Irish Rail MK3 Coaches - North Wall Update

I was in Waterford a few weeks ago and the mk3s left down there look in a horrible state

To open the doors on Mk.3' P/Ps, 226 would need controls which it isn't fitted with.

There's also the little matter of a lack of air brakes on 226 (i.e. the "C" class one).
Re the original post, I wasn't aware of Mk.3's being moved from North Wall to Inchicore of late. Is there any information to support this?

This was posted on Irish Railway News five days ago.
"The end is nigh for the mk3s at Inchicore anyway, some carriages were due to be moved within the complex today in preparation for imminent scrapping, including a City Gold coach."

The Mk2D coach 5408 is the only presidential coach and is still in Inchicore. It was to be moved to Whitehead and was seen being shunted around by 8208 in Connolly yard but the move was cancelled. I read that it was found that 5408 was not route or gauge cleared beyond Belfast but I don't see how that's an issue seeing as it's a Mk2D.

The Mk3 Executives 7161 and 7162 were turned in City Gold coaches some years ago.

I was on the MK3's on the Paddington - Swansea line a few weeks back and they are grand out. nice and comfy too

dowlingm wrote: »

I don't understand what 5408 is supposed to be for now. Presumably it is incompatible with Mk4 and DD stock. IE have no interest in operating a museum facility by all appearances.

It is to be transferred to Whitehead for use with the RPSI mk2 stock.

dowlingm wrote: »

I don't understand what 5408 is supposed to be for now. Presumably it is incompatible with Mk4 and DD stock. IE have no interest in operating a museum facility by all appearances.

And should not, there job is to run a (passenger) railway anything else is a distraction and a new black hole for tax payers money

Back to basics
This is about a historic coach which has been donated by IE to RPSIbwho operate a museum and according to their website will be upping their game in that area

Don't feed the trolls

Two points. A better purpose might be served by designating the transport part of the uftm as a cross border body under the GFA and co funding it

Can you outline the legal measures necessary to give existing cie and irrs property to the national museum ?

eejoynt wrote: »

Two points. A better purpose might be served by designating the transport part of the uftm as a cross border body under the GFA and co funding it

Can you outline the legal measures necessary to give existing cie and irrs property to the national museum ?

1) The Ulster Folk and Transport Museum owns the vast majority of it's displayed collection. It would be highly unlikely to pass on or loan any of it's exhibits though the thought is nice. The only way that this may happen is if a similar bona fide museum is established here and establishes it's professional credentials. In other words, it's a matter for Cabinet and Sir Humphrey's to enact as we do not have a private museum capable of such a project. Those private ones which do struggle with varying levels of success/failure.


2) CIE and the IRRS as such are private entities and thus they may loan or donate whatever of their assets that they deem appropriate. Most of what the IRRS have are paper records so their collection is less suited to a museum; they do however have maps, photos, name plates, signs and some oddments which is suitable for display. CIE, through Irish Rail, have donated and/or loaned stuff to museums around the isles over the years. This ranges from minor pieces such as old tickets and uniforms to rolling stock and even signal cabins! They are far more careful about releasing pieces today for many reasons, good and bad depending on ones aspect.

3) In the mid 90's there was a serious effort made to set up a State Transport Museum in Mullingar. A lot of the right sides were pushing to get it done but it fell down and has yet to be rekindled. From the residue of same it probably never will as it was messy.

eejoynt wrote: »

Less there be any misunderstanding I suggest that this state co fund some of the uftm as a national railway museum
This is de facto what it is....they took a very broad view of ulste...Donegal Cavan and Leitrim DNGR, but by no way could the Howth tram the DKR coach and the maedhbh be considered part of ulster.

Those pieces that you mention simply ended up in Cultra because there was nowhere else for them at the time.

That said, your above point about funding is very valid and one that warrants a good discussion here.

Maybe you haven't noticed from y our canadian vista, the state is broke.
Funding for a new rail museum is not likely to say the least.
Most heritage related suff is in private hands...often on display.
If you look at the online irish census you will see a 1911 dublin tram timetable online with a credit to the IRRS which would indicate a willingness on their part to co operate with public interest work.
But back to museums. We are a small island with a population less than greater Manchester
We have a railway museum on the island with a well established pedigree, if irish taxpayers money was to be spent, a lot more bang for he buck would be got by adding value to cult ar than by building anew in dublin
We have a legal framework to do this in the GFA
What's not to like ?

eejoynt - perhaps in your rush to snark at my whereabouts you missed my mention of unicorns. Perhaps I should have made it more explicit but there's only so many times one can bring oneself to type the word "bondholders" (see wifi thread)

That said, the thing that Ireland trades on with tourists apart from natural beauty is history, so in theory putting money into a bona fide draw would be as valid as giving it to the IDA to throw at foreign tax-regime shopping corporations. Of course, the rub then would be to stop the new entity from blowing the acquisition budget on worldwide trips to "study other examples of transport museums" and whatnot.

If anything clearing out old papers from Connolly in a properly run independent archive might turn up some stuff CIE shouldn't have stuffed in random drawers, like that time they misplaced the details of the supporting structures of Broadmeadow viaduct.