NIR

Got mine, just the one box, they're nice.

Funnily enough that's one of my bittersweet memories of the old 'new' station, on our way back to England being dropped there in a Free State taxi while the Apprentice Boys were marshalling up...

Seems that the old 'new station' has now been knocked down. I will miss it, strangely enough.

I traveled on something called 'Avanti West Coast' today, the Branson personality cult has been eradicated! Though back in the 90s they were a definite improvement on BR and were cheaper too for a good few years.

So Virgin have lost their franchise? If it means an end to all that tiresome 'jokey' stuff like those girly announcements in the toilets it will be worth it. I lose braincells every time I hear that nonsense.

The only relevant component I can find is the fan grille, so at least there's that

For anyone contemplating a 70 Class or 80 Class build, parts for the BR Class 205/207 underframe (on which these were based) seem no longer available. The closest I can find are various bits from Replica Railways, correct in size/shape but not in detail. (clockwise from top left) B5 bogie kit, Mk1 coach components, PCV chassis components, Class 419 (MLV) chassis components I even know the names of most of these things now - regulator box/cradle, vacuum cylinder, reserve vacuum cylinder... and maybe a compressor?

The long headshunt with the wrongway crossover at 13 and kickback siding at 6, that looks a bit of a shunting puzzle.

When 35 Years of NIR is no longer enough... https://www.flickr.com/photos/152343870@N07/albums/72157690221607481/page1 Favourite NIR livery period? - mid-80s light grey with maroon stripe 80 Class plus light grey with blue stripe Mark 2.

With the 70 Class you can have mixed liveries and compartments too!

It's on the wrong side of the river and the railway goes to the wrong places. For all my fondness for the NCC that's kind of hard to fix. Foyle Road GNR would have been the more natural rationalisation for Derry with the NCC cut back to Coleraine or Ballymena, more reflective of the actual flows and centres of gravity.

Needs more Irish layouts!

It looks a bit 30s modern or 40s utility to me.

Well doesn't the mind play tricks. Can't argue with photos Brick Canopy profile General view Corrugated iron, was it blown up sometime?

How about running over the rail tops with a pencil, I think graphite is a good conductor. If you are shunting those lines they shouldn't really be rusty.

All I can add is that I don't really remember the old station buildings in the early 70s, only that you walked past them on the platform rather than through them to the platform as you usually would at a terminus. More a waiting room under the canopy really, maybe of weatherboard construction and painted white. In the first of Ernie's photos you can just about see one corner of it on the far left.

Video blocked in the UK. Am I missing much?

A rethink, two lots of memories so two layouts, one NIR and one CIE. Timeline now freed up with the C Class no longer having to be a 1985 onwards NIR 104 Class. No locomotive so 'disconnect' entry from the sector plate into the loop and have the 70 Class railcar shuttle within a static diorama of spoil wagons, cut-down opens, MED parcels van and brown van - very prototypical. A narrower baseboard to give a travellers-eye immediacy to rolling stock and infrastructure (now 4 feet by 6 inches) Rotate it 180, change LH point to RH then continue all tracks to the baseboard edge and you have a representation of my Mother's old local station, Ballyglunin CIE. The C Class will operate on this layout in all black/yellow panel (hopefully ready-to-run by then!) and will occasionally make it up to NIR with a CIE freight (even if they didn't). So my white bubbles are now the wrong colour...

Did these buggers ever go north? I'm looking for an excuse...

Here is a good picture, hosted elsewhere on this site

There is also the distinctive triangular underframe that is not going to be on any of the kits.

Make the runners part of the roof and the floor sections rather than the sides, then select your door position... easier to mould too?

Not sure if practical for resin but maybe supply the ends in two reversible sections for a mix and match build, the same for the door panels? These vans looked most striking with both doors slid open...

16.5mm/5'3" = 3.142 !

The CIE palvan must be a good next candidate - triangular underframe, sliding doors, fairly distinctive - and I just realised I might need one in the future!