NIR 450 Class
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Northern Ireland Railways 450 Class | |
|---|---|
 450 Class trains at Belfast Great Victoria Street |
|
|
|
|
| In service | 1985- |
| Manufacturer | BREL |
| Number built | 9 trainsets |
| Formation | 3 per trainset |
| Capacity | 184 seats |
| Operator | Northern Ireland Railways |
| Specifications | |
| Maximum speed | 70mph |
| Gauge | 1600mm |
The 450 class is a type of diesel multiple unit (DMU) used by Northern Ireland Railways.
[edit] History
In the mid 1980s, Northern Ireland Railways was in the process of upgrading its rolling stock. Having already purchased three new new locomotives, it then proceeded to purchase replacements for its 70 Class diesel multiple units. A total of nine three car trains were constructed by BREL between 1985 and 1987 intended to supplement the existing Class 80 DMUs then in service. The trains were constructed using underframes of existing Mark 1 coaching stock, altered to 1600mm gauge and new Mark 3 bodyshells. These were combined with refurbished power units and traction motors from the withdrawn 70 Class units (there were only eight 70 Class units available to be salvaged, so the equipment for the ninth train came from a withdrawn 80 Class train). The power cars are named after Castles.
The castles after which they are named are as follows:
451 Belfast Castle
452 Olderfleet Castle
453 Moiry Castle
454 Carrickfergus Castle
455 Galgorm Castle
456 Gosford Castle
457 Bangor Castle
458 Antrim Castle
459 Killyleagh Castle
The 450 class operate as permanently formed 3 car sets with a 79x intermediate trailer and a 78x driving trailer.
Sets are 451-791-781 to 459-799-789
As of 2007, the trains operate almost exclusively on the Belfast to Larne line during weekdays (as there are not enough CAF sets to serve the Larne line) and a set is stabled at Coleraine for use on the Portrush branch. They bear a strong resemblance to the British Rail Class 150 ,British Rail Class 210 and 455, as they both use Mark 3 bodyshells. They are expected to be withdrawn in 2012 and replaced by new railcars to be ordered in March 2009
[edit] References
- Irish Railway Record Society - Northern Ireland Railways
- Northern Ireland Executive draft budget proposals
|
|||||||||||||||||
