DAVID WILSON

View from the other side of a train from City Hospital to GVS near midday on the last day. Please excuse a couple of expletives from a passenger. VIDEO GREAT VIC ST FROM CITY HOSPITAL LAST DAY FRI 10 MAY 2024.mp4

Sorry to hear of his passing.

Not quite the info you seek, but will give you hopefully inspiration of that subway area. David

A MED (multi engined diesel) leaves in the Newtownards direction. Its intermediate coach is from the steam era. Contrasting front and rear liveries on this unit before the UTA finally settled on the rear one for all units. 1899710161_VIDEODONAGHADEEMODEL2180822.mp4

If you zoom in on this 1940s picture on your pc you can see the ads for OXO and Players on the back wall.

Even the inside of the trainshed has the advertisements on the walls where photos from the 1940s show them to be, and the front entrance shows the way through to the platforms.

Visited it this afternoon, what a truly magnificent detailed depiction of Donaghadee and friendly information from the modelling team. The video is of GN engine "Down" hauling Ulster Transport liveried coaches. 528307840_VIDEODONAGHADEEMODEL1180822.mp4

Hi LM, I greatly missed the Lambeg to Gt Victoria St trains when the family moved to Gilnahirk in east Belfast in the summer of 1958, both steam and diesel, and then on to granny's house at Bloomfield by trolleybus. I don't recall the UR fire fender in the main waiting room but the fireplace was one substantial piece of work. I phoned cousin Neill who is eight years older than me, Theo's son, and he was able to provide some more information. Sammy to whom you refer may have had the surname Wallace. I may have over-promoted Percy Gibson, he was a relief porter from Lisburn. Mr McIntyre hailed from around Armagh and when retired lived in a semi detached house in Harmony Heights area, Lambeg. Prior to Mr McIntyre, the post was held by Bob Campbell. Mr Campbell moved to Adavoyle as signalman when Mr McIntyre arrived.

I lived at Lambeg from 1953 to 1958 (aged 1 to 6 yrs) and remember Mr McIntyre as being a very nice man. He kept a good fire going in the winter for passengers in the waiting room and he had postcard size photos of GNR trains. I last met him after the funeral of my uncle Theo Wilson in Theo's house just down from the station. At that stage, 1980, he was well retired living in a bungalow in the Dunmurry area I think. Theo had worked in the GNR traffic department office at Great Victoria Street, and the biggest thrill I ever had was him putting me in with the driver of an AEC railcar on the way back to Belfast one Sunday evening at Lambeg after visiting. This was around 1964. Mother, father and younger brother were seated behind the glass. She got a fright when she saw me rise from the tip up seat and move forward as the train approached Dunmurry. The driver had shown me where the horn was and invited me to sound it before reaching the level crossing! At Lambeg there was also a senior porter called Percy Gibson when I was a child. I don't remember his face but apparently he was quite a character.

Very high level of modelling expertise shown here. Well done.

Thank you everyone for the additional information. I can imagine boisterous excursionists heading straight for the side exit. As long as you could show your ticket on the way back to any platform staff checking, presumably everyone was content.

Thank you Galteemore for that information. It sounds quite narrow, makes me wonder how the station coped with an influx of passengers when excursion trains arrived or departed on sunny summer afternoon/evenings. Sadly most of the year at other times there mustn't have been a lot of trade so a small concourse would have sufficed.

Hi Colm and contributors on BCDR matters, Your work on reproducing County Down locomotives and carriages is very pleasing to the eyes. My curiosity is what the passenger saw when exiting Donaghadee station's platform going down the ramp to the outside. The photo (and acknowledgement to the photographer) indicates an archway apparently plastered over with an ordinary household door insert, the latter I take it too small for passengers coming and going during railway days. Richard Craig's piece on Donaghadee and it's branch has an aerial photo which indicates that there was a gap between the rear of the house terrace containing I take it booking hall and waiting area, and the shed end gable in the photo. The gap, to my eyes appears to be covered with some sort of roof. Would anyone have any knowledge of the layout/detail from the bottom of the platform ramp out to the street? I was born two years after the railway closed so did not experience it for myself but as a child I may have been inside the street entrance when my mum and aunt took me to Donaghadee one afternoon in the UTA bus, too young to remember. I believe the UTA may still have used the front entrance for bus passengers. Any information would be gratefully received, many thanks, David Wilson Belfast

You wait long enough for one bus then two arrive at the same time. Sorry the photo quality isn't great.

Sometimes dreams do come true, and this certainly is the case with Paddy's great model locos. I have thirteen of his 141/181s, just couldn't stop acquiring them when they came out. Wonderful models. Thank you Paddy for your energy and magnificent contribution to Irish railway modelling. David Belfast