BREL International train

BREL's 'International' Train

On September 15th 1986 ten innovative coaches were unveiled by BREL at their Litchurch Lane works in Derby. They were designed as a promotional 'International' Train being an opportunity to showcase the talents of BREL with a view to acquiring orders from BR and from other countries.

They were similar to Mk3 coaches with BT10 bogies but had a slightly different body profile and, for the first time on main line stock in the UK, automatic sliding doors and a maximum speed of 110 mile/h.

The coaches were numbered as follows:

99520 (BFK); 99521 and 99522 (FO); 99523 (RUM); 99524; 99525; 99526; 99527; 99528 and 99529 (all TSO) plus the mystery 11th un-liveried coach 99519 - see below.

The interior of the BFK coach featured a double conference compartment with semi-circular bench-type seating amongst other things.

Here are some B&W pictures of the interiors

Click on the picture for a bigger image - photos are courtesy of Henry Law

	The exterior door with folding footstep
	Inside one of the Tourist Second Opens (TSO)
	Another shot of a Tourist Second Open (TSO)
	Inside one of the first open coaches (FO)
	Another view of a First Open
	The corridor of the Brake First Corridor coach (BFK) 99520
	Inside the double conference compartment with the semi-circular bench-type seating where my colleague and I passed the night 'somewhere in France' on the way to Hamburg in 1988
	How train seating should be
	Hostesses on the platform at Manchester Piccadilly
	The train at Manchester Piccadilly with TSO 99527
	Another shot of the train at Manchester Piccadilly
	The exterior door showing the illuminated footstep

Rail magazine, issue 62, of November 1986 reported on the launch of the train on Wednesday September 17th with a press run from Euston to Manchester and return via Birmingham. I have video produced by BREL at the time.

The coaches were put into service on a Euston-Manchester diagram for a short period later that year but were withdrawn from passenger service and were subsequently used extensively for test loads with the class 89 locomotive.

In 1988 two examples (RUM 99523 and BFK 99520) were taken to the IVA88 exhibition in Hamburg but no orders were forthcoming.

Here are a few photographs of the coaches at the RTC, at Old Dalby, on the WCML and en route to Germany in the late 1980's

Click on the picture for a bigger image - photos are the author's unless otherwise indicated

	One of the International coaches pictured in the EDU at Derby, probably in 1986 Author's collection
	A reproduction of the emblem carried by the International coaches - taken from a coaster issued at the time
	A rake of five coaches in the yard at RTC in the summer of 1987 Author's collection
	The class 89 loco passes Ledburn Jcn with a couple of test cars and six International coaches in tow on 28th April 1987 Martyn D. Hull
	Five of the International coaches are show here behind the Class 89 on Shap on May 6th 1987 Peter J Robinson
	BFK Coach No:99520 at Old Dalby whilst a special train for IVA88 in Hamburg undertook some brake testing prior to going to Germany - pictured on Friday 20th May 1988 Author's collection
	The special train for IVA88 waits in the sidings ay Dover Town Yard under Shakespeare Cliff on 23rd May 1988 with the BFK International coach 99520 nearest the camera.
	The coaches were chained down to the deck on the 'Nord Pas de Calais' train ferry en route to Germany on 23rd May 1988 - BFK Coach No:99520 nearest the camera.
	On show in the sidings at Hamburg Exhibition site
	The visitors were impressed by the International Coaches
	RUM Coach 99523 being propelled onto the train ferry at Dunkerque on 17th June 1988
	In October 1991 Class 47 No 47 973 'Derby Evening Telegraph' stands outside the compound at the Old Dalby test track with three coaches from BREL's 'International' Train. These were the BFK 99520, a modified TSO and 99523, the RUM Buffet plus R&DD's Lab Coach 15 'Argus'. One of the coaches was fitted with a novel suspension. Steve Andrews

Although the coaches were fitted with BT10 bogies it was possible to fit the newly-designed high speed T4 bogie and in late 1986 opportunity was taken to test the bogie at high speed. Two of these were fitted to an additional un-branded International coach No:99519 and tested on the ECML at up to 145 mile/h.

	The high speed test train comprising two power cars (Nos. 43109 and 43118), two Laboratory coaches, Lab One and Lab 15 'Argus' a Mk3 TSO and 99519, the extra 'International' coach fitted with the T4 bogies, is pictured passing York Yard North on Saturday, November 8 1986 during one of the York-Darlington tests. Peter J. Robinson
	On the same day it was pictured at York Station 99519 was the eleventh coach in the BREL International Train coaches (numbered 99520 to 99529 & fitted with BT10 bogies). This coach was used to test the T4 bogies on the ECML at speeds up to 145mile/h. It looks like it was cobbled together judging by the different style of windows and door detail. It didn't make it to Ireland when the rake of ten were sold to CIE and its fate is unknown. 53A Models- Flickr
	Unfortunately, the T4 bogie was not chosen for fitting to the Mk4 coaches but did find favour on the Mk3 DVT's. BREL
	A Mk3 DVT fitted with T4 bogies heads a southbound working at Crewe in 1999 Author

After languishing in Derby for a number of years the ten coaches were eventually sold to Irish Railways (Iarnod Eireann IE) in 1994 at a knock-down price and extensively re-furbished - including fitting with new T4 bogies to the same design as the ill-fated EPS nightstock but 5' 3" (1600mm) gauge. IE converted the many different interior layouts to their own standard design and fitted their own design of powered doors similar to those used on the Irish Mk3 stock.

Until the middle of 2008 they formed one of the coaching rakes for the services from Dublin to Galway and were branded 'Cú na Mara', (Connemara).

Although they operated the named train they were generally used in common with Mk3s. Nine vehicles were re-numbered by IE 6201 to 6208 plus 6401. 6201 was a composite, the others 'Standard' class and 6401 was the Buffet Standard. One other vehicle remained in Inchicore Works in its original BR Intercity livery. Train supply was delivered by 76xx series Mk3 designed brake generator vans.

Look here on Youtube® for a video clip of an express on IE with eight of the former 'International' coaches under '071 BREL Internationals'.

	Inside 6208 one of the open seconds (standards) in Iarnod Eireann service. Note the original International Train emblems on the vestibule panels overwritten with 'Cú na Mara' Flickr - rowanC82
	Coach number 6201 at Athenry Flickr - rowanC82
	Inside 6208 Flickr - rowanC82
	Close up of the power-operated doors Flickr - wfbakker2

For more pictures of the coaches in service look here on Neil Dinnen's new site

In November 2008 they were reported as being stored at Dublin North wall as the DMU era ousted loco-hauled stock in Ireland. Numbers 6201, 6203. 6204, 6205, 6206, 6207, 6208 and 6401.

In mid July 2009 some of them had been sold and two (6203 & 6205) less bogies were moved to the Killashee House Hotel in Naas. County Kildare in Ireland and three others (6204, 6206 & 6207) were moved to RAF Spadeadam, Cumbria, UK where it is understood they were destroyed by explosives in April 2010 (!).

The remaining 5 (including the BSK vehicle) were scrapped at Inchicore works, Dublin in late 2009

There are some photos here on Neil's excellent new site of the two coaches for Naas on the move in Ireland. Look here for recent pics of 6203 and 6305 in their new home at the Killashee House Hotel. It would seem that there remains a large amount of work to be done before they will be open to the public presumably as a restaurant.

If you fancy your own model of the International Train look here for some inspiration