View source for NIR 450 Class

{{Short description|Northern Irish diesel multiple unit}}
{{distinguish|British Rail Class 450}}
{{More citations needed|date=June 2022}}{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=April 2013}}
{{Infobox Train
|name = <span style="color:white;">Northern Ireland Railways 450 Class</span>
|background = #0000FF
|image = City Hospital railway halt - geograph.org.uk - 1555047.jpg
|imagesize = 300px
|caption = 8458 departing {{stnlnk|City Hospital}} in 2009.
|manufacturer = [[British Rail Engineering Limited]]
|family = BR Second Generation ([[British Rail Mark 2|Mark 2]] and [[British Rail Mark 3|Mark 3]])
|yearservice = 1985–1987
|service = 1985–2012
|yearscrapped = 2012–2017
|numberbuilt = 9 sets
|numberscrapped = 8 sets
|formation = 3-car sets (DM-T-DT)
|fleetnumbers = ''Originally:'' 451–459,<br>''Now:'' 8451–8459
|capacity = 184 seats
|operator = [[Northern Ireland Railways]]
|maxspeed = {{convert|75|mph|km/h|0|abbr=on}}
|weight = 
|brakes = 
|engine = [[English Electric diesel engines|English Electric 4SRKT]]
|safety = [[Automatic Warning System#British Rail AWS|AWS]], [[Train Protection & Warning System|TPWS]]
|gauge = {{RailGauge|1600mm}}
|lines = At time of withdrawal:<br>[[Belfast-Larne railway line|Belfast-Larne]]<br>[[Coleraine–Portrush railway line|Coleraine-Portrush]]<br>Formerly:<br>[[Belfast-Bangor railway line|Belfast-Bangor]]<br>[[Belfast-Newry railway line|Belfast-Newry]]
|}}

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

==History==
[[File:Ballycarry station (1986) - geograph.org.uk - 1014095.jpg|thumb|left|451 passing {{stnlnk|Ballycarry}} in 1986]]
[[File:Hilden railway station in 2004.jpg|thumb|458 at Hilden on a Portadown bound service in 2004]]
In the mid-1980s, Northern Ireland Railways was in the process of upgrading its rolling stock. Having already purchased three [[CIE 071 Class|new locomotives]], it then proceeded to purchase replacements for its [[UTA 70 Class|70 Class]] diesel multiple units. A total of nine three-car trains were constructed by [[British Rail Engineering Limited]] between 1985 and 1987, intended to supplement the existing [[NIR 80 Class|80 Class]] DMUs then in service. The trains were constructed using underframes of existing [[British Rail Mark 1|Mark 1]] coaching stock, altered to using {{RailGauge|1600mm|allk=on}} gauge and new [[British Rail Mark 3|Mark 3]] bodyshells with powered sliding doors. Because of this, they bore a strong resemblance to the [[British Rail Class 150]], [[British Rail Class 210]], [[British Rail Class 317]], [[British Rail Class 318]] (especially prior to its refurbishment) and [[British Rail Class 455]], as they also use  the Mark 3 bodyshells with end doors. 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 Class 80 train, powercar 88 that was damaged at a collision at Hilden).

The power cars of the 450 Class units were named after various Northern Irish castles.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.irrs.ie/Common%20Files/NIR.htm |title=Irish Railways: 1946-1996 |website=Irish Railway Record Society |access-date=28 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170207113401/https://irrs.ie/Common%20Files/NIR.htm |archive-date=7 February 2017 |url-status=deviated}}</ref> They entered service in a cream, orange, and red livery, before adopting the blue and silver livery later.

On Thursday 9 March 1995, a 450 Class train was used to form a royal train when Queen Elizabeth II officially opened the [[Dargan Bridge, Belfast|Dargan Bridge]], composed of two cars from 455 coupled to two cars from 459.

The 450 Class operated on the same principle as the prototype [[British Rail Class 210|Class 210]] DMUs on the [[Rail transport in Great Britain|British network]], in that they consisted 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" was added to the start of all the cars so that they could be used by [[Translink (Northern Ireland)|Translink's]] computer system.{{Citation needed|date=April 2023}}

In 2005, the entire fleet underwent an extensive refurbishment to bring them up to a similar standard to the newly introduced [[NIR Class 3000|3000 Class]] units, enabling them to remain in service for at least another 5 to 7 years.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.translink.co.uk/050621NewCentralCorridor.asp |title=New era in NI rail travel - Translink introduces new Central Corridor Service |date=21 June 2005 |website=[[Translink (Northern Ireland)]] |access-date=28 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071121010643/https://www.translink.co.uk/050621NewCentralCorridor.asp |archive-date=21 November 2007 |url-status=deviated}}</ref>{{primary source inline|date=January 2023|reason=Citation is to a press 2005 press release by Translink.}} This took them up to the point where they became "life-expired."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.translink.co.uk/resources/pdfs/NorthernIrelandRailwaysStrategicReviewFinalMainReportMay2004.pdf |title=Northern Ireland Railways Strategic Review - Final Main Report |date=May 2004 |website=[[Translink (Northern Ireland)]] |access-date=28 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061231072252/http://www.translink.co.uk/resources/pdfs/NorthernIrelandRailwaysStrategicReviewFinalMainReportMay2004.pdf |archive-date=31 December 2006 |url-status=deviated}}</ref>{{primary source inline|date=January 2023|reason=Citation is to a 2006 internal review by Translink.}}

In 2011, the entire 450 Class fleet, together with the remaining [[NIR 80 Class|80 Class]] units, was listed by NI Railways for disposal.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.translink.co.uk/Corporate/Tenders/Rail-Vehicles-for-Disposal/ |title=Rail Vehicles for Disposal |website=[[Translink (Northern Ireland)]]}}{{dead link|date=January 2023|fix-attempted=yes}}</ref>{{primary source inline|date=January 2023|reason=Citation was to an unarchived URL on Translink's website. Secondary coverage of this may exist.}} The first of the trains was broken up and scrapped in April 2012.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-17822646 |title=Northern Ireland Railway's farewell to old trains |last=McCann |first=Nuala |date=30 April 2012 |access-date=28 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230128235557/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-17822646 |archive-date=28 January 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Current status ===
{{Unreferenced section|date=April 2024}}

The entire 450 Class fleet was withdrawn from service in 2012,<ref>{{cite news |last1=McCann |first1=Nuala |title=Northern Ireland Railway's farewell to old trains |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-17822646 |access-date=21 March 2025 |agency=BBC News |date=30 April 2012}}</ref> following the arrival of enough [[NIR Class 4000|4000 Class]] units to displace the 450 units serving the [[Belfast-Larne railway line|Larne Line]] and [[Coleraine-Portrush railway line|Portrush branch]]. Eight out of the nine units have been cut up for scrap. The sole remaining example has been purchased for preservation by the [[Downpatrick and County Down Railway]].

{| class="wikitable"
!Key:
|bgcolor=lightgrey <!-- #cecece -->|Scrapped
|bgcolor=lightskyblue <!-- #87cefa-->|Preserved
|}

{| class="wikitable"
!Number
!Power Car Name
!Intermediate Number
!Driving Trailer Number
!Status
!Notes
|- bgcolor=lightgrey
|451
|''[[Belfast Castle]]''
|791
|781
|Scrapped
|Cut up at York Road. Scrapped in Ahoghill, Sunday 29 April 2012.
|- bgcolor=lightgrey
|452
|''[[Olderfleet Castle]]''
|792
|782
|Scrapped
|Cut up at York Road. Scrapped in Ahoghill, Sunday 22 April 2012.
|- bgcolor=lightgrey
|453
|''[[Moiry Castle]]''
|793
|783
|Scrapped
|Cut up at Adelaide Depot. Scrapped at Ahoghill, Tuesday 21 May 2013.
|- bgcolor=lightgrey
|454
|''[[Carrickfergus Castle]]''
|794
|784
|Scrapped
|Cut up at Adelaide Depot. Scrapped at Ahoghill, Monday 13 May 2013.
|- bgcolor=lightgrey 
|455
|''[[Galgorm Castle]]''
|795
|785
|Scrapped
|Cut at Ballymena and scrapped at Ahoghill between Tuesday 31 January and Wednesday 1 February 2017. 
|- bgcolor=lightgrey
|456
|''[[Gosford Castle]]''
|796
|786
|Scrapped
|Cut up and scrapped in Ballymena, Wednesday 1 May 2013.
|- bgcolor=lightgrey
|457
|''[[Bangor Castle]]''
|797
|787
|Scrapped
|Cut up at Adelaide Depot. Scrapped at Ahoghill, Monday 20 May 2013.
|- bgcolor=lightskyblue
|458
|''[[Antrim Castle]]''
|798
|788
|Preserved
|Moved from York road depot on 27 and 28 September 2014 and is now preserved at the [[Downpatrick and County Down Railway]].
|- bgcolor=lightgrey
|459
|''[[Killyleagh Castle]]''
|799
|789
|Scrapped
|Cut up at Adelaide Depot. Scrapped at Ahoghill, Wednesday 15 May 2013.
|}

[[File:450's at Adelaide.jpg|thumb|453 & 457 at Adelaide prior to scrapping in 2013]]

==Operations==
{{Unreferenced section|date=April 2024}}[[File:Great Victoria Street station, Belfast (6) - geograph.org.uk - 1470317.jpg|thumb|450 Class unit at {{stnlnk|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 [[NIR Class 3000|Class 3000]] trains in 2004, the 450s still had to be retained, as the 3000s were only a like-for-like replacement of the old [[NIR Class 80|Class 80]] units. By the year of their withdrawal, the 450 Class units had mostly been relegated to weekday services on the [[Belfast-Larne railway line|Larne Line]] and the [[Coleraine-Portrush railway line|Portrush Line]] shuttle, however at weekends there were enough Class 3000 trains to operate these services.

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

==Fleet details==
{| class="wikitable"
!Class
!Operator
!No. Built
!Year Built
!Cars per Set
!Unit nos.
|-
|'''450 Class'''
|Northern Ireland Railways
|align=center|9
|align=center|1985–1987
|align=center|3
|451–459
|}

==In preservation==

One example of the class has been preserved, by the [[Downpatrick and 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. This was completed in summer 2018, with the railcar usually being stationed at [[Inch Abbey railway station|Inch Abbey station]] during the summer months.

In Autumn 2021, 458 was used in the filming of a season 3 episode of [[Derry Girls]], with DCDR standing in for the [[Belfast–Derry line|Belfast–Derry]] and [[Coleraine–Portrush line|Coleraine–Portrush]] lines.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.thedownrecorder.co.uk/pages/?title=Derry_Girls_pull_up_at_railway_station |title=Derry Girls pull up at railway station |date=20 October 2021 |work=Down Recorder |access-date=28 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220703050639/http://www.thedownrecorder.co.uk/pages/?title=Derry_Girls_pull_up_at_railway_station |archive-date=3 July 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.downrail.co.uk/rolling-stock/458-antrim-castle/ |title=NIR 458 "Antrim Castle" |website=[[Downpatrick and County Down Railway]] |access-date=28 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220212150732/https://www.downrail.co.uk/rolling-stock/458-antrim-castle/ |archive-date=12 February 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref>

==References==
{{Commons category|NIR Class 450}}
{{reflist}}

{{Mark 3-derived}}
{{Ireland Multiple Units}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:NIR 0450 Class}}
[[Category:Northern Ireland Railways multiple units|0450]]
[[Category:Diesel electric multiple units]]
[[Category:BREL products]]