| Fleet No.: |
F.35 (The "Cardinal's" Coach) |
| Builders: |
Metropolitan Carriage & Wagon Co., Ltd |
| Original Layout: |
1st Smoking Saloon / 1st Saloon |
| Current Layout: |
Bar / Large 1st Saloon / Small 1st Saloon |
| Year Built: |
1905 |
| Capacity: |
14 (36 As Built) |
| Current Status: |
In Traffic |
| Delivered as one of two first class saloons in 1905 this coach was reserved for use by the directors on inspection runs and the like, and uniquely featured a smaller smoking saloon which happily it retains today, though smoking is no longer permitted. Fitted with bus windows in 1972 and an overall bright red livery matching that carried by the island's buses at the time, it remained in this guise until 1979. As this point, as part of a joint venture between the recently-nationalised railway and Sealink / Manxline, this saloon was fitted with a bar and chemical toilet in 1979 to provide a corporate hire train, and the remaining original half of this saloon remains as a first class section and featured blue leatherette seating, photographs of the railway above each seat and individual luggage racks above each seat. The bus windows were also removed at this time and frosted glass added to the toilet compartment which is located next to the bar. It also has carpeted flooring whereas the other saloons (save for F.36) have painted wooden floors The bar section was created running paralell with the sides of the vehicle and is accessed through a door in the Port Erin end, it had its brake duckets removed as part of this refit to accomodate corridor connections to F.31 and F.32 which were similarly fitted. Known as the Cardinal's Coach, it is now the only operational coach to retain its opening central window though this is not used; it remains in use but is only pressed into service on busy days, simply because half of its seating capacity is taken over by the bar/toilet area. In September 2011 it was united with the other saloons to form an impressive five-coach corridor connected train for corporate and private hire use, the first time the railway had ever been able to offer this service. F.35 is the central coach of the set. |
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Saloon Coaches 
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