Newbie signing in

[Colin R]

Hi all.

 

Just signing in to let you know you have a new (for now) lurker on the site. I have plenty of questions for you guys, so I hope you can point me in the right direction to find the answers I am looking for.

 

So a little bit about me (sorry if this goes on a bit to long), well I am in my late fifties (but I don't feel it), I am semi retired, I have been interest in narrow gauge railways most of my life, with the Lynton and Barnstaple Railway in North Devon being my prime railway. It is a toss up sometimes between that and the Donegal as I just so happen to love big narrow gauge steam engines and both supply those in bucket loads.

 

I got in to the Irish narrow gauge scene via the late David Lloyd who had built the layout the Augher Valley back in the early 1960's and later went on to build the layout Coolcalaghta (which sadly has disappeared off the face of the modelling world).

 

It was all his fault that I got introduced to both the Swilly and the Donegal railways.

 

Since then I have been building up a collection of OOn3 kits for the one day I will get around to it model railway layout which will include bits from all over Ireland just like the Cavan and Leitrim became in the end.

 

It was while I was doing some of my unfinished research that I took a look over the fence and came across the World of the Irish broad gauge, wow now this is what I like, having looked around there is so much modelling potential that I don't think you could fit it all in on just one layout.

 

Currently I am thinking of something like Strabane in the 1930 - 60's period when steam was king as this would allow for both narrow gauge and broad gauge trains to run.

 

However I don't need to tell you folks that finding Irish broad gauge steam locos and rolling stock kits in 4mm/21mm gauge is not the easiest thing in the World. It is the main reason why I think the Irish BG has been so hard to come by, but that is slowly changing, there are still not enough layouts with an Irish feel on the exhibition circuit or appearing in the modelling press, but I am hoping that is also changing.

 

I have also been thinking about building just a broad gauge layout based on Ballyglunin. Why that station? Well over here in the UK we are having a period when the John Wayne film the Quiet Man is on one of the tv channels at least once a week and the write up tells us that the above station is where all the action took place.

 

The only problem I have at the moment is trying to identify the class of steam loco used in the film so any help would be appreciated.

 

Well that is where I am at the moment, but it could all change tomorrow as coming across the Irish broad gauge system it is like a child walking into the sweet shop and not knowing what to buy.

 

If space was no problem, one station I would love to model and that would be Downpatrick as it was before it was bulldozed. I am having great difficulties finding photos of the station from the road side and anywhere in the yard area or any of the other railway buildings as well, the best I can do is to base the model on just the track plan in Desmond Coakhams book on the BCDR.

 

Regards

 

Colin

[Admin]

Welcome Colin

 

Am sure you've seen http://eiretrains.com/Photo_Gallery/Railway%20Stations%20D/Downpatrick/IrishRailwayStations.html

[jhb171achill]

Welcome, Colin.

 

As you will know, kits of various CDRJC stuff is available. It's pricey and time consuming to make, but so is much else.

 

For Strabane's main line, recent ready to run models of the GNR "U" and "UG" classes are already "out of print", but might crop up 2nd hand.

 

The line through Ballyglunin was populated in post-1921 times almost entirely by the GSWR "60" class 4.4.0s on passenger trains, and the standard J15 on goods, mixed and oddball other stuff. Kits of J15s can be had from Studio Scale Models, though it's pricey to get them made up if like me you don't have the skills.

 

You'll find all the help and encouragement you want here.