Patrick Davey

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Lovely selection Ernie! Amazing early view of Fintona Junction with what looks like the familiar tram car in pre-blue & cream livery.

There’s an article today in The Derry Post newspaper, about my model of Knockloughrim station. And that more or less draws this very enjoyable little project to a conclusion! Knockloughrim.pdf

RM Arnold has provided the answer:

Actually......I wonder was it double track through Killylea, @jhb171achill can you verify or correct? I always thought Portadown - Clones was double. Or maybe it was doubled at one stage then singled later on... No reference books to hand just now.....

Won't be this week or next....

On Saturday past, work brought me to Armagh, the 'ecclesiastical' capital of Ireland. Armagh was once a 4-way railway junction, with the last surviving lines through the city closing in 1957, although there seems to be a remote possibility that Armagh might see trains again, sometime in the future. Armagh was located on the Ulster Railway route from Belfast to Cavan, later taken over by the GNR(I). The first station beyond Armagh on this line was at Killylea, and the station is an absolute gem of a preserved station, with station building, goods shed and signal cabin all surviving, along with a tiny brick building on the down platform which may have been a - very small - waiting room. There is also a huge stone overbridge at the Cavan end although this has been partially filled in. I visited Killylea once before but I did so again on Saturday, and with the kind permission of the owner, I took some photographs: Looking back towards Armagh Looking towards Cavan Goods shed Goods shed and signal cabin Main station building Signal cabin, with station name evident Rear of signal cabin So naturally this has started me thinking of a project for the future. Plans for my next project are well advanced so these musings would be for the one after that...... Killylea would be an excellent subject for an exhibition layout and it would suit my interests, and current rolling stock collection, very well. Even before the 'what if' is considered, a Killylea-based layout would offer the following: * Double track main line * Attractive and varied architecture, with a mix of (presumably) original UR buildings and later GNR(I) buildings * Passenger and goods workings, featuring fast passenger expresses as well as local services, with steam locomotives & railcars in attendance * Classic overbridge scenic break at one end * Goods shed for operational variety I also have a suitable signal cabin built already. Then 'what if' the route didn't close in 1957 - CIE diesels could appear on diversionary services via Cavan and Clones, and at a stretch, if the line survived into the 1970s, NIR Hunslets and 80 class railcars could feature. The cogs are turning.......

Lovely - some nice wagons there too!

Such a collection - please come back soon Darius!

Beg to disagree - the topic is possibly the biggest one in the genre and Dónal is a highly respected and experienced author, and his captions always come across as thoroughly researched with appropriate detail. The book sold out so it can’t have been that poor.

Why?

Exceptional!!!!

Safely delivered! That’s me presenting the diorama to Aidan, the current owner, who is very interested in the station and its history.

Final tiding up done tonight and the surround was strengthened with additional layers of foam board. This is the diorama's final night with me - tomorrow it shall be moving to its new home, in the very place that inspired it!

More amazing work Kevin - love the contrast in the glamping pod! Great website too - best of luck with it all.

More gems Ernie!

I finally arrived at a finish for the bridge which I liked, so after a bit of weathering and adding some vegetation, I called in the Royal Ordnance Corps to blast holes in the riverbank, and the bridge was eventually placed in position on the diorama:

Looking fab Leslie!

Painting of the bridge has gone in an unexpected direction, it’s producing something of a sandstone effect, which I actually quite like:

Am with @derek - your ideas shall be duly stolen Alan!! Great to see you back making progress on the layout, can’t wait to see The Golfers’ Express hurtling through the station and past this amazing shed, hauled by No. 6…. or maybe No. 30….. or even No. 12……?

Almost there - am really loving Das clay at the moment!

The Das coping stones have been fitted - a bit more sanding and trimming needed but I do like how the clay dries to a good representation of stone. When the finished bridge is on the diorama, much of the lower stonework will be hidden and some of the upper stonework will be clad in ivy

I will definitely be retaining a few of these

Waiting on the next puns. The suspension is killing me

I was going to try out a few of the above puns myself but I was worried I could be pillar-ied for it.