Patrick Davey

Thanks everyone for your kind comments, always appreciated! There must be someone working the Sunday shift at Knockloughrim today as there was a late afternoon goods to be dealt with…… with unusual motive power…..

Time to share my latest efforts!! Anyone of a railway persuasion who travels along the A6 road from Belfast to the North West will be familiar with the small station at Knockloughrim, located a short distance beyond the Castledawson roundabout. Knockloughrim was the first stop out of Magherafelt on the oddly-named Derry Central Railway, which meandered through the eastern edge of the county, almost in County Antrim. The line eventually closed completely in 1959 but most of the stations survive and Knockloughrim in particular is beautifully preserved, with station building, goods shed and adjacent road bridge all in excellent condition: I have long been an admirer of Knockloughrim so this year I decided to have a go at creating a winter diorama of the station. The owner was very welcoming and I have had the pleasure of visiting the station on a few occasions and he has even provided me with some very interesting historical photos: The last photo above is of great interest as it shows a Mogul passing through Knockloughrim - an unusual visitor. I also received a very useful plan of the smaller Derry Central stations from Kieran Lagan: I started into the build a few months ago and unlike my usual situation, progress has been fairly rapid and the build is almost complete. I decided that although it would be a diorama, I wanted to have trains moving, and that is still the plan. The station is depicted in the final years of the DC line, under UTA ownership, although modellers' licence has been used to make the station appear a bit busier. Passenger services stopped in 1950 but goods traffic lingered on until 1959, although by then the line was completely closed north of Kilrea. The 'Kilrea Goods' workings were the final regular movements on the line but there were also occasional passenger specials during the final years, some of which are described by James McIlfatrick, in his charming and highly readable 1987 memoir of the line ‘The Derry Central Railway’. The diorama is 41 in long with a depth of just 16 in, and the baseboard was constructed in foamboard - this material is not very strong but I do not envisage any outings for Knockloughrim. The landscape was built up using foamboard and plaster bandage, and winter scenics came from Noch and All Game Terrain. Gabor Evenich supplied three beautiful handmade winter trees and further trees were obtained from the scenics section of Hobbycraft. Buildings are my greatest interest in any project and all have been constructed with a mount board core. The exterior of the station building was finished in Metcalfe brick paper but the goods shed and bridge were finished using Das clay, with the stonework scribed once the clay was fully dry. Wills Random Stone sheets were used for the vertical platform face. I also made use of a suitably wintry backscene from Model Scenery Supplies and I am particularly happy with how this has worked. Final scenic work remains to be done and I am also hoping to add some basic lighting to the building and the platform. Motive power on Knockloughrim will mostly feature ex-NCC U Class No. 80 'Dunseverick Castle' which was converted for me a few years back by Colm Flanagan, from a Hornby LMS 2P. One of the recent Marks Models Jinty tanks will also appear, along with the OO Works ex-GNR UG class No. 49 - I doubt if either of these latter two locomotives ever visited Knockloughrim in real life but it would at least have been possible. A number of UTA-liveried wagons and vans from Provincial Wagons will also feature, along with a few ex-GNR vans, as well as Gareth Brennan's superb scratchbuilt UTA brake van. And I feel a story coming on............

Still holding out for RPSI steam! AEC railcar would be nice too.

Leslie I think we all knew this day might come - your contribution to the Irish model railway scene has been immeasurable and like so many others, I have benefitted greatly from your incredible work, and I have enjoyed our in-person chats at exhibitions as well as your witty emails and private messages!! Hoping to stock up before you throw out the fire for the final time and may your retirement from company service be as long, as active and as varied as Slieve Gullion's has been!!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballymacarrett_rail_crash

Great ideas and impressive research, love the historical photos! Looking forward to watching the progress!!

Model of the year, and it's only January 6th........ I say this every time Alan but this definitely is your best yet, without question! The distinctive lines of the prototype have been captured to absolute perfection!

Great video - hopefully we can get a run on this line when it opens!

Did I just read something there about maroon & blue coaches.......... And you picked up another award this very day, from Sam's Trains! Well done folks - happy 2025!

Lovely stuff David!

Imagine getting a train - steam of course - from Dublin to Enniskillen...... Nice

Lovely work as always! Nice livery choice too

Mine is definitely faded tippex livery.... Happy Christmas everyone!

Happy Christmas everyone - I had hoped to have something brand new to show off by now but life, work and family very inconveniently got in the way. Hopefully it's not too far away now though. In the meantime, here's the Brookhall Mill Christmas video from a few years back. Thanks for all the great content here, as well as the lively and informative debates and the constant encouragement and inspiration. And thanks for putting up with my insane stories and cringeworthy puns. Thanks to admins too for keeping us all in check. Looking forward to seeing what 2025 brings - personally I will be CHUFFED if a certain thing is announced....... Hope to see loads of photos tomorrow of all the goodies you all found under your trees!! 1882069754_MerryChristmas.mp4.1a85a0eeea88760c9d967fffabf17bc5.mp4

Lots of liveries for that one! Still drooling over the Hunslets here..........

Insane!!!!! Cannot wait for mine - well done IRM

What a brute!!! Magnificent work once again Darius.

Such an excellent space with amazing potential - fingers crossed it will see trains running in the near future.

Another masterpiece in the making Alan! Hopefully she will make a visit to Brookhall Mill in the near future!

Lovely!! Shaping up well - love the deep cutting to the left.

I'll send him a Facebook message Leslie!

Superb!

Nope. Definitely not. No time and definitely no space either.

Looking good! Hope the ankle has fully healed!

Brilliant!!!!!