GNRI BUT Class

The BUT Class was a fleet of diesel-powered railcars used by the Great Northern Railway Board and its successors. They were an evolution of the earlier AEC railcars, which had entered service in 1951.
==History==
===Great Northern Railway Board===
As part of its aims for complete dieselisation of passenger services, the GNRB began planning for a new fleet of diesel railcars. The order went out in 1954 to Associated Equipment Company, the manufacturers of the GNRI's existing AEC fleet, who by that time had become part of British United Transaction. (The initials of which gave the class its name.) Unassembled bodies, designed by Park Royal, underframes, and mechanical parts were shipped to the GNRB's workshops in Dundalk in the Summer of 1956, where final assembly took place. The initial railcar emerged was completed in April 1957, with another subsequently following every couple of weeks. In June 1957 they entered service, replacing the Belfast-based Enterprise set in June 1957, and as more power cars were turned out, one was used alongside a brake/first carriage to launch a successful Enniskillen - Belfast (Via Omagh) morning express service. This service was short-lived, however, as Co. Fermanagh lost all its railway services in September 1957. By December that year, the BUT's were sufficient in number to take over the Dublin-based Enterprise set, as well as commence work on the Portadown - Derry line. (Nicknamed the 'Derry Road'.)
===Córas Iompair Éireann===
Upon the dissolution of the GNRB, the BUT's were divided equally between the Ulster Transport Authority and CIÉ. The CIÉ-owned sets were eventually relegated to suburban services from Dublin to Howth and Dundalk. CIÉ had withdrawn all their BUT stock by 1975 and scrapped them at Mullingar.
===Ulster Transport Authority and Northern Ireland Railways===
UTA-Owned railcars continued to be used on Belfast - Dublin and Portadown - Derry services. The UTA was replaced by Northern Ireland Railways 10 years later in 1968, acquiring their BUT fleet. Having been displaced on the Enterprise by the UTA 70 Class, they were gradually withdrawn during the 1970s. Nine vehicles survived to 1980 after conversion to loco-hauled stock. Following the discovery that they contained asbestos, NIR disposed of their BUTs by drowning them in a flooded part of Crosshill quarry, Crumlin, Co. Antrim along with the MED railcars, since water dampens asbestos, meaning that no loose fibers could escape from their structures. None survived into preservation.
Category:Diesel trainsets
Category:CIÉ locomotives
Category:Built in 1956
Category:United Kingdom
Category:Ireland
Category:Ulster Transport Authority
Category:Northern Ireland Railways
Category:Great Northern (IE) locomotives
Category:Scrapped locomotives
Category:Diesel locomotives
Category:Irish diesel locomotives
Category:Non-Standard Locomotives
Category:Locomotives
Category:Passenger locomotives