains were probably either a fawn or reddish colour, though might have been a goldeny brown colour too.

[Dhu Varren]

I have a postcard depicting Mogul 90, and Buffet Car 90 in NCC livery. They are not photographs, but rather, an artists impression. The curtains are of a light brown colour. Must have got the idea of the colour from somewhere. Mind you, even if that colour is correct for the period, the UTA could have fitted curtains of a different colour.

[jhb171achill]

Absolutely, Dhu Varren.

[Kirley]

Thanks guys for the good advice, hope to have it finished shortly and on my Workbench.

[jhb171achill]

Had a word today with one who remembers well - they were originally a lightish brown.

[MikeO]

Kirley

 

I hope you do not mind my raising this thread again. I have just come across it. There is a drawing in a book on UTA carriages (by The Belfast and Co Down Railway Museum Trust) showing the side of dining car no. 90 with a board saying " The North Altantic Express" and printed on the side is "LMS Buffet Car NCC". The logo between "Buffet" and "Car" is indistinct but does not seem to a UTA roundal. I believe the service ceased at the out break of WW11. The drawing I have is dated 1943 where as your drawing is dated 1957

 

I have attached a photo of my version

 

 

Given the foregoing discussion I will need to change the curtain colour. But seeing your coach in green, I have tow qustions

 

1 Did the North Atlantic express run only in LMS NCC Crimson lake?

 

2. Did the UTA re-introduce it in green?

 

MikeO

Edited June 11, 2015 by MikeO

[Kirley]

Dhu Varren is the NCC expert but to the best of my knowledge when the UTA took over, their carriage stock was painted Green, renumbered and carried either the UTA Coat of Arms or the Red hand Roundel. This included the North Atlantic Express 5 coaches including the Buffet Car. The drawing I posted of the Buffet Car is the UTA one in which they made some interior alterations.

[Dhu Varren]

Kirley

 

I hope you do not mind my raising this thread again. I have just come across it. There is a drawing in a book on UTA carriages (by The Belfast and Co Down Railway Museum Trust) showing the side of dining car no. 90 with a board saying " The North Altantic Express" and printed on the side is "LMS Buffet Car NCC". The logo between "Buffet" and "Car" is indistinct but does not seem to a UTA roundal. I believe the service ceased at the out break of WW11. The drawing I have is dated 1943 where as your drawing is dated 1957

 

I have attached a photo of my version

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]19246[/ATTACH]

 

Given the foregoing discussion I will need to change the curtain colour. But seeing your coach in green, I have tow qustions

 

1 Did the North Atlantic express run only in LMS NCC Crimson lake?

 

2. Did the UTA re-introduce it in green?

 

MikeO

 

The Buffet car interior was changed at least twice during it's lifetime. The drawing that Kirley posted in this thread was done at the time the Buffet Car was being converted for use with the then new MPDs, hence the dual vacuum and air brakes, and dual heating. I do also have drawings of the interior as at 1943, and the changes made in 1953. The 1953 changes involved installing a partition with sliding door between the dining seating and the buffet area, plus a bench seat on the buffet side of the partition.

 

Up until the second world war, the NCC main line was from Belfast to Portrush, and the line to Londonderry was the branch line. After the war, the roles were reversed, and most, if not all express trains ran from Belfast to Derry. This would have made the NAE redundant in that it no longer ran to the Atlantic, and the Belfast Express was created, with the return working called the Derry Express using the NAE stock. On that basis, I would doubt very much that the North Atlantic Express would have run with that name in UTA green, but I am open to correction on that.

[MikeO]

Thanks Kirley and Dhu Varren for the response. I will have to make the curtains light brown. Maybe later I will re make the sides I'm not that happy with the current ones.

 

MikeO