Mayner

I am probably as obsessed about authentic/plausible buildings and structures as JHB is about correct liveries. Wilkinson seems to have operated a major architectural practice from the mid 1830s to the mid 1880s primarily Government work designing Workhouses and Mental Asylums, his railway work seems to have dried up in (as money dried up?) the mid 1860s. The DWWR seems to have run out of money after reaching Enniscorthy in 1863 and did not complete its line to Wexford for another 11 years, Wexford Station is quite humble in nature compared with stations North of Enniscorthy, the DWWR turning to corrugated iron buildings on its New Ross Extension and smaller main line stations.. GNWR (Mayo Line) buildings became increasingly spartan (to keep costs down) as the line progressed westwards from Castlerea to Westport with plain rectangular stone station buildings (originally without canopies), wagons were loaded/loaded outside the goods sheds at Ballyhaunis and Claremorris unlike other major stations on the Mayo Road The most likely scenarios for a railway to Mountbellew are: 1. A locally financed scheme built in the 1860s or 70s taken over by the Midland when the local company ran out of money before or shortly after completion in a similar manner to the Ballaghadereen. One possible scenario is that the line was originally planned as a part of a line from Ballinasloe to Tuam and Ballinrobe to tap traffic from Joyce Country and Mayo rather than a simple dead end branch. It was originally planned to extend the Ballaghdereen line to connect with the Mayo Line at Castlerea to tap into cattle traffic from the plains of Galway and Roscommon. Spartan possibly Gothic buildings like Ballaghadereen, Ballymoe, Donamon (Mayo Line) or plain rectangular buildings (Clastlerea-Westport) 2. A Baronially Guaranteed Light Railway to Mountbellew built in the 1880s/90s similar in character to the Loughrea, Ballinrobe, Branches but with the station buildings and goods shed on a smaller scale. Its possible the Midland might have adapted the "English Cottage" style of architecture used on the Western Extensions if the line was built in the mid-late 1890s, the MGWR used this style of architecture at Ballyvary Station on the Ballina Branch http://eiretrains.com/Photo_Gallery/Railway Stations B/Ballyvary/IrishRailwayStations.html#Ballyvary_20040704_0003_CC.jpg A Baronial Guaranteed scheme would have had a greater chance of success than an 1860s/70s scheme as the company shareholders had a guaranteed return on capital and the County Council could take over and work the line if the project failed like to Tralee and Dingle and Schull and Skibbereen In the end anything is possible/dooable!

The other point to consider is that there was no longer a need for impressive architecture (to demonstrate the railway was a good investment) once the MGWR completed its trunk routes by the 1860s, the company preferred to sit back and let local companies or the Government take on the risk of building branch lines and secondary routes. Apart from the Great Northern and Western (Athlone-Westport & Ballina) the majority of these companies struggled to raise capital and cover their operating expenses, buildings tended to be plain in nature built from local materials generally coursed random stonework with brick rather than stone quoins and detailing used in earlier construction. Ballywillan Cavan Branch, stone quoins and detailing. Athboy brick quoins and detailing window and door openings, brick chimneys. Its likely that Mount Bellew station buildings would have been close in scale to Athboy, Kingscourt or Killeshandra as they were similar sized towns in the late 1800s, Loughrea and Ballinrobe are considerably larger towns.

Not strictly speaking the MGWR engaged firms of Architects and Engineers to design the buildings and structures on its Main Line and Sligo/Cavan Branches, its likely that the railway would have set out its requirements in terms of floor area and office/station accommodation. The same principal would have applied to lines built by worked companies like Loughrea, Ballinrobe and the Western Extensions, the MGWR seems to have developed its own standard designs for (brick) platform shelters and small goods sheds (Attymon) during the late 1890s early 1900s. The MGWR engaged different firms of Architects to design the buildings on the Dublin-Galway (G.W. Hermes) and Mullingar-Sligo-Cavan Lines (George Wilkinson). There was a lot more variation in design between station buildings on the Galway Line and Sligo/Cavan Branches. The Main Line was completed between 1847 & 51 and Sligo/Cavan between 1855 and 62, in the early days the company may have been more open to outside pressure than 10 years later. The Trench family at Garbally Park and Woodlawn House no doubt had an influence on Ballinasloe and Woodlawn Gothic station building and Goods Shed design Wilkinson was also engaged by the Dublin, Wicklow and Western (Harcourt St-Enniscorthy) and Great Southern and Western (Clara-Athlone and Nenagh, there is a stong "family" likeness between Wilkinson's station buildings and goods shed built for all three railway companies, including semi and circular good shed windows. Station buildings and goods sheds at stations like Athboy, Ballinrobe, Loughrea and Kingscourt are likely to have been designed locally as oppose to a detail design prepared by the MGWR.

Better still the Irish 3' gauge on 15mm on 45mm gauge track! A lot of Neil Ramsey's signal cabin is pure Lough Swilly I think John Campbell a prolific builder of Irish live steam locos built both a Swilly 4-8-0 and 4-8-4T

Moate Cabin looks like the original dating from the 1890s with modern replacement windows Post Civil War MGW Cabins were generally built on a "Rockfaced" concrete block base, the eaves overhang on the post Civil War cabins appears larger and the roof pitch shallower. Rockfaced concrete blocks possibly manufactured by Moracrete an Irish owned a public works and civil engineering company that appears to have carried out post Civil War infrastructure re-building work. The Peco/Ratio Platform/Ground Level Signal Box appears to be to a similar design https://peco-uk.com/products/platform-ground-level-signal-box. The Ratio model is based on Highley Signal Box an 14 Level McKenzie and Holland Box dating from the 1880s Signal box superstructures were basically modular in nature. Two Ratio Cabins could be combined on a brick base (Wills Scenic Materials) to provide an additional window bay and form the larger 24 lever Cabin used at Moate. Similar cabins were also used on the WLWR including some on timber (Listowel, Abbeyfeale) and some on brick (Tubbercurry) bases

I got to know the Meath Line shortly after closure during the 60s as a result of Sunday afternoon drives with my parents, we even walked a section of the line near Dunsany Castle shortly before the track was lifted. Some of my earliest modelling projects were based on the Meath Line including a 4mm balsa model of Dunboyne Station building and an N gauge layout based on Kilmessan Junction. I explored most of the station sites after I bought my first car in my early twenties.

Possibly Bective on the Meath Road. 132 worked an IRRS special over the Meath Line to Kingscourt in June 1961. There is a Greg Child photo of 132 coupled to a grubby Luggage Van at Dunboyne in Irish Railways in Colour Tom Ferris 1992. Bective had a single platform on the down side with the sidings at the North end of the station.

Its been a long term in the planning and construction I first heard about plans for a Westland Row-Grand Canal Dock layout nearly 20 years ago. Its nice to see the Sparrow and Arrow Railcars again, the single unit railcar was surveyed within days of its arrival (1997?) in Inchacore and the scratchbuilt model completed and in service on the Greystones layout a lot quicker than it took IE to commission the prototype.

The late Padraig Ó'Cuimín a recognised authority on the Midland wrote about the traffic and rolling stock on the Loughrea and Ballinrobe Lines during the pre-amalgamation era in his book The Baronial Lines of the MGWR Transport Research Associates 1972. Traffic on both lines was broadly similar, in pre-amalgamation days cattle and timber were the most important sources of outward traffic (6 Fair Specials Loughrea & 4 Ballinrobe lines in 1923 WTT), Loughtrea had cattle fairs in February (largest) March and May, sheep August. Pig traffic was most important after cattle from Ballinrobe, building stone was also shipped from Ballinrobe. Horsebox specials also ran in connection with the Ballinrobe Fair and Racemeetings. Inward traffic included domestic and locomotive coal, flour, bran, Guinness, bran, corn and sundries, domestic coal traffic. The Convertible or MGWR "Standard Covered Goods Wagon" was the standard wagon for livestock and general goods traffic up to the Amalgamation, the next most common were Swivel Timber Trucks (short trucks with single bolsters) usually used in pairs or threes to carry round or unsawn timber. Ó'Cuimín writes of a Martin Flood who used to work cutting timber for dispatch from Dunsandle, ending up unloading the same Dunsandle timber in Liverpool. The "Open Box" wagon used for domestic and loco coal was the third most common form of wagon. The MGWR had a small number of hard topped and open cattle wagons, but the short 14' "Convertible" was the predominant type up to the Amalgamation. The MGWR began building longer 17'6" covered and open wagons to an Irish Railway Clearing House design during and and after WW1, 150 or half of the IRCH Standard Covered Wagons ware built as "convertibles" to carry livestock or general goods traffic. Wagon Livery is described as: Standard colour for wagons: Dark Slate Grey Loco & Traffic coal trucks: Black P.W.D Wagons: Sand Beige (Yellow Clay) Passenger Train wagons: Brown Brake Vans: Generally Brown, 1874 Type Mid Green (1922-24) In summary (pre-Amalgamation) MGWR goods trains were mainly made up of the Companies 14' "Standard Convertible Wagon", Single Bolster Flats funning in pairs or trios, Open Box Wagons

Going back to Jb1911s original question there are no OO Scale ready to run models of MGWR locos or rolling stock. The Bachmann N or Murphy Models CIE version both discontinued appear on the second hand market. The Lima "Cattle Engine" is best avoided, part of Lima's first excursion into British Outline the loco was a HO/OO hybrid European HO viewed from the side OO head on as the loco and tender body were widened to clear the wheels and motor, best left as a collectors item not a running loco. A number of people have converted the original Mainline J72 into both the S (Small) and P (Large) 0-6-0 tank locomotives, the new Bachmann re-tooled version https://www.bachmann.co.uk/product/category/152/lner-j72-tank-68733-br-black-(early-emblem)/31-061 is probably a better option than a second hand Mainline version as the chassis is likely to be past its use by date and require replacement. MurrayEMC thread covers the conversion of an original Mainline J72 into a Midland Tank and problems with the original chassis. I produced brass kits of the MGWR K Class 2-4-0 in its post 1917 superheated form, the MGWR Meath and Fish Van and MGWR Horsebox which are really only suitable for experienced kit or scratch builders. I have no plans to re-release these kits, however the etched metals kits are available to special order. Studio Scale models produce a kit for the E Class in its original condition and a highly detailed whitemetal kit of the MGWR Standard Convertible Wagon http://www.studio-scale-models.com/img/k14.jpg, another supplier Jeremy Suter produced a similar high quality kit of the MGWR Standard Loco Coal wagon about 20 years ago but appears to have discontinued his Irish kits. If you want to get something running fairly quickly an option may be to focus on building the layout while using available ready to run locos and rolling stock while you develop skills and gain experience converting rtr models, kit or scratch building. Irish railway infrastructure and operating practices changed very little between the early 1900 and mid 1970s when freight handling was rationalised and CIE began upgrading track and signalling. Another option is to try something small in O Gauge Alphagraphix/Tyrconnell produce kits of 2-2-2T Fairy, the GSR version of the E Class, MGWR 6 Wheel coaches and card kits of the Horsebox and Convertible wagon.

The colorful buildings are largely as a result of the "Tidy Towns" competition a 1958s Irish Government initiative to improve community spirit and promote tourism. The main objective was to improve the local environment with tree and flower planting and painting building https://www.tidytowns.ie/about-us/history/ . Cement rendering often tended to be weathered and unpainted, its main purpose was to protect the fabric of the building after the brick or stonework became porous as a result of driving rain Lead based paints used on wood and metalwork tended to be limited to white, cream, brown or dark green. Green often appears as an undercoat or primer when you strip back old woodwork. Red or grey oxide, black or unpainted zinc on corrugated iron on farm and industrial buildings. Tom Rolts has interesting cometary and photos on Irish villages and towns in the Midlands during the 1940s in "Green and Silver" when he explored the Shannon and Southern Canal Network in a converted life boat.

Ballywilliam County Wexford about the minimum in terms of double ended terminus stations. The Bagenalstown and Wexford started building southwards towards the Wexford border in the early 1850s until the money ran out and the company went bankrupt upon reaching Ballywilliam in 1864, additional finance appears to have been arranged and the line extended eastwards to connect with the DWWR at Macmine Junction in 1870. The GSWR and DWWR divided the line at Ballywilliam each company buying its respective section, this arrangement effectively prevented the GSWR from competing with the DWWR for Dublin-Wexford traffic. The DWWR built a branch from Palace East to New Ross but continued to operate Palace East to Ballywilliam until the GSWR agreed to take over that section of line possibly as part of the horsetrading in connection construction of the Waterford-Rosslare Line, (DSER access to Waterford & running powers to Limerick). JHBs comments about short workings between New Ross-Palace East and Ballywilliam in the 1894 DWWR timetable prompted me to look at the station layout and timetable to try and figure out the actual workings of the timetable. Although there were two return passenger trains daily between Bagenalstown and Palace East in the 1894 timetable the GSWR and DWWR appear to have operated the line as two separate branch lines with passengers changing trains with a wait of between 5 and 44 minutes between connections at Ballywilliam. The GSWR worked its section of the line with two out and back workings from Bagenalstown that could be worked comfortably with a single trains set and crew (Pre-8hr day!) The DWWR worked its section of the line with a loco based at New Ross which started the day with a New Ross-Palace East Mixed before working a shuttle service of passenger and mixed trains between Palace East and Ballywilliam before returning to New Ross on a late afternoon mixed again likely to have been worked by a single train crew, the DWWR crew likely spending more of their time shunting, running round and coupling up than actually running. Operating a double ended terminus with a single platform, single run-round loop and very limited siding space would have been challenging especially at times when both GSWR and DWWR trains were scheduled to be in the station The station layout with the crossover (with diamond crossing) from the Loop to the Goods Yard appears to be a GSWR feature also used at Ferbane on the Clara Banagher Branch. The MGWR and GNR(I) considered taking over the SLNCR (when the company was bankrupt) ceasing to operate it as a through route and operating Enniskillen-Manorhamilton and Manorhamilton-Carrignagat Junction as two separate branchline. The SLNCR was bailed out by local interests to prevent the Midland establishing a monopoly in Sligo.

I was thinking of Ballywilliam as an interesting inspiration for a model in terms of the 1890s or earlier when it operated as a double ended terminus operated by the GSWR and the DWWR before the GSWR started running through to Palace East. The run round loop turntable and loco spur removed in later years, with a single ended siding remaining for goods traffic/sugar beet. I was thinking mainly in terms of an achievable project using handlaid track, scratchbuilt building, structures locos and stock, not unlike a contemporary Castle Rackrent which started out as a small branch line terminus, two locos, 2 coaches and several wagons before growing into a large system layout. The GSWR appears to have operated the Bagenalstown-Ballywilliam line with its Aspinall 0-4-4T tank locos with No75 the regular branch loco, the DWWR is likely to have used its 0-4-2 Goods locos on the Macmine Junction-Ballywilliam-New Ross Line on account of the lines roller coaster gradient profile. There is a great J P O'Dea article on the history and operation of the Bagenalstown-Palace East Line in the Carlow Historic Society 1973 Annual, including the saga of 0-4-4T No 75 and her train snowed in by drifts in January 1917 and rescue with two breakdown trains http://carlowhistorical.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Carloviana-No-22-1973.pdf

It looks like Ballywiliam was the frontier station between the GSWR & DWWR systems at least up to the mid 1890s as Bagenalstown-Ballywilliam is shown as GSWR and Ballywilliam-Palace East as DWWR in the Timetable. Through passengers may have been required to change trains with a wait of between 5 and 44 minutes between arrival and departure at Ballywilliam. The timetable works in comfortably with a single loco and train set from Bagenalstown working the 09:22-10:06 & 12:00-12:55 services to Ballywilliam and 10:45-11:31 and 3:26-4:03 return workings. The DWWR appears to have operated its connection with a New Ross based loco which started its day with an 09:55 mixed to Palace East before connecting with the 09:55 Macmine Junction-New Ross before working the 10:20-10:30 Palace East (PE)-Ballywilliam (BW)Pass, 10:50-11:10 BW-PE Pass, 12:10-12:20 PE-BW Mxd, 1-1:10 BW-PE Pass, 3:16-3:26 PE-BW Pass-3:40-3:50 BW-PE Mxd. 4:00-4:20 PE-New Ross Mxd. It looks like the New Ross loco crew would have had a busy day shunting at Ballywilliam and Palace East and shuttling up and down between the two stations, Ballywillian was the sole interchange between the DWWR and the rest of the Irish Railway system up to the opening of the Loop Line in 1891 potentially with a reasonable level of interchange traffic from Mills and other industries in Wexford, Enniscorthy and New Ross. It looks like the GSWR and DWWR/DSER later came to an agreement for the GSWR to work through to Palace East, the Bagenalstown-Palace East line having lost any strategic importance (keeping the GSWR out of Wexford) with he opening of the South Wexford Line and the DSER having completed it line to Waterford and acquired running powers over the GSWR to Limerick. Still an 1890s Ballywilliam would make an interesting model small station, two competing companies, small locos short trains and distinctive liveries.

Mainly intended for watching trains go bye with IRM 001 on the Bell Liners and MM141s/181s on the Dolomite, if I ever have to give up on kit or scratch building Another look at Thomastown, I don't seem to have any photos of the station and couldn't figure out how to open Google Earth when I was preparing the drafting the scheme. The embankments are lower than I first thought, but still works visually with the embankment forming the horizon as the railway crosses a wide river valley, backscene very much 'Big Sky" with pastureland and trees on the horizon. In certain respects modelling a railway on the Central Plain is not unlike the American Prairie or East Anglia in the main feature is sky in the absence of hills or mountains. The station on a gentle curve is partially in a cutting and on embankment. The goods siding appears to have been on the station side of the loading bank (at one time included a goods shed), the driveway on the left may have been the cart road. The Waterford and Kilkenny station building has some interesting stone features, the valley gutter and gable between the two sections of the roof appears unusual. Some interesting features at the Railway Road underbridge, the gateway appears to be intended for railway workers accessing the embankment, the field on the station side (possibly used for the Station Masters horse in GSWR/GSR days!) is accessed by a normal wrought iron gate

Overloading particularly spent ballast is likely to be a reason, ballast were traditionally 2-3 plank as much as a result of the high density of the material as making life easy for the gangers. British Rail cut slots in the sides of 27Ton Ore Tippler Wagons to avoid overloading when they were converted to "Spoil Wagons" to transport spent ballast during the 1980s. Reminds me of an incident on a construction site for a large factory in the Mid-West during the 1990s, the engineers were getting dragged over the coals for having used too much crushed stone fill, the bean counters having seriously underestimated the density of the material.

Its Ok Dave. I took the 1006-1 & 2 wagons off the website , your not hallucinating!

The coach on the right appears to have been converted from Drumm Train A. The Drumm Trains were withdrawn and some converted to hauled stock when the batteries required replacement in the late 1940s

Another attempt at a compact mainly scenic 'watching trains go bye" layout Thomastown and the Nore Viaduct in a 12X8 space. The 12X8 layout and fiddle/staging is designed to accommodate 10 42' wagons and single or double headed locos. The Kilkenny end of the station is in a shallow cutting before the section of line between Station Road and the Nore Bridge is on a high embankment before reaching higher ground on the east side of the river. The scheme would work well in N in a 12X8 space with scale length freight and passenger trains Visually the layout is best viewed at eye level with the railway is on the horizon, the raising ground and fascia disguising the approaches to the staging at both ends. The layout is designed around Peco Streamline track the Code 75 Bullhead would look very effective for a late 90s and the advent of CTC layout when the original GSWR bullhead track was replaced with CWR and Thomastown was closed as a blockpost. I used a minimum radius of 750mm in the fiddle yard and shallow cutting at the Kilkenny end of the station with a minimum 1m radius on the embankment/viaduct section. The trackwork in the fiddle yard and cutting is designed around Peco Code 75 (Flatbottom) Streamline track, the crossover in the cutting is based on using left hand curved points, the pointwork in the fiddle yard is based on using Medium Radius points. The siding behind the station building was laid in light flatbottom rail on wooden sleepers a good 1st exercise in laying handlaid track either with Peco Code 75 or IL1 Code 60 Rail either glued or pinned to ply or stripwood sleepers of soldered to copper clad. The siding was in place until the station was closed as a Block Post in the late 1990s, the sidings at the south end of the station appear to have been removed at an earlier stage. Open topped baseboard construction using either ply or the American L Girder construction is the only realistic for of baseboard construction for the section of layout that's mainly on an embankment, I have used 9,13 and 19mm ply for baseboard construction, using 19mm that was surplus to requirements from work. I don't know if Thomastown closed to good traffic during the 1960s or 70s round of closures, but the siding seems to have been used for stabling P.W. machines and the occasional crippled wagon into the 1990s. Train Services Locos and Stock. The Waterford-Kilkenny is one of Irelands oldest Railway Line opened by the Waterford and Kilkenny in the 1840s, the original company was later incorporated in the the Waterford and Central of Ireland extended its line to Portloise and Mountmellick with the expectation of connecting with the Midland at Mullingar to feed cattle traffic to the GNR (I) at Cavan. The company was not very prosperous and had the reputation of having the worst 3rd Class coaches in Ireland when the company was absorbed by the GSWR in the early 1900s. The line became an integral part of the GSWR after the GSWR takeover, the WCIR locomotives and stock quickly replaced by standard GSWR locos and stock and signalling and track upgraded to GSWR standards. In steam days main line trains appear to have been largely worked by Coey 4-4-0s introduced in the 1900s until replaced by diesel railcars in the early 1950s, goods by Woolwich Moguls, the GSWR 0-6-0 types and the humble J15. The line via Portlaoise seems to have been considered the main line and Carlow considered the "Branch" until an austerity drive in 1963 when Portlaoise-Kilkenny was closed completely and Dublin-Waterford train frequency reduced form four to two trains each way daily! Kingsbridge-Portlaoise-Waterford was one of the first lines to switch to diesel operating with the introduction of AEC Railcars in 1953?, the railcars initially operated with early 1900 GSWR Clerestory Dining Cars while Inchacore complete its first batch of 1950s Buffet Cars and Trailer stock. The B101 Sulzer locomotives appear to have been concentrated on Waterford during the 1960s working both passenger and goods trains on the Kilkenny line. 1960/70s developments. The Cherryville-Waterford line became increasingly busy during the late 60s and early 70s with new freight flows and improvements in passenger traffic. Bennettsbridge-Ballinacourthy Dolomite Trains. (1972-82?) 2--Trains Daily-----2 GMs (small)-----4w Hopper Wagons (similar to IRM Ballast) these were Ireland heaviest freight trains before the Tara-Alexandra Rd Zinc ore trains began operation. Bell Lines Late 60s-1997) CIE began operating Container Trains for Bell Lines during the late 1960s. 4w wagons were used before the introduction of the 42' wagons from 1973 onwards----IRM 4w Hopper Chassis? 1-2 Dublin-Waterford Bell line train plus "Specials' during weekend (2-3) specials sometimes operated North Wall-Waterford on Saturdays during the 1990s. Liner-Operation replaced loose coupled goods trains North Wall-Waterford 1977/78 Back to Back and Bogie Fertiliser Trains late 1960s onwards. Palletised Cement Trains---------1976? onwards Passenger: Staff Snatchers installed for non-stop operation Cherryville Junction- Waterford West late 60s early 70s Passenger train frequency increased from three to four daily with the introduction of Déise Express one of CIEs named trains of the 1960s/70s. The Déise a "Supertrain" was short lived withdrawn as an economy measure following the 1973 oil crisis, the Waterford Line lost its Supertrain accommodation and a 4th passenger train (ironically a 001 hauled Supertrain) was not reinstated on the Waterford line until the late 1980s

I went through a similar phase about 20 years ago assembling kits of several British Railways steam locos only for Hornby or Bachmann to announce or release a rtr version 6-12 months later, though I think the odds of IRM producing a rtr model of a Mogul or Jeep are somewhat longer than a BR steam loco.

I get the odd Facebook message from people (usually in the States) claiming to have JM Design Freight Cars and asking for a valuation.

I looked at Waterford North but did not get too far about 10 years ago, although over a mile and a quarter long Waterford breaks down into four distinct areas that could be modeled as self contained or part of a larger layout for someone that has the space. While the freight yard is very large and would take up a lot of space Waterford North, the Wharf Cabin and Abbey Junction are reasonably compact and could be modelled as individual self contained models. Waterford North as a 4mm pointless cameo on an 8X2 Baseboard the platform at 1700mm should be capable of handling a 5 coach Mk3 set or 6 MK2 coaches. The model could be used with cassette or traverser staging at one or both ends or as part of an oval. Visually the Mount Misery rockface and gantry signal cabins are signature features. The Station Building is based on the present 1960s structure, the section of the Newrath Road in front of the platforms could be removed to improve the view of the trains or modelled as a 'cutway" showing the bridge structure. Widening the baseboard to 2'6 would and opting for an earlier era open up the opportunity of modelling the river and Newrath Road as a single carriageway with the bridge structure cantilevered over the river.

Now "The Junction" got me thinking Roy Jackson's Retford with its flat crossing of the ECML would be an excellent inspiration for a large 4mm Irish layout https://www.world-of-railways.co.uk/model-railways/retford-in-em-gauge/#:~:text=Retford is a large EM,)%3A East Coast main line The Limerick Junction Island platform capable of handling Up and Down Mainline trains was/is? 1589' long. (Railway Lines of CIE & NIR Doyle and Hirsch 85) 12-14 trains of conventional (60') stock was once common at peak time, excursions and specials) I could not resist doing an Limerick Junction scheme based on Iain Rice's Carbon Crystal Crossing an American N gauge scheme in a 12X8' space which features a flat crossing between two railroads in the Mid West. The platforms scale out at 550mm just about long enough for a 4 coach train and loco. A OO gauge version of the scheme would take up a space of 24' X 16' The main challenge with this type of layout is incorporating the 4 legs of the junction into the available space, I followed the Carbon Crystal Crossing example by treating the Dublin-Cork and Limerick Waterford lines as two self contained ovals with the Waterford Line crossing over or below the Cork Line in the hidden staging. The staging on the Iain Rice scheme appears to have been intended to be accessed from the outside of the baseboard as opposed to the operating well, the secondary line included a raised section and a flyover with a byepass scenic section facing the operating well and the staging for the secondary line was at a higher level than the main staging. The reverse would work better in a restricted space, with the Limerick-Waterford staging at at a lower level than the Main Line staging The scheme includes the main features at the Junction Keane's Points the connection between the WLWR and GSWR line the North and South Cabins, Water Tower and Loco Shed, the N24 overbridge acts as a view blocker at the south end, with the Loco Shed acting as a view blocker for the Waterford Line, exiting behind strategically placed trees at the Dublin and Limerick ends of the station. Rice used a scenic section byepass section as a view blocker

To get back to the original topic Hazlehatch and Celbridge one of my favorite small stations ideal for just sitting back and watching trains go by. Using selective compression the area section between the two road bridges could be modelled in a reasonably modest space, the station has a railway village atmosphere with distinctive Sancton Wood Gothic station building and stone railway cottages. I explored the station after getting my first car around 1980 and was a favorite spot for watching the Ballina, Cork and Waterford on mid-Summer evenings in the late 90s early 20s. The station became more accessible with the introduction of the Kildare suburban services in the early 90s and transformed when the Cork Line was quadrupled between Clondalkin and Hazlehatch in 2008. Hazlehatch was one of last stations to handle cattle traffic, the station along with Leixlip on the Galway line served a meat packing plant located between Leixlip and Celbridge. The cattle pens were modern tubular steel rather than the traditional rail or stone construction used by the railways. The station was closed to goods traffic, sidings and mechanical signals removed during November 1975 as part of the Heuston-Ballybrophy CTC project, the former layby-goods siding west of the Celbridge-Newcastle road was extended and converted into a CTC to allow fast passenger trains to overtake goods and Liner Trains. Until recently acquiring or building suitable locos and rolling stock would have been the main challenge in modelling a station or section of busy main line, the challenge is now financing the stock and providing adequate staging to operate the layout in a prototypical manner rather than simply relax and watch trains run bye. Its should be reasonably achievable to stock the layout to operate a model or Hazlehatch between the early 1970s to early 2000s as suitable locos and rolling stock to cover the majority of passenger and many of the freight diagrams are either available, have been produced or are due for release in rtr form or as kits. The line was re-laid with CWR on concrete sleepers (points and crossings on timber!) during the 1970s as part of the Dublin-Cork Line Upgrade. Peco Bullhead Track with Large Radius points would be a good choice for modelling Hazlehatch in pre-CTC days Peco (SL8302) Code 83 Concrete Sleeper Track and Code 83 points should give a better visual appearance with a lower profile than Code OO concrete sleeper track for modelling Irish concrete sleeper track, the Peco Code 83 points are more prototypical in appearance and design than Peco Code 75 and Code 100 points which largely eliminated the Ziz-Zag effect (end swing) that occurs running long bogie coaches and locos such as the 201 Class (GM Co Co) through crossovers. 2005 Photos!

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