Galteemore

Lovely find Patrick. NCC mileposts may not be especially rare in and of themselves but finding any solid remains of the NI narrow gauge lines is very unusual. Most of it has simply vaporised, with very few exceptions such as Moorfields signal cabin. One of my favourite spots was Headwood station, swept away just a few years ago in the A8 works.

That’s terrific work David -really looks at home! You’ve made a lovely job of what is actually a complex shape.

That’s wonderful. You know, I think those replica plates would sell very nicely. I’d seriously consider giving one a home.

Yes, so glad I got to see his shunting layout with the chain working ! Note capstan posts in top pic. Photos courtesy RM Web

How sad - a legend. He built Irish locos in S too. This is a Kerry Bogie. Image by A S May on S Society website - @Broadstone’s layout, I believe.

LNWR livery is pretty much dead on for Dundalk Newry and Greenore Railway

Yes, I think Tarmac is now quite elusive. Thankfully the general range of Humbrol enamels is more widely available again after last year’s lacuna.

Patience is a virtue clearly ! Well done Alan. It’s really frustrating when you have been through the arduous climb that is a metal scratch or kit build, only to have the prize of the nicely lined and painted end product snatched away! This is turning out beautifully now.

Fabulous. My family place in N Leitrim comes to mind - all those red tin roofs!

Hope she’s better at publicity than plate laying - that’s a seriously staggered joint….

Indeed. It’s over 30 years old now, and currently residing in West Sussex. Last noted appearance was Scaleforum at Aylesbury 2018

Would love to see some photos of your work HT - sounds really good stuff.

Needs to watch Alec Guinness in ‘The Man in the White Suit’ - 1951 comedy movie about a man who invents an everlasting fabric- and subsequently targeted by irate mill-owners…..

Sadly both of us were there too late to see the runaway tram…..

Ah the benefits of a N Belfast grammar school education…. Ken Hawtin would be so proud…..;) Very nice work

Excellent stuff. Be interested to see your method of replicating the vestibule - bound to be more sophisticated than mine

It’s the only place that will host them now. The denizens of Bundoran still recall the night that a local woman insinuated irregular scoring practices by the sisters at a beetle drive. The GN had to lay on a special van full of replacement windows for the parish hall….

The Sisters of Perpetual Responsibility on their annual retreat? It never ends well ….there’s still marks on the wall from the time they appeared at bingo night in the parish hall last year….

So sorry to hear that David, and thought I was having a bad day at the bench yesterday !! Don’t know why we do it to ourselves….but the result will be worth it. As you say, in the scratch building world there’s always another project to distract for a while….

Yes jndeed. The Derry Road was not planned as a single entity but was a blend of various railway projects (eg Omagh to Derry was part of a line from Dundalk via Enniskillen) and the line was notoriously demanding on locos and crews to work. Loco frames for instance took a hammering over the various curves and banks. The construction and routing was also based on a very different railway operating model - that of the common carrier for freight, mail and passenger services. Although I’d love to hear 131 barking up Carrickmore bank as she used to!

CIE kept up the practice re ballasting and the Dundalk-Drogheda section was always fairly tidy into the 80s as I recall it. Would be interested in @leslie10646 comments on how well Moguls performed on Dublin passenger work. 98 certainly looks well fired passing Fr Murphy’s.

That Donegal railbus will climb a bit in next few days …..seller has a few items that @Colin R would fancy I think ……

Great idea for an independent line. You have a penchant for back stories (many modellers don’t actually take that seriously enough) and such a scenario would allow you to run appropriate stock. Consistency is key. Think what your board of directors’ policy was and why it was adopted. Eg SLNCR found that only 0-6-4T locos gave reliable running so all brand new locos were to that design. The tight curves etc of your line might be the reason that only UK industrials would be suitable for it. Come up with a suitable selection of rolling stock - 4w or 6w coaches, and light wagons, letter them G and SCR and you’re away. Focus on the scenery and buildings to make the layout look suitably Irish.

Think it’s a scratchbuilder thing - I get very excited over things like piercing saw blades and rivet presses….

There are rumours that Alfred Hitchcock had a holiday there in 1961 and was so traumatised he came home and made a movie about it….