Belmond Hibernian - Luxury Touring Train

[Railer]

Still reckon theres no need for 206/207/208/209/227/228/231 & 233 to be all fitted with the new gear.

 

I do, 3 locos needed daily. Then they all need their weekly exam, monthly, 6 month exam and so on. Then you have to allow for maintenance failures, locos off for bogie changes. They were all due a major overhaul anyway as all the 201s are suffering from big rust problems. The quick patch job on 232 is clear proof of that.

[Garfield]

Just saw some photos posted by Belmond on their Facebook page...

 

 

In the caption they claim to have bought the locomotive:

 

"Belmond purchased the 10 carriages and locomotive from Irish Rail earlier this year and began transformation of the mark 3 carriages into Ireland’s first luxury sleeper train."

[Noel]

Just saw some photos posted by Belmond on their Facebook page...

 

 

In the caption they claim to have bought the locomotive:

 

"Belmond purchased the 10 carriages and locomotive from Irish Rail earlier this year and began transformation of the mark 3 carriages into Ireland’s first luxury sleeper train."

 

Question, were the mk3 corridor connectors magnetic or were they fastened together?

[Dhu Varren]

Question, were the mk3 corridor connectors magnetic or were they fastened together?

 

The answer is neither. Known as Pullman Gangways, they are used in conjunction with buckeye couplers and held together by spring pressure.

 

Quote:- Pullman gangways are associated with the buckeye automatic coupling. Prior to Nationalisation the coupling was widely adopted by the Southern (Maunsell and Bulleid) and the LNER ( Gresley and Thompson) as well as being used on Pullman cars. The LNER are probably unique in UK steam in that Pullman gangways were used on coridor tenders. Post Nationalisation Pullman gangways were used on MK1, and later, loco hauled coaching stock plus a number of EMUs. Coach side buffers play no part in Pullman to Pullman conections with the bellows part being kept together with springs at the bottom of the gangway. There are no clips or other fittings holding the gangways together, simply spring pressure.

[brianmcs]

http://www.irishmirror.ie/lifestyle/travel/pictured-take-sneak-peek-inside-7443339

[craven1508]

more then likely going to be priced well out of reach of

the ordinary punter? but it will be nice!!

[skinner75]

more then likely going to be priced well out of reach of

the ordinary punter? but it will be nice!!

 

Prices start at £2,338 per person for the 2 day trip

[Railer]

They keep posting up those internal pictures, they are just concept shots. The observation coach ending up looking different than the concept shots externally already.

[Noel]

more then likely going to be priced well out of reach of

the ordinary punter? but it will be nice!!

 

It is priced for a well established luxury market segment. Similar pricing to the top end Orient express services.

 

£6,340.00pps for 5 night Orient Express v £5,714.28pps for 6 night Hibernian trip. It may be small but there is a market for such premium experiences.

[jhb171achill]

By comparison, the Railtours Ireland "Emerald Isle Express" is €4000 for six days, and uses decent hotels.

[Noel]

By comparison, the Railtours Ireland "Emerald Isle Express" is €4000 for six days, and uses decent hotels.

 

EIE is almost half the price and offering quite a different experience. The BH is a much more luxurious offering, but quite different in that is like a cruise ship experience where the train is home for a few days (i.e. sleep onboard, unpack only once but visit many places). EIE involves the hassle of transfers every day to hotels with packing and unpacking. One of the reasons cruise ship holidays has become so popular is the convenience of "unpack once". BH is all about the train experience.

 

Personally I'd prefer the EIE type of offering as you get to experience nice hotels. Not sure if the BH plan is to travel at night arriving at new destination by morning, but the distances are very short so can't see them needing more than 3hr for typical route legs unlike a cruise ship that usually take on 10hr passage legs overnight.

[DiveController]

It would seem to make sense that they might travel early morning or late afternoon depending on location and seasonal lighting conditions so that the passengers might enjoy the countryside and views over dinner or breakfast, at dawn or about dusk as appropriate. This would maximize time out and about during the day or facilitate an evening excursion for dinner while avoiding some rock 'n' roll during your morning shower.

[jhb171achill]

Yes, the EIE is different in several fundamental respects, though I suppose it's the nearest thing comparable in Ireland.

 

It may interest readers to know that a good 25 years ago the RPSI did a feasibility study aimed at establishing the viability of a thing like this using preserved RPSI (wooden) carriages. At the time the society would never have even remotely been able to fund this sort of thing; this was before European and "Peace" money was available. The idea was well ahead of its time. It was planned to focus primarily on the Connolly - Rosslare - Limerick route. No. 4 was the preferred locomotive, and carriages would have been hand picked and restored to a very high standard.

[heustonconnolly]

Anyone know where the belmond mk3 rake will be stored when out of service?

 

Inchicore? York Road? Whitehead? Connolly V.P/sidings? Heuston/V.P could be opened to store the set?

[jhb171achill]

I'd say it would have to be Inchicore....

[heustonconnolly]

I was thinking inchicore too, then I saw somewhere that its going to be stored somewhere in northern Ireland think it was whitehead, and I didn't think they stored "in service" stock at whitehead ever?

 

Will the set ever operate out of Connolly, or just heuston?

[jhb171achill]

It's highly unlikely to be Whitehead, as there's no room.

 

Wherever it is, it would need to be indoors and we'll look after. If they were to move the 3000 sets to Adelaide, they might put it in fortwilliam tin shed. I don't see any possibility whatever for it to be stabled in the north anywhere else.

[heustonconnolly]

I was thinking inchicore too, then I saw somewhere that its going to be stored somewhere in northern Ireland think it was whitehead, and I didn't think they stored "in service" stock at whitehead ever?

 

Will the set ever operate out of Connolly, or just heuston?

[heustonconnolly]

Sorry posted that twice :confused:

Will the sets work out of Connolly or just heuston?

[GSR 800]

Sorry posted that twice :confused:

Will the sets work out of Connolly or just heuston?

 

Both

[Lough Erne]

Without a shadow of a doubt, they will not be stored at whitehead!

 

From what I've heard it will be a Dublin based location - however either BBC/ some local rag reported the sale of the BallyKelly MOD site and the buyer has stated that they may build a 'rail carriage facility' on site. This is perhaps where the Northern aspect comes in. It may well be the Mivan group perhaps looking to act as some form of rail care sub-contractor - after all they are doing the internal refurb of the mk3s.

Pure speculation of course.

[hurricanemk1c]

Heard Heuston VP as the servicing base (running service, A+B exam style stuff). Heavy stiff would have to be Inchicore

[Warbonnet]

Heard Heuston VP as the servicing base (running service' date=' A+B exam style stuff). Heavy stiff would have to be Inchicore[/quote']

 

This is what I heard too.

[jhb171achill]

Heard Heuston VP as the servicing base (running service, A+B exam style stuff). Heavy stiff would have to be Inchicore

 

That would make perfect sense.

[airfixfan]

Feature on BBC NI news last Thursday showed some of the Belmond coaches being done up by MIVAN near Antrim. On the Ballykelly story the new site owners told one of the local press that they planned to reopen the Ballykelly base as an airport. Maybe they think that the Derry line is closed or they have a rail problem!

[jhb171achill]

Belmond are going to use the train to fly people to JFK in the off season...

[GSR 800]

Are Belmond using two locos? What's the other one?

[hurricanemk1c]

Currently only one loco (spare would be the standby loco at Heuston/Cork/Connolly/Belfast).

 

Rumours going around that it is late, not got RSC approval and won't operate to Northern Ireland this year. Although 216 is fitted with at least the mounting for the Enterprise DMI

[Railer]

Currently only one loco (spare would be the standby loco at Heuston/Cork/Connolly/Belfast).

 

Rumours going around that it is late, not got RSC approval and won't operate to Northern Ireland this year. Although 216 is fitted with at least the mounting for the Enterprise DMI

 

What I have read is that it can go as far as Belfast but not on the Portrush line. The station is 50 metres too short for the Belmond set and it has no grandfather rights on the NIR network as Mk3s never ran a regular timetabled service on the NIR network.

[201bhoy]

What I have read is that it can go as far as Belfast but not on the Portrush line. The station is 50 metres too short for the Belmond set and it has no grandfather rights on the NIR network as Mk3s never ran a regular timetabled service on the NIR network.

 

I thought it would be running as far as Coleraine where the passengers would be transferred to a CAF set?

[hurricanemk1c]

I thought it would be running as far as Coleraine where the passengers would be transferred to a CAF set?

 

Last I heard it was luxury coach from Coleraine to the Giant's Causeway and Bushmills. Of little interest until they are approved for NIR running

[MOGUL]

Battleship Gray 071 just passed Glasnevin with coach Donegal on transfer to Inchicore.. Does anyone know how many coaches have been delivered now?

[ttc0169]

Battleship Gray 071 just passed Glasnevin with coach Donegal on transfer to Inchicore.. Does anyone know how many coaches have been delivered now?

 

 

That's the sixth coach so....four more left to come.

[jhb171achill]

Is the one named "Donegal" 3ft gauge, I wonder? ......

[NIRCLASS80]

The Belmond Hibernian will not be travelling north of Belfast for this year anyway.