LNERW1

Yeah, I don’t believe Catholics are more likely than Protestants to be nationalists, but something tells me discriminatory big business in the 1860s wouldn’t have agreed with me. I meant Mountmellick, but I have the memory of an amnesiac goldfish and I’m awful at Laois geography, being a still-relatively-recent (2017) blow-in from the land of sourdough and SUVs. (Guess where that is).

I know the line went via Portlaoise, but it was officially, initially at least, the line from Mountrath, but I don’t know whether through trains were run at any point. The thing about Durrow is just an assumption, given the fact that I’m like 95% sure it had a higher RC population in the 1860s/70s (my dumbass forgot when the line was built). I’ll check a couple of statistics and I’ll make another post here. Yet more evidence of me being an idiot, misremembering place names and not doing my research- the line began in Mountmellick.

That’s a good point, some food for thought there. I actually think I can give a good example- Abbeyleix station, serving a newer, posher estate town, was as close as possible to the town- the line actually ran directly behind the St Michael and All Angels church and the rectory. However, the next obvious station on the Mountrath-Kilkenny line (it did actually begin in Mountrath, not Portlaoise), would be Durrow, but to my knowledge it had a higher percentage of Roman Catholics, who would have been perceived as being more likely to cause insurgency, and so Durrow did not have a station, the line instead running through Attanagh, a mile or so east. That’s just one example that came to mind because, as I write this, I am sitting about 200m away from Abbeyleix station, but I’m sure there are other examples. Obviously, the railway bypassing Durrow may have been simply a matter of convenience- reaching Durrow would have made the line longer and therefore more difficult to build- but it’s possible the company may have pushed a little harder to reach Durrow otherwise. Note: @Broithe and @Metrovik may be able to clarify if I’m wrong about the distance between Durrow and Attanagh.

At least he got the record in the end- I think these guys had it worse: Guardian article I actually lost sleep thinking about this. All that work!

Ballast is down, and so work is complete for today. Here, B135 (erroneously referred to in previous posts as B134), is moving ballasting equipment to the Ardree Quay goods shed. See ye tomorrow. IMG_0065.MOV

So I’ve been having some fun, any advice on ballasting points? IMG_0064.MOV

B134 ready to make itself useful again! Edit: I don’t think I have to clarify this, but it’s a ballast train. Just to be completely sure there’s no confusion. Just wondering- is it OK to put the ballast in the wagons, and then apply it from the wagons? (As in, scoop out the ballast with a spoon and apply it normally)

Siding clayed. 72961952404__88BA0612-695B-423D-A74A-C4913E40A33E.MOV

B134 is on site with a work train.

AAARGH…I need more clay to finish the yard, and my sister won’t give me any…and I can’t start ballasting until I’m finished with the clay…oh no… Never mind, it’s sorted now

I really shouldn’t have driven ye all away from that “to lighten the mood” topic.

Too lazy to type up post, here’s a video (contains one usage of strong language) 72960510986__36235D49-F87C-40FA-B8A0-277FD4321055.MOV

Thanks.

Corked the layout, and have begun applying clay to the sidings due to be set into concrete or stone or whatever. I’ll post photos once I’ve dropped my little brother his lunch.

Thanks for the help with that. I saw a post in a Facebook group a while ago, in Spanish, which Google translated to something along the lines of:”the British train being tested near (a place I can’t remember the name of).

I appreciate that, but I want so much to believe this story that I’m using it as an example anyway

358.

I am, though- available in 6-pin, 8-pin and Next18, with 21-pin planned for future releases, and built in speakers on the newer-tooled ones. Available also with standard NEM, Kadee and chain link couplings, plus directional lighting for the QAnon exclusives. Neat, huh? And the junior version has blunter teeth so it’s slightly less likely to kill your kids.

I think so- saw it on the Cobh line last October on a school trip to Fota Island.

The far end is going to be the end of the line, and that’s just a headshunt you see there. The other end will connect to future modules, but the first module I want to build after this is actually a fiddle yard, to attach to the current end of the line, ie whatever I’ve reached at any given point.

I fully agree, but the story was told with conviction, and the lad is a very straight and clear talker- he says things as they are, and I wouldn’t say he’s one to exaggerate or lie. Even with such an unlikely story, it may have some truth to it- the part about the farm backing onto the line is probably true, it’s the rest that’s a bit fanciful! Speaking of, I once found a fishplate along the Abbeyleix Bog Walk. It’s in the garden somewhere. And finally, that’s a point I’ll dispute- walk along the old bog railway south of Portlaoise. There’s three Hunslet Wagonmasters there, and I know because I saw them!

Edit: I meant 65 or 67, not 68. The 68s are those weird looking ones with the melted-looking front end operated by DRS and TPE.

Pictures (a picture) is here. The layout as it is now, with track intended to be corked removed for that exact purpose: With the track all in one piece, ready for corking: I intend to cork the trackbed today.

Haha yeah, only difference between that guy and myself is that he isn’t scared of anything- he’s the same guy who blows up, crashes, sinks, drops, crushes, and otherwise mutilates any model in his collection worth less than $400 so he can film it and put it up on YouTube. You might have seen his videos- “PASSENGER TRAIN FALLS OFF BRIDGE”, etc. Edit: the YouTuber, not @Mayner

I’m bored, time to put more of my self indulgent shite on a forum that I have already posted enough self indulgent shite on. I’m building my first proper layout, and I’m basing it on the rails running along Wexford quayside like it’s 1934. Welcome to Ardree Quay (Céibh Árd Rí). It’s a completely fictitious layout, purely taking inspiration from Wexford’s example. I want to someday have a “dream layout” style setup, but don’t yet have the space. So, I’m resorting to building individual modules that I can attach to each other when I want to/ have the space. The modules will be built to be stackable, and the design is to be usable in an exhibition scenario(if that’s not too ambitious). This is the first stage, and I’ll just make it up from here. This is the terminus of the Ardree line, a 2-mile single track line connecting the Galway-Clifden line (open till the 80s in my alternate timeline) to a small port, from which sails a daily ferry to Sheehaun Island (Another fictional location, on which my garden railway is based- I enjoy creating a sense of continuity on my layouts). There are 3 stations on the line- Ardree Junction, Ardree Town and Ardree Quay. I’m starting at the quay and working my way up. After this step, the next will be a module or two between Quay and Town stations, then a module of the outskirts of Ardree, then filling in the rest of the space, perhaps with a passing loop or two, bridges, cuttings, tunnels, etc (I know Connemara hardly justifies that amount of variation, but does it really matter? One of the reasons I chose to model Connemara is because I can’t bother me arse making trees. Give and take). I look forward to building the rest of the layout. And for those wondering, this will primarily be an out-of-season pastime while my garden railway is not running (like in winter, or on rainy days). As of right now, Ardree Quay has the track plan laid out, and buildings, structures, etc. (some placeholders) are in place. Pictures to follow