Rolling Stock 157

Irish Railway Record Society

Rolling Stock

Mk IId Standard 5202 and buffet car 5407 have been authorised for scrapping. Scrapping started in April with 5104, 5204 and 5207 being cut up.

Mk IIIa In 2004, the Mk IIIa (Cú-na-Mara or International) set had its unique passenger communication system removed and replaced with a conventional Mk III system, which when applied drains air out of the brake pipe and applies the brakes. New instructions were issued in February 2005 and these now permit a maximum of 4 Mk III vehicles to operate with Mk IIIa rolling stock but not vice versa. Typically Mk IIIa trains often include a Mk III EGV and a Mk III buffet car. Standard 6208 is still permitted to operate in conventional Mk III trains.

Mk III Push-Pull When they were constructed the 6101-class push-pull control-cars came with two different types of bogies. Nos. 6101-6103 were fitted with a Linke-Hoffman-Busch bogie similar to that fitted on the 8100-class DART vehicles. These bogies are not high speed and are limited to 60-mph on DART and 70-mph on push-pulls. Nos. 6104 and 6105 were fitted with the BT22 bogies, similar to the BT10 bogies that operate at 125-mph under High Speed Trains. When towed, push-pull trains with BT22 bogie control-cars, have been operating at 90-mph on Dublin-Westport trains for some time.

IÉ acquired three sets of BT10 bogies to replace the LHB bogies. They have been re-gauged and fitted to 6101-03. This has allowed all push-pull trains to operate at 90-mph when towed and if the train is at least five vehicles long (for braking reasons). The speed limit remains 70-mph if the train operates as a push-pull or is four vehicles or less. A Fastrack parcels storage area has been fitted in 6101 and the other control cars will receive the same modification.

Mk III EGVs Modifications have also been made to Mk III Electric Generator Vans (EGVs) to allow them to power hauled push-pulls. This includes the fitting of 27-pin electric jumper cables and dummy sockets to allow operation of the doors from the generating van. The first EGV to be modified was 7602, with 7608 following. All Mk III EGVs have now been fitted with Cummins powered generator sets.

GSVs Three ‘ Dundalk ’ vans were converted to run with the 4100-series Mk IIab carriages. The conversion included air-braking, removing both boilers and installing a large diesel generator for train heating. They were re-numbered 4601-03. All Mk IIab carriages have now been withdrawn and van 4602 has been sold to the RPSI for preservation.

The two remaining air-braked Dundalk vans 4601 and 4603 have now been re-numbered to 1162 Air and 1166 Air respectively and are restricted in operation to Inchicore-Heuston-Connolly-North Wall. They were originally 3162TL and 3166TL. The reason for the re-numbering is to free up the 4000-series for the new CAF InterCity carriages due this summer.

Other restricted vacuum braked Dundalk vans were 3157TL and 3160TL and these are now renumbered 1157 Vac and 1160 Vac. Typically, restricted vans are used in transferring rolling stock between depots and stations and are not capable of operating as generating or heating vans. They are limited to 30-mph. No. 1157 Vac is also permitted to operate to Maynooth in conjunction with refuelling trains during DART upgrade closures. Three fully functioning double-boiler vacuum-braked Dundalk vans remain, 3158TL, 3161TL and 3164TL.

Cravens Fire damaged 1517, 1552 and 1557 were scrapped in Inchicore in April.

CAF Mainline Carriages Construction of the first set is well advanced in Spain , with the driving trailer substantially completed by May.

DART

8100-class (Linke-Hoffman-Busch, 2-car) By May, fifteen 8100-class had been modified to work with 8500, 8510 and 8520-classes. On Thursday 10 March, 171 hauled 8124+8324 to North Wall prior for shipping to Germany for refurbishment. The same day 8131+8331 were transferred by low loader from North Wall yard to the Irish Ferries terminal, with 8123+8323 transferred next day at 10:00 . The three sets were observed in the terminal awaiting shipping on Monday 14 March.

On Thursday 28 April, 8138 +8338 and 8139+8339 were moved to the Irish Ferries terminal on low loaders. They were replaced in North Wall by sets 8105+8305 and 8130+8330.

8200-class (Alstom, 2-car) This class can work with 4-car 8500 and 8510-classes. There are some minor compatibility issues with the passenger information and communication system of the 8520-class, which are not an issue at present as all the 8200s are used with 8500 and 8510-classes.

8500-class (Mitsui, 4-car) 8500 and 8510-classes technically can work with each other but this is precluded until 8-car working is allowed. There are some minor compatibility issues with passenger information and communication system of the 8520-class, which will have to be resolved.

8520-class (Mitsui, 4-car) Commissioning of new 4-car sets continued in the spring. The final set 8539/40 entered service on 19 April 2005.

The remainder of this article appears in IRRS Journal number 157, published June 2005.