Irishswissernie

Belfast York Road Class W 92 + Railcar 3 July 1955.

GNRI Malahide 144 16 May 1951 JGD

CIE Newcastle West, 8.15am ex Tralee J15, 126  8 July 1954.

Broadstone, unid B2 ca 1959-60.

Wexford , 14.50 Rosslare - Dublin AEC 2616 + 2617 and what looks like a TPO on the rear. 21 Sept 1953.

Strabane, Donegal Railway Cast Notice, 2 May 1959.

On 29/8/2023 at 7:35 PM, DJ Dangerous said:

I copped on after I posted, hence the edit.

Vaguely remember that Model Shop Belfast had deposits held, were closing their doors and going online-only, then never went online, something along those lines.

Wasn't under the Model Shop Belfast section, was posted in the wrong section but it's out there, somewhere.

I was done for a £20 Deposit, they never replied to my E Mails.

I amended the fiddle yard tracks a few weeks ago to enable me to park loaded and empty slate trains out of site and thereby not having to switch the brake vans and locos. Instead there are 2 separate trains complete with loco and brake van. This view from a drone illustrates the new arrangement.

Yes I think so! Title amended, thanks.

CB&SCR Cork, Albert Quay , F6,41 July 1955.

CIE. EDITED to Edgeworthstown; thanks Niles. 19 September 1958.

Cavan & Leitrim , Ballinamore Coach 5L ca 1959

Conwy Falls, Baldwin No 4 on a Tailings Train circa 1937. FR 'Princess' on hire to handle increased traffic due to MOD activity prior to WW2. She had been 'done up' in the L&P Works, the railway were well used to the England locos having purchased 'Mountaineer' in 1879 and 'Little Giant' in 1932 from the  FR as they fell out of use. A little known piece of history this but I only remember it when I forget to take my medication!

I've blown it up Paul .

Macmine Junction 163, 15.40 Enniscorthy - Wexford, 5 July 1954.

GNRI, Clones  PPs 107, interesting cut - down wagon behind it. 14 June 1952.

Bundoran Junction, 203 on the 'Bundoran Express' 14 July 1954.

2 J15's at Mullaghmore on the S&DJR today 146  and 162. The S&DJR's own motive power must be in a parlous state!

I have just realised that I am away tomorrow entertaining relations (including 5 year old granddaughter so definitely no free time! We are, so I'm told on diverging Learning Curves ) so I have added these to flickr today.

Wexford Shed, 543 minus its front bogie wheels and 87, 5 July 1954.

Ennis D14, 93 on 8.55am Galway - Limerick passing the West Clare sidings 23 September 1953.

Cork City Railway, C7 317 heads for Kent station 10 June 1952.

CDRJC (NCC) Londonderry, Victoria Road, 5, 'Drumboe' 12 July 1954.

PM sent , hope its the one you want Loco is 172

Demolition train at Dooks on the Valencia Harbour branch June 1961.

Mallow 388 ca 1960 or maybe slightly earlier.

Poor neg of Belturbet yard on the C& L ca 1959.

Ex B&CDR Baltic 223 at Queens Quay shed 11 July 1954.

Wexford , According to the photographer this was the17.45 to Waterford via Macmine Jc & New Ross,but appears to be rather a lengthy train for the service and there is no mention of such a train in the WTT's I have for  1948 & 1957. More likely to be a Dublin service, there was a 5.10 pm to Westland Row in the  1948 WTT.J15 114, 21 Sept 1953.

Busy time at Strabane, CDRJC, Railcar 12, Phoenix & Blanche plus GNRI PGs 100, 13 July 1954.

Cork, Albert Quay, 423 shunting Tar Tank wagon 6 July 1954.

Thanks!

Many years ago whilst 'train spotting' on Carlisle station I considered doing a model of the tracks and platforms 3 & 4 plus bays 7 & 8  between the overbridge (Victoria Viaduct) and the old magnificent overall roof .

You could make a model to scale in about 5 feet but  you would need about 20 feet at least to accommodate the fiddle siding loops!

You could probably do the same with the 'up' end of Cork station from the roof to the tunnel and hide the goods loops exit behind the station wall.

A fair number of my layouts over the last 50 years featured only platform ends with Overall roofs, footbridges or overbridges to disguise the exit to the fiddle yard. Glengarriff has an Overall roof too.

It doesn't work so well as a space saver with 'through' stations rather than termini because you still need to run full length trains so most of a layout ends up as a giant fiddle yard.

The one below 'Teifi Junction' from ca 1979-80 was a through station on a 'roundy-roundy' approx 9' x 6' on curving boards but represented a local cross country route so only short trains.

By only  modelling the platform ends all the scenic area was mainly goods yard. That Blyth 61172 van is about the only thing I have today its  getting on for 50 years old!

Ballyshannon S&DJR hasn't featured much mainly because its part of the loft layout and whilst there is a proper flight of stairs the heat this year has put me off somewhat. I have also been building the 009 layout in the 'den' which being next to the computer and also 1 flight of stairs less to negotiate is much more convenient to work on. However the Autumn/Winter is now on the horizon so hopefully I can get motivated!.

I did start work on the overall roof which covers the exit to the fiddle yard, Four Masters Bridge and Glengarriff. The station board is only 3'-6" x approx 13 " but you can get away with running fairly large locomotives as it could represent the end of a fairly important station (Killarney springs to mind for one) but you don't need an expensive long rake of coaches; only the first one is visible and you could use the sidings as parcels and mail docks with possibly a station pilot.

SLNCR 'Lough Melvin' at Enniskillen 25 September 1954.

L&LSR Pennyburn Yard 15, 16 June 1952.

Sligo shed G2 664 14 July 1954.

Sunny afternoon at Glengarriff as 162 dozes in the siding with the Mullaghmore Local.

GNRI today, Enniskillen Railcar C3 25 Sept 1953.

Connolly I think its T2 52 ca 1959.

Dundalk Works sidings ca 1959-60.

Tramore station, 20.15 to Waterford Manor , J26 560 5 July 1954.

Cavan & Leitrim Railway, Drumshanbo 8 June 1953. & Ballyconnell , 12 L 12.20 Dromod - Belturbet 24 Sept 1953.

Skibbereen, F6, 34. 20.50 from Baltimore, terminated there probably just to get loco back to shed.

Wexford Quays , Afternoon goods from Rosslare, J15 144. 21 Sept 1953.

Athenry , 15.55 Tyam -Galway D17 59 23 Sept 1953

Yesterday I set off on the 6.29 Railcar from Haltwhistle on a 3 Hour journey to Saltburn and then a 45 minute walk to Warsett Hill overlooking the North sea around which the Boulby Mine Branch has to detour to avoid a lengthy tunnel on its way from Saltburn West Junction. This line is England's answer to the Tara Mines service in that it exists to mainly serve the Boulby Potash mine. The eastern end of the line had to be relaid to serve it and includes a tunnel plus a complicated new road viaduct had to be built as the original bridge had been demolished to straighten out some dangerous bends. There is further traffic to Skinningrove Works which produces special steels usually a daily train of some 1500 tons.

From Tees Dock to Saltburn (roughly half way) the line has easy gradients but the trains share the rails with half hourly Northern Rail railcars and there is also a service of some 14 Trans Pennine trains to and from York and Manchester Airport. I can't see many Saltburn residents travelling to Manchester Airport or the town attracting international tourists but its probably simpler turning the trains around there rather than Middlesbrough.

From Saltburn the line twists and turns as it climbs to Hunt Cliff and then descends to Skinningrove before climbing again through Grinkle tunnel and then down to the mine.

Like Tara (when its working) there appear to be about 3 loaded trains to Tees Dock and there are also occasional salt trains to Middlesbrough. 

The scenery is however somewhat spectacular in parts and the gradients ensure the usual Class 66  have to work hard.

Here is a link to 66533 digging in with the sea in the background.

OK OK I hear you I'm putting some Irish views on the Forum next.

1 hour ago, airfixfan said:

Better something than nothing!

Just for you Jim; I am up early tomorrow chasing and hopefully actually videoing Potash trains at Hunts Cliff near Saltburn, a second attempt after a fruitless trip last friday .

CDRJC Victoria Road , Derry , Drumboe 12 July 1954. You can see the differences in length of the ex NCC first coach and the second CDRJC one.

Same location but  Alice on the 10am to Strabane 26 Sept 1953.

Lastly GNRI  Ballyhaise, AL 141 on 17.15 to Clones 10 July 1954.

3 hours ago, airfixfan said:

Great photos any Narrow Gauge in your new purchases?

Yes, several Donegal, Swilly, West Clare and Cavan & Leitrim, unfortunately the photographer preferred to take Loco portraits so 'nowt flash like' although I would keep 'tuned in'