LARNE CABIN

Impressive work Dennis. Are you ' THE HANDY HANDYMAN' yourself? As someone on the forum might say 'fair dues lad'.

Hi Michael, @Jarl, from your comment 're the different colours of bands on the Red Star containers, you say 'might have to try to replicate that', it sounds like you might be going to work on a model. I don't know if you've seen it, but Darius43, one of the master builders on this forum has built a fleet of Red Star Parcels Containers. If you go to the 'Workbench' thread, about six down is 'Darius's Workbench', and the first thing that comes up is the Red Star Parcels Containers build. Hope that's useful to you.

Hi Michael, @Jarl, welcome to the forum and thank you for your kind comment 're my Larne Harbour Station thread. I'm afraid that I can't answer your question about container traffic as they're beyond my period, 1969. I have seen the photos you're referring to, and the question is intriguing. Hopefully, some of our learned container traffic colleagues will be able to provide an answer. I do find the Red Star Parcels Containers very interesting and hope to model a few at some stage, just as an additional little ad on for my Larne Harbour project.

Totally agree Patrick. I've asked Santa for Tony 's 'OMAGH RAILWAY STATION', but I'm a traditionalist, mine's wrapped and I won't open it until Christmas morning!.

Larne Harbour, 1961. Car (a Wolseley 1500, I think), being loaded unto ferry. Olderfleet Hotel in background and glimpses of the Lobitos storage containers in the background to the right... ... and a much earlier photo, narrow gauge still in place and no Lobitos. Area of my model, basically upper left hand quadrant.

Hi @Galteemore, David. I've got a reasonable grasp of Ulster-Scots, from working with Barney and Rebecca, but I'm an ignoramus as far as Latin is concerned! So, I looked up the above, and I've went with ' conveying much in a few words'. Thank you!. I did Latin at school, Portadown College, for Junior Certificate. It was a compulsory subject! The headmaster then, Mr Woodman, was a Latin scholar. He would pass you in a corridor and say something in Latin and then shake his head and walk on as you looked at him dumbfounded! The only thing I remember about Latin, almost sixty years on, was the Latin teacher, a Miss Birch. She was mid twenties, gorgeous, with lovely auburn hair. Nearly all the boys had a crush on her.

"Fur why be thon man aye takin picters, da?". "He be yin o thaim thair rail fellas. He maist likelie kens tha steam ingin wull be on tha boat train. Some day his picters wull be in buiks, histrie buiks, wan this be no here onie mair". "Whut dae you mean, da?". "This wull al shift, Becky. Thon there diesels be takin ivver iverie thing an thon there signals wull be colour lichts, like at Greenisland, an this............". "Al richt, da, i see, but i dinnae want thon man takin ma picter". "Ah gae on, Becky. Micht be some day we'll bis in a buik as weel".

A tiny step forward. The labourers have just completed the stone wall along Harbour Road and the footpath has been laid. There will be an embankment at the corner as the road turns right towards Olderfleet Road. Looking ahead, i wanted to start collecting a few road vehicles that would be authentic to travel along Harbour Road in the late 60's/early 70's. Here is a ERF LV Flatbed Trailer in Northern Ireland Trailers livery. The layout is coming together piecemeal, very slowly, but i have a vision of the ultimate goal inspired by many photos, one in particular (which i have posted before).

Dae oniebodie mine Rebecca, Barney's dochter? Tha last we heerd hir wus jaist daen schuil an bis wushin tae luk intae bein a vet! Hir be noo at vet college an on a wee trip hame we see hir up in tha cabin wi Hugh, tha signalman. He maun hae a guid fire burnin in tha stove! (Just another glimpse into the characters at Larne Harbour Station, and a wee bit more Ulster-Scots! The tongue is fairly easy to read, if you try it phonetically, but for those who are puzzled, the English translation is: Does anyone remember Rebecca, Barney's daughter? The last we heard she had just left school and was thinking about being a vet. She is now at veterinary college and on a wee trip home we see her in the cabin with Hugh, the signalman. He must have a good fire burning in the stove!).

Hi Gabhal, nice setup and yes you are privileged to have the space! A lot of us would love to have that space! What's with the clocks? At first I thought you had a collection, but on closer inspection I see that it's wallpaper! Best of luck with changes.

Probably second to Darius, Patrick, you are amazing in your speed of production! One point no one has mentioned so far, and I think the key factor, is "my fictional 'Clogherhead' terminus". If you were modelling a real location, then no question, but as it's fictional, therefore country, seaside, minimalist building, stone quoins very reasonable!

Due to ill health, Larne Harbour Station has had to take a back seat during the last few months, but recently I have been able to work on a little kitchen table cameo. As part of my preparation for one of my Larne Harbour Station scenarios, where mail bags are being transferred from the GNR(I) P2 Parcels Van to a truck and hence to the steamer and onwards to Stranraer, I posted this photo on the Question and Answer Thread in November 2022 to ask for help in identifying the truck ... ... the photo is from Michael Stevenson's Steam's Last Fling (Page 92) and is credited to Joe Cassells. The truck was identified as a Douglas Tugmaster. I've searched the internet, but concluded that there is no existing model of the Douglas Tugmaster and the Scammell Scarab Flatbed model is much too basic, so l have used poetic license and after much searching decided to use the Jensen Jen-Tug as a reasonable substitute. The orange Corona Soft Drinks livery then had to be painted into as close as possible to UTA Green and UTA crests applied to help make the scenario as authentic as possible. I've a lot more work to do to achieve the detail I want for this scenario, but here is a work in progress .... .... the lads are getting in some practice in transferring the mail bags to the truck...

Hi Murph, welcome (back) to the forum. Some great credentials there, apart from being a model railway enthusiast, recovered from illness, married to Claire AND a Liverpool fan! Kloop has done some great business in the transfer market, so looking forward to a great season. Looking forward to seeing some pics. There are some great layouts, expertise and a tremendous wealth of knowledge on the forum, so enjoy. 'You'll never walk alone'.

Some absolutely stunning work there Paddy. The detail in the street scenes is amazing. The shop fronts are so close to real life that you almost think you are looking at a real life photograph. Congratulations on some terrific work.

Absolutely terrific work guys, love all the work on the cabin to date, a combination of pristine perfection and nostalgia.

Welcome to the forum, Stuart. Some terrific, high quality work there.

Alan, @Tullygrainey, an inspirational thread, and a real treat for BCDR fans! I've just read your article in New Irish Lines, May 2023, very well written and presented. Looking forward to No 29 nearing completion and then ....... what's next.! It's great to have someone with such an interest in the BCDR and such exceptional modelling ability on board.

I was brought up in the little village of Gilford, half way between Portadown and Banbridge. If the newsagent was selling 'The Portadown News' they would also have to sell 'The Portadown Times' , 'The Banbridge Chronicle' and 'The Lurgan Mail'.

Hi Leslie, @leslie10646, just wanted to commend you, as a 77 year old youngster, for taking up the baton with Bob's O Gauge MGWR stuff when he wanted to downsize and now advising Colin, @Class87, on Steve's, Lambeg Man's, stuff. As mentioned above, the dreaded EBay is probably the best option for Colin and his family to get a fair and reasonable price for the 4mm Irish. It's just a pity that there were no railway buffs in Steve's family circle and a sad reminder to us all as to what will happen to our prized possessions when we move on to the big terminus! God Bless and Good Health to you sir for many years to come.

I got mine in Larne yesterday, so it's on it's way.

The current (latest) issue of the Irish Railway Record Society Journal, Volume 30, No 211, June 2023, has a very apt obituary for Noel, by Martin Baumann. I knew he started with NIR as a porter at Carrickfergus in 1979, but was unaware that he then was promoted to Conductor based at my modelling location, Larne Harbour, before further promotion to the driving grade at Belfast Central Services Depot in 1983. Noel had been driving for just over 40 years when his last turn came on January 16th this year. Sadly missed for many reasons, not least that he was the only remaining NIR driver passed out to drive steam locomotives. Gone but always to be remembered. RIP Noel.

The Jeep looks fantastic. Looking forward to seeing it emerge from the paint shop. @DoctorPan, can I ask what paint you used for the GNR(I) carriages? They look pretty good as well.

Had a weeks holiday in the Isle of Man a few years back. Travelled from Douglas to Castletown and Port St Mary by steam. Very nostalgic. Beautiful buildings and semaphores still in place at Douglas. Well worth a visit. Also traveled on the Electric Tramway to Ramsey.

Yeah, but ' For All We Know', 'It's Going to Take Some Time' and 'All I Can Do' is stop here, as I can't think of 'Another Song'.

So, so sorry to hear this sad news. I know Stephen was a devoted carer to his wife and he shared my approach to modelling, where caring came first and modelling second. I looked forward to seeing his Scarva Station and then Queen's Bridge develop, but sadly he left the forum and now we will miss him forever! Rest in Peace Stephen.