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Sealink MK1 coaches

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HS 4000

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I've recently been intrigued with the livery used on the Sealink liveried MK1's , very reminiscent of RTC test train liveried coaches , I was wondering what were the diagrams/allocations and interiors compared to other MK1 coaches at the time?
 

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delt1c

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I've recently been intrigued with the livery used on the Sealink liveried MK1's , very reminiscent of RTC test train liveried coaches , I was wondering what were the diagrams/allocations and interiors compared to other MK1 coaches at the time?
I believe ( correct me if I am wrong) that they were for the Glasgow to Stranraer service linking with the Sealink service to Larne . I have never saw any photos of them on other services although i sure they must have done from time to time. The service was normally 47 hauled
 
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hexagon789

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I've recently been intrigued with the livery used on the Sealink liveried MK1's , very reminiscent of RTC test train liveried coaches , I was wondering what were the diagrams/allocations and interiors compared to other MK1 coaches at the time?

Just standard BSK and SK vehicles, they were used on Glasgow Central to Stranraer boat trains. They were painted from 1983 onwards and mostly from the older batches of Mk1s. Almost all had the Mark 1 bogies and interior wood panelling rather than melamine. The panelling was painted over in yellow!

These are the coaches I have as gaining Sealink colours:

BSK

35069

35070

35072



SK

24844

24848

24850

24856

24859

24880

24881

24884

24890

24894

24900

All had the six-seat type of compartments. The stock was allocated to Polmadie.



I believe ( correct me if I am wrong) that they were for the Glasgow to Stranraer service linking with the Sealink service to Larne . I have never saw any photos of them on other services although i sure they must have done from time to time. The service was normally 47 hauled

I've seen two photos of Sealink coaches on outside Scotland. One on an unidentified southbound service at Carlisle, the other of a set at Poulton-le-Fylde on a Blackpool Nortj-Glasgow relief, complete with Mk1 RKB full kitchen car between Sealink coaches and the hauling 47/4.

As a side interest matter, there were vehicles in matching livery on the Irish side, too.

An NIR 70 Class DEMU was similarly painted to operate a corresponding service meeting the ferry at Larne Harbour and running into Belfast.
 

Taunton

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By the 1980s there seemed to be plenty of Class 47 available, and they were used on various Scottish internal services, although allocated to depots in England. Glasgow-Kilmarnock-Carlisle services were handled the same. The Mk 1 stock was ex-LMR, dual heated, doubtless for the start of WCML electric services but no longer suitable there as only on B1 bogies. Either ETH or steam heat locos would suffice.

The Stranraer service really lost it to the airlines not long afterwards. Must have been in the 1990s I was visiting Prestwick (town rather than airport) and checked out the station. It was a fine evening so not winter. The northbound Stranraer service came through at speed, just a 2-car 156, maybe with half a dozen passengers on board.

Note second class only. The ScR was heading for an all second class only fleet, but seems to have gone backwards on this. Certainly when I was a regular on the Edinburgh-Glasgow push-pull, as I've written before the first class coach was effectively empty stock if you discounted the Scotrail management on passes.
 

hexagon789

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The Stranraer service really lost it to the airlines not long afterwards. Must have been in the 1990s I was visiting Prestwick (town rather than airport) and checked out the station. It was a fine evening so not winter. The northbound Stranraer service came through at speed, just a 2-car 156, maybe with half a dozen passengers on board.

The fact that passenger numbers to Stranraer were low, yet BR ran direct 156s from Edinburgh and Newcastle in the 1990s always seemed surprising to me.

Note second class only. The ScR was heading for an all second class only fleet, but seems to have gone backwards on this. Certainly when I was a regular on the Edinburgh-Glasgow push-pull, as I've written before the first class coach was effectively empty stock if you discounted the Scotrail management on passes

Well they did reduce the Mk3 sets and Inverness Mk2 sets to composites, and the 158s were to be standard only initially.
 

snakeeyes

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One of these coaches ended up at the Strathspey railway, I remember seeing it in the Sealink livery.
 

hexagon789

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One of these coaches ended up at the Strathspey railway, I remember seeing it in the Sealink livery.

All 3 of the BSKs still exist AFAIK, 35069 is/was the Strathspey one, 35070 was/is on the East Lancs and 35072 is/was at Dartmouth.
 

Whistler40145

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Does anyone know if pairs of 26s, 27s or Class 37s worked with the Sealink stock from Glasgow Central to Stranraer Harbour?
 

Cowley

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There was also a couple on the Lakeside Railway. These were painted during preservation as Sealink operated the ferries on Lake Windermere at the time.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/neil_harvey_railway_photos/26963122221
That’s very interesting, I’ve not seen that before. It looks like a very different livery though - like a version of blue and grey?


Does anyone know if pairs of 26s, 27s or Class 37s worked with the Sealink stock from Glasgow Central to Stranraer Harbour?
I seem to remember that they were usually pulled by Eastfield steam heat 47/0s or ETS fitted 47/4s, but surely other locos must have stood in occasionally?
 

delt1c

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That’s very interesting, I’ve not seen that before. It looks like a very different livery though - like a version of blue and grey?

I seem to remember that they were usually pulled by Eastfield steam heat 47/0s or ETS fitted 47/4s, but surely other locos must have stood in occasionally?
I believe that a 37 was used on at least 1 occasion, but never heard of anything else used
 

hexagon789

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That’s very interesting, I’ve not seen that before. It looks like a very different livery though - like a version of blue and grey?



I seem to remember that they were usually pulled by Eastfield steam heat 47/0s or ETS fitted 47/4s, but surely other locos must have stood in occasionally?

20s worked some Stranraer trains for a period during the summer up to 1985/6, piloting trains over the gradients. There were some regular summer workings arranged so.
 

Cowley

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20s worked some Stranraer trains for a period during the summer up to 1985/6, piloting trains over the gradients. There were some regular summer workings arranged so.
Lovely. I think I may read somewhere recently now you say it.
 
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While mostly 47's, it was by no means unusual to have a 27 or 37 or as previous posters have mentioned, a class 20 providing assistance.

A couple of pics from me:
10 - 20171 37043.jpg
20171 & 37043 Loch Lomond at Ayr on 17/10/85. The Class 20 was uncoupled here and the 37 carried on to Glasgow.

15.jpg

47460, minus number and logo, running 90 mins late on the 12.25 Ayr to Stranraer service, passing Ayr Townhead. 25/02/86
 

hexagon789

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While mostly 47's, it was by no means unusual to have a 27 or 37 or as previous posters have mentioned, a class 20 providing assistance.

27s even seemed to be used occasionally in Mk2 days on the Stranraer trains.

I hadn't seen 37s in any photos, but those photos prove it happened, they were very common on freights working out of Falkland Yard in the 1980s of course.
 

randyrippley

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That dual blue livery (without the red) was used on at least one of the Heysham Travel bus fleet dedicated to the Sealink Manx Line sailings to Heysham in the late 70's early 80's. They ran a free shuttle from Lancaster station to the ferry.
They were later replaced by various Sea Container era liveries, followed by Steam Packet black white and red.
Also there was a service bus running around Lancaster in the same colours as a full-advert bus - I can't remember if it was Ribble or LCT
 

Richard Scott

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I believe that a 37 was used on at least 1 occasion, but never heard of anything else used
Fairly sure I remember seeing a picture of an electric loco, possibly an 85, hauling the rake. Maybe an ECS working as doubt would even have got to Ayr, was this even electrified when this stock ran?
 
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Possible an electric would have moved the stock from Polmadie into the Central, but not working down to Ayr.
Ayr line electrification went live in 1986 and I think the Sealink liveried Stranraer services were just about over by then.
 

hexagon789

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Fairly sure I remember seeing a picture of an electric loco, possibly an 85, hauling the rake. Maybe an ECS working as doubt would even have got to Ayr, was this even electrified when this stock ran?

Electrication to Ayr was live by September 1986, so it's very possible.
 

hexagon789

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Ayr line electrification went live in 1986 and I think the Sealink liveried Stranraer services were just about over by then.

Good point, after a bit of digging they seem to have been withdrawn in "late 1986", quite like it coinciding with electrification. My guess is this would also be when the Stranraer services went over to Mk2 a/b/c stock, which lasted until the 156s came in.
 

hexagon789

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On RMWeb there is a pic of a class 81 with Sealinks at Carlisle and other reference to a relief service to Blackpool. I think the sets were also used on football specials after withdrawal from the Stranraer line. I only worked at Ayr station at the time but clearly my memory is now scrambled!
https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/i...corner/page/101/&tab=comments#comment-3704827

Definitely ran reliefs to Blackpool, my first encounter with the Sealink Mk1 cooaches was a photo of a set on a Blackpool-Glasgow relief!
 

Mag_seven

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I remember travelling from Glasgow to York and back on such a set, probably about 1986ish, on a what I think was called a "Scotrail Spectacular" Merrymaker style BR day excursion.
 

hexagon789

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I remember travelling from Glasgow to York and back on such a set, probably about 1986ish, on a what I think was called a "Scotrail Spectacular" Merrymaker style BR day excursion.

There was at least one such excursion to Fife in about 1985, see if I can find the flickr photo again
 
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