Can anyone assist with identifying where this item originated from?

[iarnrod]

I have been asked to try and help identify the origins of the carriage door in the photo. The background to it is that it was discovered in a store room in Dundalk and has since been restored as shown in the attached photo. Can anyone identify or shed any information on where it might have been used originally? Thanks in advance.

[Broithe]

Is it definitely railway? I can't quite read the signs, other than "First Class Passengers Only".

 

Is it possible it's from a ship? The "porthole" makes me wonder that....

[minister_for_hardship]

GSR or CIE ownership if not origin. The GNRI weren't under any obligation to provide bi-lingual signage, could be ex GNR but writing looks a bit old-fashioned. Don't know how fastidious CIE were in interior detailing of ex GNR stock they took over.

 

What is on the small sign? The sign on top is just a translation of "First Class Passengers Only"

 

Maybe one of the RPSI or Downpatrick crew might be able to help.

Edited July 13, 2015 by minister_for_hardship

[iarnrod]

The small sign on the door warns against obstructing the door with luggage.

[minister_for_hardship]

The small sign on the door warns against obstructing the door with luggage.

 

 

If in English only, suspect it may be from a GNRI coach taken into CIE ownership, would make sense with where it was found. The sign at the top looks like it was 'added on' to me.

[Lough Erne]

Would agree with minister.

Also GSR corridor doors tended to be of solid panelled construction with the top and bottom panels split into two panels similar to 861s doors. I am certain it is of GNR heritage as the directors saloon at whitehead no50 has identical doors complete with 'portholes' separating the saloons from the short intermediate corridor section in the middle.

In later years these doors were removed as they were generally considered a nuisance by all - though saying that 861 retained her class division doors to the end.

Hope this is of assistance.

[iarnrod]

Thanks Lough Erne. Valuable information there. Are there any photos of the interior of the Director's Saloon floating around on the net? Proof in the photo and all that.

 

Thanks also to everyone that replied so far.

[Lough Erne]

A quick perusal of the internet produces this

 

[iarnrod]

Thanks again Lough Erne.

[leslie10646]

I went to the "expert", namely Richard McLachlan who is digitising loco and coach drawings held in the IRRS's archive.

 

Quick as lightning, he came back with -

 

"Which coach did it come out of?

It is obviously from a big wooden corridor coach which CIE took

over from the GNR and actually used.

B1 class No.401 or B5 class No.144 would be my best guesses, as they were

both big wooden restaurant cars converted for AEC use in

1959 to replace steel sided restaurant cars nicked from the

AEC fleet to run with BUT cars. Looking at the diagrams I

would veer towards 144. If we could see the other side, it

might give a better clue".

 

Now, I've known young Richard for over fifty years - we were

at school together - and I couldn't quite see his logic, so I

questioned it and got -

 

"Simple reasons -

 

CIE didn't keep all that many GNR coaches for very long.

 

About half were full thirds.

 

Then there were Brake thirds and some non-corridor coaches.

 

The door comes out of an oldish panelled coach rather than a modern one with flush sides which whittles the options down a great deal.

 

What's left. Not a lot.

 

As far as I can tell from those that survived to 1963, it was probably one of the two restaurant coaches mentioned.

 

No need for genius or telepathy".

 

Serves me right for questioning him?

 

So, Rod, it looks like you have a restaurant car door there! And probably No.144.

[iarnrod]

Wow, I'm speechless, and I'm sure the person in IE that asked me to try to assist them finding the origins of the door will be too.

 

Never thought for a minute that we could narrow it down to that level.

 

Many thanks, Leslie. Much appreciated.