Radio Train

[Kirley]

I know in the 1955 coach No’s. 2126/2127 was converted to ‘Studio Coaches’ for the Radio Train followed up by No.2135 in 1961. What was the made up of these Trains and where and how frequently did they run?

 

 

I note the date on this brochure is 1954, were there Radio Trains before the 1955 conversions?

 

I came across this clip on YouTube showing the re- introduction of the Radio Train in 1995 by IE possibility using the Mk3 Executive coaches? Again any information on the formation etc of these 90’s Trains would be most welcome.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TwSdVx2nOI

[Glenderg]

http://www.trocadero.com/mgallery/items/1233110/en1.html

 

http://flickriver.com/photos/23885771@N03/15563898906/

 

The CIE Radio Train was a day-excursion service that brought tourists on scenic visits through Connemara (Knock) and Killarney, departing and returning from Kingsbridge Station (Heuston Station), Dublin. A special feature of this train was its radio studio for the entertainment of the passengers (and crew too). The Radio Train’s compère was Lorcan O’Treasaigh who would play a selection of music, take requests and interview passengers throughout the journey. This special train service ran during the summer months throughout the 1950’s, 1960’s and 1970’s, coming to an end in 1979. CIE reintroduced the Radio Train in 1995 using a similar format to the original one. Does anyone know how long the revived Radio Train service lasted, was it just for the one season?

 

This badge would have been available for sale on the train and the 1950’s ‘flying snail’ CIE logo can be seen on the front. This logo was in use with CIE until 1964 and phased out after that.

 

Lorcán O’Treasaigh (1927-2006) was born in Dublin and coming from a Gaelic speaking family was himself a fluent Irish speaker. His first job with CIE (Córas Iompar Éireann) was in their accounts department and in 1950 became the compère on CIE’s Radio Train. Lorcan was also a prolific writer in Irish producing poetry and fiction as well as having written twenty plays for Raidió Éireann (Ireland’s national radio station). He also did work as a stage, radio and television actor.

 

and from http://www.steamtrainsireland.com/IRN/IRN32.pdf...

 

Radio Train

 

Irish Rail have resuscitated the “Radio Train” which was once such a well known feature of the summer tourist season especially during the 1950s and 1960s. The concept was inaugurated on a centenary special from Dublin to Cork in 1949 whereby commentary and music was transmitted through the train from a mobile studio coach, somewhat of a novelty on the CIÉ system at that time.The tourist oriented Radio Trains operated principally from Dublin to Killarney and Galway although specials were to be seen throughout the system both on excursions and pilgrimage trains until 1979.Thereafter the combination of the decline in tourism, the relatively poor condition of the vehicles and the general rolling stock shortage resulted in the radio studio coaches being pressed into general use and subsequently converted into side-corridor standards.The new service utilizes the saloon coaches of the executive train, 7161 and 7162, the train typically consisting of six bogies, the remaining vehicles being a generator van, two Mk3 standards and a diningcar. Following various preview trips for the press the service proper commenced on 20th June and apart from 8th August is to run each Tuesday until 22nd August. The train departs from Heuston station at 08:50 and arrives in Killarney at 12:05. The return train leaves Killarney at 18:05 and is due into Heuston at 21:00, an average start to stop speed of 60 mph. Given that the only stop en-route is at Mallow (for crew purposes), that the train is hauled by a 201 class locomotive and that speeds of up to 100 mph are permitted between Mallow and Dublin it is hardly surprising that early arrivals have been the norm with the journey being completed on at least one occasion in under 2½ hours - an overallaverage of 70 mph for the 175 mile trip. The day return fare is £29 and includes coffee and biscuits onthe outward trip with an evening meal being served on the way back. Optional extras include the traditional jaunting car trip or a trip on the lakes on board the recently introduced waterbus. While the initial uptake was somewhat slow, due no doubt to the limited advance publicity, traffic has built up quickly with about 130 passengers travelling on 4th July. This venture deserves to be a success given the excellent value for money, spacious accommodation, the enthusiasm of the train’s crew and the high standard of catering. Hopefully the Radio Train will appear in next year’s advance tourist literature so that visitors will be tempted to incorporate the train in their holiday plans rather than stumbling across it at the last moment.• There was some suggestion that the Radio Train would carry the well known “electrical flash”headboard though this has not happened to date.• The Radio Train is to run to Portadown, for Armagh, on 10th August. Passengers will have the opportunity to visit the Planetarium, cathedrals, Navan Fort, Palace Stables and St. Patrick’s Trian.Fares are as for the Killarney trip with admissions being extra.

 

I have photos of the original Radio Train (not to hand at the moment), but none that I can recall of the radio train of the mid 1990's. R

[Northwest141]

Ahhh them were the days

was on it twice

happy times

[Kirley]

Thanks Richie for the information.

 

So in 1995 the train makeup was:"The new service utilizes the saloon coaches of the executive train, 7161 and 7162, the train typically consisting of six bogies, the remaining vehicles being a generator van, two Mk3 standards and a diningcar."

 

Anyone have any thoughts on the makeup of the 1st phase of Radio Trains 50's to 1979?

[Mayner]

Thanks Richie for the information.

 

So in 1995 the train makeup was:"The new service utilizes the saloon coaches of the executive train, 7161 and 7162, the train typically consisting of six bogies, the remaining vehicles being a generator van, two Mk3 standards and a diningcar."

 

Anyone have any thoughts on the makeup of the 1st phase of Radio Trains 50's to 1979?

 

There is a 19773 photo of a B181 hauled Radio Train on the North Dublin Loop Line in David Murray's "Rails Around Dublin" (Iain Allen Publishing) The loco is complete with Radio Train lightening bolt headboard, the train appears to be made up of "standard" CIE coaching stock of the era with a 4w luggage van and the 1935 Bredin dining car leading the consist, the next coach appears to be a 64 seat open. Its likely that older stock would have been used rather than Cravens in later days. Cravens would have been allocated to main-line and later Intercity links and in the 1960s had a reputation rougher running compared to older stock.

 

 

The Killarney Radio trains appear to have been worked by 400 Class 4-6-0s in the early 50, there is a published photo of a Radio Train leaving Mallow for Killarney junction, possibly with an ex GSWR leading. In the early days coaches would have been a mixture of GSWR/GSR wooden bodies and Bredin corridor stock, the most important vehicle would have been the catering vehicles, a kitchen or restaurant car complete with kitchen and waiting staff would have been essential to cater to 2-300 people on one of these trains.

Edited April 17, 2016 by Mayner

[DiveController]

I know in the 1955 coach No’s. 2126/2127 was converted to ‘Studio Coaches’ for the Radio Train followed up by No.2135 in 1961

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TwSdVx2nOI

Very enjoyable video, Kieran. It's hard to believe there still isn't a market and to some extent for that, with music tailored to appeal to the traveling clientele

[Mayner]

Very enjoyable video, Kieran. It's hard to believe there still isn't a market and to some extent for that, with music tailored to appeal to the traveling clientele

 

Probably more to do with management thinking from the Dick Fearn era that running excursion trains (and freight) was outside IEs core business of running scheduled Intercity and Commuter trains rather than an actual lack of demand.

 

The Executive Train was an integral part of IEs operations in the early 90s and was regularly chartered by clients such as Guinness and IT companies for entertaining guests & visits to manufacturing plants.

 

It will be interesting to see if IE or a private operator is willing to test the market to establish if there is demand for something between an Intercity and Belmond level of service.5

 

Perhaps a 4-5 coach MK4 set or an Intercity Railcar set refitted to a high standard accommodating a maximum of 100 passengers with a kitchen car and meals prepared by a celebrity chef 200Eu all in for a days outing to Killarney, Connemara, Armagh or The Giants Causeway

[jhb171achill]

 

Anyone have any thoughts on the makeup of the 1st phase of Radio Trains 50's to 1979?

 

Mostly laminates in later days, always including a dining car. Possibly the odd Park Royal or old Bredin. I never saw a Craven in one, as suggested by others - however, the odd one may have made an appearance. In earlier "CIE green" days, as mentioned already, old wooden carriages usually ex-GSWR were used.

 

There were specially converted "radio studio coaches" with numbers prefixed "RS". Obviously, a radio studio had to be in each train.

 

Long after the demise of the radio train, at least one RS appeared in the consist of one of the Connolly - Dundalk local sets, as they were so chronically short of stock. (They had SOME seats!). I took a pic of a dining car, shutters down, in one of those sets too - same reason.

Edited April 17, 2016 by jhb171achill

[Kirley]

Many thanks for sharing this knowledge.

[BSGSV]

As the brochure dates from 1954 and the 2126/7 conversions only date from 1955, as Kirley suspects, there were earlier conversions, both gangwayed vehicles.

875 (Built 1907, 66' long, 9' wide, 12' 10" high, clerestory roof, originally 1st/3rd/Brake, 12 first, 40 third, 2 lavs and guard's van).

935 (ex-WLWR, Built 1896, 48' long, 9' wide, 12' high, arc roof, turned in ends, Compartment/Saloon layout, 19 first class seats, 2 lavs, small kitchen).

I suspect the cover photo shows 935.

 

2126 and 2127 of 1955 were joined by 2135 in 1961. A comment in 1955 suggests that the "normal" radio train included kitchen car 1130.

 

These five were re-numbered (along with the ambulance coaches) into special series in 1965 - RS20 to RS 24.

875 (RS20) and 935 (RS21) were withdrawn in 1966 and were replaced by two new conversions RS25 and RS26, ex-GSR suburban compos 2117, 2118. There's a photo of one in Pender & Richards, "Irish Railways Today". This last pair seem to have been relatively short lived.

Edited April 19, 2016 by BSGSV

[Kirley]

A really detailed reply, many thanks for taking the time to fill in the missing bits of information.

[BSGSV]

I can add a bit more, having gone through earlier IRRS Journals last night.

 

The Radio Train started in the Summer of 1950, to Killarney every Tuesday, June 6 to August 29, from Amiens Street. Most Thursdays during that period, it was scheduled to go to Galway. 875 was the only studio coach at that point. Its studio compartment was enlarged in 1951, presumably as a result of experience the first year.

 

By 1952, the train was also running to Sligo and Cork. Killarney on Tuesdays and Saturdays, Galway 6 Thursdays, Cork 4 Thursdays, Sligo 2 Thursdays.

 

This seems to have put pressure on the available stock, as a kitchen car was converted from 1130 in 1952,(and appeared in the Radio Train as per the 1955 comment in the previous post), and in 1953 a second studio coach was converted by (sic) "953 invalid coach, the old radio van will be retained for use as required". I think 953 is a typo for 935, as 953 was a non-corridor six-wheeler from a large batch of similar vehicles!

 

The additions of 2126/7 and 2135 suggest a widening of the programme in later years. I have seen a note that several of the last batch of CIE seconds (1497 to 1503) were allocated to the Radio Train after building.

Edited April 20, 2016 by BSGSV

[minister_for_hardship]

 

 

For the first few years it would seem it carried a painted scroll-type headboard, similar to the Centenary Special, before changing to the curved alloy headboard and 'flash'.

 

There were additional fittings to clamp the headboard/flash to the handrails of diesel locos.

Edited April 27, 2016 by minister_for_hardship