The DCDR is grateful to Ulsterbus for allowing us to acquire enough seating to (eventually) fit out our Sligo, Leitrim and Northern Counties Railcar.
The SLNCR vehicle, built in 1947, was fitted with seating that could hold three people on one side of the vehicle, and two on the opposing side (3+2 seating). However, during its years of deterioration only a few of the original seats remained inside the vehicle, and in poor condition.
Ulsterbus currently has a number of vehicles fitted with very similar seating in a number of their ageing “Tiger” buses, and we inquired if it would be possible to acquire enough seats to completely refit the vintage railcar when it undergoes restoration in the coming years. While this is not planned for at least another two years at the very least, due to the current maintenance schedule, the DCDR felt it prudent to acquire these seats before the last of the vehicles fitted with them were withdrawn and scrapped – which could very well be before restoration commences!
So Carriage and Wagon officer David Briggs mounted an expedition to reclaim the last amount of seats needed from a withdrawn vehicle (a ‘Tiger’, Fleet No 368 for those interested) at Ulsterbus’s Newtownabbey depot. We are grateful to Paddy Moss of Translink for helping arrange this.
As the bus is now withdrawn and shortly to be scrapped, we need not worry that there is now only standing room in it.