NIR Class 450

8458 at Hilden

The Class 450 is a type of diesel multiple unit (DMU) formerly used by Northern Ireland Railways. They were affectionately nicknamed 'Thumpers' and 'Castles' (Also known as the Castle Class) by rail enthusiasts.

History

In the mid 1980s, Northern Ireland Railways was in the process of upgrading its rolling stock. Having already purchased three new locomotives, it then proceeded to purchase replacements for its Class 70 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 1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in) and new Mark 3 bodyshells. Because of this, they bear a strong resemblance to the British Rail Class 150, British Rail Class 210 (based on), British Rail Class 317, British Rail Class 318 and British Rail Class 455, as they use Mark 3 bodyshells. These were combined with refurbished power units and traction motors from the withdrawn Class 70 units (there were only eight Class 70 units available to be salvaged, so the equipment for the ninth train came from a withdrawn Class 80 train, powercar 88).

The power cars of the Class 450 units are named after various Northern Irish castles.^[1] They entered service in a cream, orange, and red livery.

The Class 450 operate on the same principle as the prototype Class 210 DMUs on the British network, in that they consist of a single power car containing the traction and generating equipment (numbered 45x), an intermediate trailer car (numbered 79x) and a driving trailer (numbered 78x) as permanently formed 3 car sets. An additional "8" has been added to the start of all the cars so that they can be used by Translink's computer system.

In 2005, the entire fleet underwent an extensive refurbishment to bring them up to a similar standard to the newly introduced Class 3000 units, enabling them to remain in service for at least another 5 to 7 years.^[2] This would take them up to the point where they are expected to become "life-expired."^[3]

In 2011, the entire Class 450 fleet, together with the remaining Class 80 units, was listed by NI Railways for disposal.^[4]

Current status

The entire Class 450 fleet has now been withdrawn from service, following the arrival of enough Class 4000 units to displace the 450 units serving the Larne Line and Portrush branch. Seven out of the nine units have been cut up for scrap. Of the remainder, one has been purchased for preservation by the Downpatrick and County Down Railway, while the other has been retained by NI Railways for potential use as a sandite unit. As of December 2016, this unit has been stored.^[5]

Withdrawal

453 & 457 At Adelaide prior to scrapping

Operations

Class 450 unit at Belfast Great Victoria Street in 2009

Originally they operated on suburban services on the Larne and Bangor Lines, occasionally serving the Newry Line as well, with occasional appearances on the Derry line.

With the arrival of the Class 3000 trains in 2003, the 450s still had to be retained, as the 3000s were only a like-for-like replacement of the old Class 80 units. By the year of their withdrawal, the Class 450 units had mostly been relegated to weekday services on the Larne Line and the Portrush Line shuttle, however at weekends there were enough Class 3000 trains to operate these services.

The gradual entry into service of the Class 4000 trains in 2012 saw the Class 450 units each displaced by a new Class 4000 unit as one became available, until they were all finally withdrawn.

Fleet details

In Preservation

458 At DCDR in February 2016

One example of the class has been preserved, by the Downpatrick & County Down Railway. Unit 458 Antrim Castle was moved by road from York Road Depot, Belfast, over the weekend of 27–28 September 2014. During a two-day operation, the set was split into Driving Trailer, Intermediate and Power Car at Belfast and then, one-by-one, the carriages were taken by lorry to Downpatrick where they were reassembled. The Driving Trailer arrived on 27 September 2014, with the Intermediate and Power Car arriving the following day. The complete 458 Successfully ran under its own power on 11 October 2014, and one week later on 18 October 2014, made a surprise appearance at the Irish Traction Group's Diesel Gala—the first time the unit had carried passengers since withdrawal by NIR in 2012.

The DCDR stated that it planned to convert 458 into a standby buffet train.

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to NIR Class 450.