A tale of two coaches

The_Wanderer

Pictures from today are a tale of two coaches.

In July 2009 International Carriages 6203 and 6205 were transported from North Wall to the Killashee House Hotel in Naas, Co. Kildare for conversion into a restaurant. See http://smu.gs/YQPs6w for pictures of the movement in the Dublin area.

In March of the following year I visited Killashee House Hotel and managed to obtain photograph of the coaches stored in a yard behind the hotel. Click on http://smu.gs/168MGOq for the start of the March 2010 pictures. The yard was also home to Cravens Carriage 1558.

It was always in the back of my mind to get back to the Killashee House Hotel to see what happened to the coaches but for one reason or another I never got around to it. Then, only days apart in late April 2013 my interest in these now unique carriages was rasied once again when I saw two seperate pictures on facebook of the carriages. Their individual condition now poles apart.

In the three years since I last visited the Killashee House Hotel time has not been kind to 6205. The future plans for it never materialised and the coach has been left to rot away in open storage. All external windows on the coach have been smashed and the body work is in poor condition. Meanwhile its sister 6203 has been moved to Caragh Nurseries, about 10km away and converted into a Coffee Shop. Compared to 6205, 6203 bodywork appears to be in good condition and the interior of the vehicle is well presented.

Pictures of 6203 and 6205, plus Cravens 1558 from earlier today are now online in the May Gallery at http://smu.gs/YQR4NN

The Wanderer.

Rud

When i got photos of these two carraiges just under 2 years ago http://www.flickr.com/photos/62132709@N04/sets/72157627638240655/ i thought there might have been something done to secure or maintain 6205.Shame to see it in the same state

davidlacey

Rud wrote: »

When i got photos of these two carraiges just under 2 years ago http://www.flickr.com/photos/62132709@N04/sets/72157627638240655/ i thought there might have been something done to secure or maintain 6205.Shame to see it in the same state

shocking!Would be in better condition sitting in the many locations across Ireland in which they are stabled, has anyone been to thethyme cafe near naas? is the mk3 in good condition?

The_Wanderer

Rud wrote: »

When i got photos of these two carraiges just under 2 years ago http://www.flickr.com/photos/62132709@N04/sets/72157627638240655/ i thought there might have been something done to secure or maintain 6205.Shame to see it in the same state

Hi Rud,

It was only when posting on another forum that I saw you had pictures. I completly missed it first time round. It was a sad sight looking at 6205, what a comedown from the likes of the 1430 Heuston - Galway on a busy Friday! But at least 6203 is in excellent condition. She is now unique so lets hope she has a safe future.

davidlacey wrote:

shocking!Would be in better condition sitting in the many locations across Ireland in which they are stabled, has anyone been to thethyme cafe near naas? is the mk3 in good condition?

Take a look at my link in the first post or Rud's link in the 2nd post for pictures of the interior of 6205 at Caragh.