Galteemore

In the UK, lines of this nature often don’t have their own steam locos, as they simply do not have the engineering facilities and support to maintain them long term. What they will occasionally have are visiting locos for a few weekends a year - prob not an option in this case. Although I don’t think Tyrone or Shane see much use in the causeway line so who knows what’s possible? We used Hayling Island Railway a lot in years gone by. Steam visited occasionally but the grunt work was done by a very well done steam outline loco….pic from EHLR site.

Fascinating David. Shows how big Irish NG stock was - Welsh slate railways they were not!!!

Great little models they are too. Like N gauge Hornby Dublo - basic detaiL-wise but mechanically robust. All inside cylinder tender locos, to facilitate his American style pickup system. I had about 5 of them when I modelled N. Sadly he’s stopped trading last year so they are rare birds. Here’s one of mine - now long sold

Although not an inch of track has been laid - a train has arrived on the backscene. A 3 coach train to Clones, headed by an old U. Happy now, @Patrick Davey? All low relief, and I only modelled 1/3 of the Us tender but it’s hopefully enough to suggest the rest is there…..platform still a bit bare but will be dressed with seats etc when glued down ….it’s a backscene so not designed for cruel closeups like these The bottom picture hopefully shows what the effect will look like in relation to the main scene. What is hopefully clear here is how important light is to the composition -to get anywhere near the look of the prototype, there has to be light on both canopy sides and in the middle of it. Had I pushed the canopy right against the backscene, as I was tempted to do, it would have put the background foliage into shade, which just wouldn’t look right. Light is shining on the coach roofs so I think we’ve got away with it….

The fabulous urban backscene certainly recollects a familiar vista

Works for me! Lovely shots. Is Loughan Quay contiguous to Ballycultra by any chance ?

Fabulous work David. I think you must be the forum expert on coupling systems! Barclay looks well on the rails, and the Swilly stock has real presence.

Am sure it will be a high calibre project. Will be making tracks to see it when it’s done.

Looks really well Patrick. Nice sense of atmosphere

Spacing also an issue in many modern developments. To be authentic, place a model wheely bin between two houses and mark that distance. Before gluing houses down, narrow that distance just enough so the bin won’t fit…..

Great stuff Alan - lovely runner. Not a bad layout either !

Interesting. Always struck me as an odd kind of a museum given how well Welsh slate locos were presented elsewhere in the Principality. The exhibits here did seem all rather clustered together in a small space.

No, Enniskillen station seems to have grown piecemeal - the original SLNC station was further out

Thanks Ernie - the Enniskillen view is basically of the section I’m building. Looks like the 2pm goods being made up. Very unkempt 0-6-0 on the GN lines - not the show pony AL No 59 that was normally the Enniskillen pilot. Looks like she is shuffling coal trucks around - either for the shed at EKN or possibly Manorhamilton.

It’s looking great David. Transfers can be frustrating but I think they will bed in. What I have sometimes done in such eventualities is to put a coat of gloss varnish to even the finish and then knock back with weathering. As you will know from your BR modelling days, a differentiation in finish around numbers and crests on working locos was not unusual, reflecting how a hard pressed cleaner might focus on ensuring that, although the remainder of the loco might be careworn, at least the number and ‘branding’ shone through.

Being only a scenic area of 2’ long, there’s not much scope for buildings. There’s one key structure for Enniskillen, though, and that’s the canopy. Ernie’s photo archive was incredibly helpful in identifying the various component parts. Hesitant though I am to post GNR architecture in the presence of @Patrick Davey, here we are….. Much hacking about of various laser cut canopy parts, cruelly mixed up with plastic rod and superglue, plus 12’ of obeche wood. That was the simple bit. The complication lay in the fact that - only really gleaned from careful photo analysis -was that there was a very low-pitched roof light. This took a lot of careful construction from 1mm Perspex sections, butchered laser-cut roof trusses and plastic strip. Omitting it was not an option - although it would have simplified matters enormously - as the light and shadows it provides will be critical to the composition. It’s turned out reasonably enough. Colours gleaned from Ernie’s SLNC album as shown. The dodgy, misaligned daggerboards are prototypical btw!

Some of those pics are flipped backwards JB….I have fixed one. The WT is very nice but just adding a smokebox door wheel would lift it to another level.

That’s spectacular David. Really captures the look. Will look excellent on the rails.

Looking good. Scrapyards are notoriously difficult to get right but you are well on the way with this.

It’s certainly been quite the undertaking. I hope you are wreathed in smiles. Great work - looks well.

It’s an excellent show. Great mix of layouts and trade. Recommended!

Small factory ?

Yes, I’ve ordered some plastic strip (great discount) and a bottle of Hatton’s own weathering mix - just so I can have a branded Hattons’ product as a keepsake!

Interesting David. I was staring very hard at that picture an hour ago, willing it to be green! But I think you’re right - it’s black really….

That just looks incredible David. What a fantastic build!