LARNE CABIN

On 16/3/2021 at 6:18 PM, David Holman said:

Looking great, but never underestimate how long it takes to build a coach - a bogie like this could take nearly as long as a loco. Looks worth it though!

Never a truer word, David! The 'P' Van has been derailed on a siding at Larne Harbour Station since last post, June 2021. Having got the 'P' Van back on the rails, I was determined to shunt it forward. There were a number of issues that I couldn't see a way around, namely the etches for the windows (6 required), the grills beside the windows (12 required), the brake wheel and the GNR(I) buffers.

I had an etch for the window frames from an old SR coach in the spares box and had rejected it  on a number of occasions, but recently decided to make use of it ......

...... I decided that I was unlikely to be able to source suitable grills, so decided just to use plastikard and 'draw on' the grills ......

...... (the white along the roof is me sanding down the roof so it doesn't hang over, just so much, to be more authentic).

After a long search I came across the brake wheels from Peter's Spares, made by Wizard Models......

....... and I know that somewhere in the loft I have a few Jeremy Sutter GNR(I) kits, so hope to take the buffers from those!

So, some progress being made! I hope to post more progress soon.

Page 67, Jonathan Allen's 35 Years of NIR, 101 entering Waterside Station on 9th August 1983. Mark 2Bs in blue/light grey livery as per IRM models eagerly awaited.

18 minutes ago, jhb171achill said:

At least one got to Derry, I’ve been told - though I am not able to verify this. 

Page 35, Sam Somerville's Rail Runabout, "An unidentified Hunslet locomotive propels it's short train into Belfast Central station from Central Services Depot prior to forming a down service to Londonderry". (September 1984).

Yes, Patrick, way, way beyond me, but admire you for taking on this challenge. Will be watching with great interest and wish you every success. You will get there.

Hi Leslie, just looked up Old Mill Bay on map, so agree with you, but surely the bracket signal is 'off', so surely that is the lead engine and the train is about to pass under the bridge into Ballycarry Station!

You had me stumped there for a while Patrick, 

9 hours ago, Patrick Davey said:

There is another subtle reference to a legendary BNCR name as well!

...... but I think now I've got it.......

When Mr Weaver was asked for his opinion of his prospective son-in-law, Mr W 's educated response was "Well he's obviously not wise......" presumably a reference to Berkeley Deane Wise.

Very subtle, and ingenious.

I would say the spoil train is on the Magheramorne side of Ballycarry Station. The 70 Class looks as though it's on the Whitehead side of Ballycarry Station. The station therefore may be Ballycarry, but I don't recognise it as such. I stand to be corrected by more knowledgeable experts!

Ah Patrick, super story telling. Love the way you have introduced this aspect to Brookhall Mill over the recent past. Love the characters and the names! Would I be correct in thinking that Millie's husband Malcolm's name was inspired by Bowman Malcolm, the BNCR Locomotive Superintendent?

I haven't made any headway with the GNR(I) 'P' Van for over a year now, but intend to try and progress it a bit more.

I am a bit stuck, and would appreciate any suggestions as to where I might purchase the following parts:

1) Suitable GNR(I) buffers

2) Brake Wheel

3) Windows (3 on each side)

4) Grills (6 on each side).

Thanks. Any help appreciated.

"Wur ye at tha fitba on Setterday? Shair tha wee toon team wull soon be in tha tap league"

"Shair a wus workin, Paddy. The oul steamer wus late agane! Tha 9:45 didnae get awa tae nearhan 12. Kemp (Larne driver) wus fumin".

Ats us nai. Nae mair craic fur noo. 

Next post wud be  "The building of the Olderfleet Road Bridge".

39 minutes ago, jhb171achill said:

Actually, the little model photographer looks very good as a model figure. What make is it?

Hi @jhb171achill, all the figures on Larne Harbour Station are by Modelu, https://www.modelu3d.co.uk

IRM have recently teamed up with them for the driver and second man for their Accurascale Deltics. 

If you look at their website, all the figures are photographed from real life models, and hence the detail is excellent. The downside is that they are not painted, so you have to paint them yourself with acrylic, ,very therapeutic, or have them painted professionally. They are expensive at £4.50 each in 00 scale, so you have to way up if they're worth the cost.

Larne Harbour Station is (will be) fairly detailed in a limited space of 6ft x 2ft, so to me detail was important!

Thanks Stephen. Have just looked up Little Bytham, and will adopt Mr Wright as the photographer for Larne Harbour. I appreciate your input. Thanks.

Sorry @StevieB, you've totally lost me! I posed two questions in the above posts, so do you mean that the Station Master at Larne Harbour in the 60's could be Mr Wright, or do you mean that our friend The Photographer could be Mr Wright? Thanks for your response above and looking forward to the answer.

Another photo of Rebecca and her da Barney........

.......I am still a bit disappointed with the quality of these photos, as in reality the figures are clearer, and the blueishness on the faces isn't there!

........and this is The Photographer, with his Lecia Mk2, name unknown, who hangs around the station taking, what will be in future years, nostalgic photographs! (I wish I had taken a lot more when I had the chance).

Anyone recognize this guy? I'd say he looks early 20's in 1969, so maybe around mid 70's today! Any takers?

A journey into Ulster-Scots and an Ulster-Scots challenge, with Barney, the Porter, and his daughter, Rebecca.

Actual layout progress at Larne Harbour Station is slow. The current project is the building of the Olderfleet Road Bridge. Contractors have been on site for three to four months and at least another month is anticipated before completion. (In the very last photo in this post you can see the bridge under construction, in the distance).

In order to stop the rails rusting too much, I intend to continue to introduce new characters and occasional narrative and especially occasional narrative in Ulster-Scots between Barney the porter and his daughter Rebecca. So, as this project develops, it will hopefully be an accurate scale model of Larne Harbour Station in the late 1960's and a mixture of chat and craic from the staff and friends.

So far we have met Barney, the porter, Hugh, the Signalman, and oul Paddy, a member of the P W Gang.

This is Rebecca, Barney 's daughter.

(More photos of Rebecca to come later! I was very disappointed with a few I had taken! Obviously, held the camera too close).

Rebecca heerd Ulster-Scots frae tha P W Gang whan hir wus a weelass an cum tae tha station wi hir da. Hir wus dumfoonered wi tha taak an it stairit a banter atween hir an hir faither ta lairn it.

Rebecca noo be 18, haes jaist daen schuil an bis wushin tae luk intae bein a vet. Rebecca bis tha epple o Barney's ee. Hir bis guid lukkin an monies a young fella hae a notion o hir. Hir teachers an hir ma, Emma, wud be lukkin fur young wimmenfowk tae taak proper like bot whan Rebecca an Barney wur thegither bi theirsels they wud aye gae bck ta tha Ulster-Scots tongue.

"A dinnae like thon man* da, he aye ast  ma fur ma platform ticket"

"Ah, Becky, shair he kens weel  wha ye be. He likes tae be richt"

"Plaise, da, a jaist need five Bob fur The Regal (picter-hoose) an a wee chip efter"

"Five Bob! What's The Regal coustin theday?"

"It's 4/6 da, it's 'The Italian Job', Michael Caine, god da he's a draim"

"Ye wud tak ma last penny, love. Be hame on time or ye'll get a clout frae yer ma".

The 'thon man' that Rebecca refers to is The Station Master. The Station Master is always referred to as 'Mr', speaks proper English and is a stickler for manners, cleanliness and punctuality. 

Here, something, or someone is probably late!

I haven't came up with a name for The Station Master yet, research continues. If anyone knows the name of The Station Master at Larne Harbour in the 60's, please let me know!

That's a great photo of Richhill, Leslie.

Hi Derek, and welcome to the forum. I find Humbrol Acrylic paints excellent. They now come in 'dropper' bottles which means there is little waste. You can put out a few drops unto a jam jar lid or the like and it's amazing how far it will go. Dropping a few different colours makes it easy to mix colours for slight variations. There's is a great range of colours, and a range of greys for walls and bridges etc. I have also used lots of Hataka Acrylic and it is also excellent.

Great to hear that the building of Scarva is underway, and looking forward to seeing it develop. With 18 foot to play with, lots of scope for authenticity. As said before, Scarva was very familiar to me in my childhood, so very nostalgic for me. Enjoy the project.

I can certainly recommend Modelu figures. They do a range of scales, Including 1:87 and 1:100, and figures dating from early 1900's. They do some shipping and fishermen figures.

The above is an example, Paddy, a Permanent Way Gang member from my Larne Harbour Station thread.

Would echo all that has been said above, Paddy. Lots of excellent work, modern image not my cup of tea, but you have captured a lot of detail there! As has been said, love the bridge, and the videos are excellent.

Thanks for posting these photos @Patrick Davey, and many congratulations to Gordon Hunt on such an outstanding layout. The detail is magnificent!  It is great to see another real location modelled and especially another real location in Norn Ireland. There are so many areas of interest and such attention to detail. Very, very impressive.

That's fantastic! The build is terrific and the paint job is top class. Just love the finishing touch of including the driver. Great work.

2 hours ago, Patrick Davey said:

No to the above - no diagram of Scarva in Arnold!

@Patrick Davey,there are excellent diagrams of Tanderagee, Scarva, Poyntzpass and Bessbrook at the very back, but no indication of signals. (I take it that's what you meant), or is all that reconstruction work at Brookhall Mill catching up with you!

That's a terrific tool, Patrick. Thanks so much for that. I can see myself getting a lot of info from that and you've answered the question for @Lambeg man.

Hi @Lambeg man, I am sure that you are much more knowledgeable than myself on these matters (I saw your input to the discussion on the 1944 mystery photo), and I'm sure you are already aware of what follows, but, as you ask for any advice I will contribute the following.

The photo on page 39 of R M Arnold's The Golden Years of The Great Northern Railway Part Two of SG2 16 hurrying past Scarva with a ballast train suggests that behind all the smoke from 16 there is the base of a signal post. This is confirmed in the film Off The Beaten Track - Scarva to Banbridge and Newcastle, (utube, at 4min 44secs approx), shows a Down Starter at the Norhern end of the Up Platform. Although the photo is very clear, there is no evidence of any other signals, apart from the vague suggestion of a Down Advanced Starter, on the Down Side a bit beyond the cabin.

There is no indication of any signalling on the branch. The article in the IRRS Journal, No 109 June 1989, 'The Banbridge Lines' , states 'The line was worked under the regulations for One Engine in Steam', but how would a goods say from Banbridge to Newry or Banbridge to Poradown via Scarva be signalled from the branch unto the Up Main Line?

Just a few observations, which as I said I am sure you are aware of. An Ordinance Survey Map of the 30's/40's would be good, as they usually indicate Signal Posts.

As an aside, @Patrick Davey of this parish, has a thread on the Workbench Forum, 'Two GNR(I) Buildings', where he describes the building of both a GNR(I) Signal Box and a GNR(I) Waiting Shed. Although the Signal Box at Scarva was far from typical GNR(I), in fact it was fairly unique and would make a great modelling project, the Waiting Shed is a definite candidate for Scarva.