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. However these were not the first coaches to be called 'International' Photos are courtesy the Derby Evening Telegraph if not otherwise credited
There were several options for prospective buyers Pictures courtesy Andy Barclay
The BREL International Train rake of 23m coaches was 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 The Railway 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 a video produced by BREL at the time. |
Here are some pictures taken on the train and at Manchester Piccadilly after the special run
Click on the picture for a bigger image - photos are courtesy of Henry Law where not otherwise credited
The coaches were put into service on a Euston-Manchester diagram for a short period later that year but were withdrawn from passenger service and were subsequently used extensively for test loads with the class 89 locomotive.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 |
Although
at least one coach (99529) was fitted with T4 bogies from new, they were
eventually equipped with BT10 bogies. However in late 1986 opportunity was taken to test the
T4 bogie at high
speed . 99519 was the eleventh coach in the BREL International Train coaches
(numbered 99520 to 99529 & fitted with BT10 bogies). This coach was first
numbered 99530 in the sequence but later re-numbered to 99519 as it appears that
99530 was already allocated to another vehicle. It 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. |
Variants of the T4 were fitted to the Mk3 DVT and later to class 158s and 159s
Unfortunately, the T4 bogie was
not chosen for fitting to the Mk4 coaches but did find favour on the Mk3
DVT's. BREL |
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A Mk3 DVT fitted with T4 bogies
heads a southbound working at Crewe in 1999 Author |
During the late 90s active lateral suspension was fitted to TSO 99529 as a trial but although it was extensively tested the active suspension was not pursued. |
TSO 99529 at Derby Litchurch Lane fitted
with T4 bogies with active lateral suspension in 1991. Authors collection |
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Another view Authors collection |
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In October 1991 Class 47 No
47973 'Derby Evening Telegraph' stands outside the compound at the
Old Dalby test track with three
coaches from BREL's 'International' Train i.e. BFK 99520, TSO 99529 fitted with
T4 bogies with active lateral suspension and
99523 RUM Buffet plus R&DD's Lab 15 'Argus' Steve Andrews |
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) but still retained the 'International' globe emblem inside. 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 on Youtube® for a video clip of an express on IE with eight of the former 'International' coaches under '071 BREL Internationals'. Search for DuffBasher or 'BREL coaches' |
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. It seems that the plans for the coaches at their new home at the Killashee House Hotel did not come to anything but 6203 was acquired by the Caragh Nurseries in Co. Kildare where it serves as a coffee shop
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If you fancy your own model of the International Train look here for some inspiration in 'N' gauge or here for Southern Pride's latest overlays for OO gauge. Follow the link to 'BR Mk3 coaches' then 'conversion kits'. |