Mark 3 Restaurant

[Richard37]

What is the correct prototype/period for the Mark 3 restaurant. I have seen two different versions in photos. There appear to be no correct models available of either of these. What is the best option to modify existing stock?

[Glenderg]

1987 until their recent withdrawal.

 

There are only the standard MKIII Restaurant (7401-7413),

 

and that of the MKIIIa Cu Na Mara set, 6401 -

 

Both are completely different vehicles with the 7401-7413 being the standard unit, generally speaking.

 

The window layout and numbers of same on the restaurant coaches is different from the BR ones, as is the roof detail. If you can get a hold of a standard open roof, and add the roof vents, it's a good start. I posted a similar response to DiveC some time ago, but I can't locate it at the minute.

 

What level of accuracy are you going for incidentally?

[Richard37]

I did read your thread and the roof venting certainly helped. The livery of the Cu Na Mara was throwing me as I expected it to be in the Galway livery for some reason. Most models seem to attempt the Cu Na Mara coach and you can see why as it is similar to the BR coaches.

 

I would want to do a standard to as realistic a standard as possible although this will be my first build. Was it you who explained about blanking out a standard coach? This would be the cheapest route although I have absolutely no idea how you would make good the window frame openings which presumably on close inspection will be obvious.

[Glenderg]

That is the way I make them - blank out four large windows either side to a Standard Open 8 windowed coach (rather than the 3 + smally BR restaurant version) where the catering end is and then once painted up nice, add the cosmetic windows on top of the blanked out space. As far as I know the only other way to make up a restaurant is using a brass overlay from MIR (?). I tried adding a fourth window to the BR restaurant coach years ago, and there's no real way to make it work convincingly, and you have to cut and shut the slim windows to get them in the right place. A thankless task.

[jhb171achill]

Only Mk 2s wore that "Galway" livery. Having applied it to the initial lot of stock to carry it, with the intention of it becoming possibly a general carriage livery, the powers-that-be didn't like it that much, and in any event as NIR found in the past, individual liveries for individual routes didn't really work, as carriages were used on all routes from time to time. Look, for example, at the incidences of "Enterprise" liveried locomotives in Galway, Ballina and Waterford in recent years, as elsewhere.

[DiveController]

What is the correct prototype/period for the Mark 3 restaurant. I have seen two different versions in photos. There appear to be no correct models available of either of these. What is the best option to modify existing stock?

Some decent photos of the MK restaurants plus roof detail etc

 

http://irishrailwaymodeller.com/showthread.php/3717-IE-Mark-III-Restaurant-Coach-Roof-Details?highlight=mkiii+restaurant

 

and this regarding donors etc.

http://irishrailwaymodeller.com/showthread.php/4898-Mk3-Donors?highlight=mkiii+restaurant

 

The Lima version from 15 years ago

http://irishrailwaymodeller.com/content.php/187-IE-MKIII-Restaurant

 

The more prototypical Irish version

I can't lay my hands on the thread either, Richie, I think it's one of Wrenneire's. Will look later

Edited January 1, 2016 by DiveController