Irish Rail Mark 3s

[Helvellyn]

I've not had much luck with Google - how many Irish Rail Mark 3s were there, and more specifically what were the types/numbers?

 

[D6975]

OTTOMH - may be slightly out
Mainline Mk 3s
7101-72 mostly TSO with COs and FOs randomly scattered through the series
7401-13 Buffet Seconds
7601-15 Generator vans

Suburban Mk3s
6301-19 TSOs
6101-5 Driving Generator Brake Seconds.

There was also an odd MK3 buffet picked up from BR in later days numbered 6402 IIRC

 

[jopsuk]

Plus the BREL International set (reconfigured for everyday use)

 

[D6975]

ps After the delivery of the 27xx and 28xx DMUs, one rake of suburban Mk3s was upgraded to mainline status, tables, Intercity branding etc and was used mostly on the Waterford route with the 'extra' mk3 buffet.
It retained the hopper windows though. Sometimes you would get one of these coaches on the Limerick Shuttle set.

The ex BREL international set was in a slightly different livery and was almost exclusively used on the Galway line, doing two return trips a day.

 

[route:oxford]

Have they been scrapped yet?

 

[Sun Chariot]

Sadly, yes. Here's what TrainTesting.com mentioned:

Mid-July 2009: 6203 and 6205, less bogies, were moved to Killashee House Hotel in Naas. County Kildare.

April 2010: 6204, 6206 and 6207 were moved to RAF Spadeadam, Cumbria, where (it is believed) they were destroyed by explosives.

Late 2009: The remaining 5 were scrapped at Inchicore works, Dublin.

 

[D6975]

The mk3s haven't beeen scrapped yet - well only a few. Most of them are stored at various locations while IE try to flog them off.
There were a load at Dundalk in the sidings by the station - not sure if they're still there.

They will undoubtedly scrap them if they can't get any buyers.

 

[Helvellyn]

OTTOMH - may be slightly out
Mainline Mk 3s
7101-72 mostly TSO with COs and FOs randomly scattered through the series
7401-13 Buffet Seconds
7601-15 Generator vans

Suburban Mk3s
6301-19 TSOs
6101-5 Driving Generator Brake Seconds.

There was also an odd MK3 buffet picked up from BR in later days numbered 6402 IIRC

Thanks. the 7xxx series vehicles were built at Litchurch Lane and the 6xxx vehicles at Inchicore weren't they?

 

[Yew]

They will undoubtedly scrap them if they can't get any buyers.

I just hope that Porterbrook or a toc/rosco snap up all the spare components before!

 

[jopsuk]

What would they take? They ran a different electrical system as far as I know, had different (powered) doors and obviously had different bogies underneath (this last bit being the big barrier to a Great Britain TOC using them)

 

[cjmillsnun]

I would argue that there are 24 EMUs that could take spares from them.

Don't the 442s use the same doors?

Also how difficult would it be to stick some UK bogies on them?

 

[edwin_m]

Presumably they built about twice as many UK bogies as there were UK coaches, plus a few spares to cover their day-to-day needs. So the only way there would be a enough left over to go under Irish coaches would be if a significant number of UK coaches were scrapped but the bogies kept on the off-chance.

As I understand most of the UK day coaches still exist this could only apply to the sleepers where I guess many have been scrapped. If there are no spare bogies from these then it would be a question of modifying the Irish ones, fitting some other design or building new.

 

[jopsuk]

There's no chance of sufficient suitable bogies being available. New bogies would be a very expensive option. I'd bet the doors are just different enough not to be interchangeable- and anyway, there's not really a need for a massive stockpile of spare doors and mechanisms for 442s.
Fundamentally, not all the mark 3 stock remaining in working condition is in frontline use. Some of it is in charter pools, some just stored. This is because there's not enough demand for it from TOCs. Thus, no-one on the British network being seriously interested in the Irish stock with the attendant expense of fitting it out for use here. No market elsewhere for high-floored, 2.7m wide stock (especially given reguaging, electrical systems, refurbishment and transport)