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Irish State Coach 
No.351

Overall Winner (Supreme Champion) - Irish State Coach.
HRA Carriage and Wagon Competition 2000
This vehicle was built in 1902 by the Great Southern & Western Railway at Inchicore Works, Dublin, for the State Visit of King Edward VII to Ireland in 1903. It contained several internal saloons finished in different styles to a very high standard.  However, there were few occasions suitable for its use after that, and it lay in storage in Inchicore for most of the time until Ireland's independence in 1921.  It remained in storage for many years before officially becoming the Presidential, or State, Saloon in 1961.  In this guise it was used during the 1960's and early 70's to carry such figures as the Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia and Dr Kenneth Kaunda of Zambia as well as Irish Presidents and visiting dignitaries. 

No. 351 was retained officially in traffic until 1972, when it was withdrawn and replaced by a newly built Presidential Saloon based on a standard BREL Mk. 2 body shell. 

A further period of storage at Inchicore followed, and in 1991 the Managing Director of Irish Rail took the decision to put the coach under cover, dry it out, and see if it could be restored.  In 1995 the RPSI was successful in arranging with Irish Rail to borrow the vehicle on long term loan, and the Society commenced restoration helped by FAS the Employment and Training Authority and a number of sponsors.  in Dublin to carry out the work, under the supervision of a skilled craftsman who had worked on the vehicle when in railway company use. 

The work was completed in early 2000 in Inchicore works with the coach being certified to mainline standard. The first trip undertaken by the coach was on 12th of September when the coach was hauled on a test train to Sallins by loco 461.  Also in this trial was 1930s compartment 1335, and 1921 all first 1142, which has been finished in a livery matching 351.

The coach was launched officially by the President of Ireland, Mary Mc Aleese on 18th October with a run from Dublin’s Pearse station to Dun Laoghaire. A group of dignitaries which included Dr John Lynch, the chairman of CIE accompanied the president.  The train was hauled by loco no. 461 flying the presidential standard, and as well as 351 consisted of GS&WR all first 1142, CIE open second 1463 and CIE brake/generator second 1916.

Heritage Railway Association - Press Release
CARRIAGE AND WAGON COMPETITIONS 2000
The Awards in the Heritage Railway Association's bi-annual Carriage and Wagon Competitions were presented at a dinner held by the Association at the National Railway Museum in York on Saturday 9th June to celebrate 50 years of railway preservation.

Overall winner is Irish State Coach 351 which was entered by the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland (RPSI). They will hold the "Railway Magazine Lamp" for the next two years. In addition they receive a commemorative plate in the style of a carriage builder's plate. This plate was produced by Swindon Historic Castings, a joint venture between HRA and the local authority. The awards were collected by David Humphries, the RPSI's Honorary Business Development Officer. The judges commented: "This vehicle is in a class of its own. It was built for Edward VII as an opulent clerestory roofed, single gangwayed saloon. In due course it became the Irish State Coach. After withdrawal in 1970 it survived a fire in Inchicore works, suffered from various forms of rot, and has now been restored by RPSI. The restoration features appropriate furnishings, panelling in the style of Francis I, light fittings in Waterford crystal and wash basins in Connemara marble."

HRA - Overall Winner (Supreme Champion) - Irish State Coach.

Keeping Steam alive in Ireland since 1964

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