Junctionmad

I have already received ie permission to detail all the structures and was greatly aided by the existing statonmaster Dolores Keaveney, who is passionate about the history of the station. I have tracked down ex signallers and the container crane driver etc. I have a detsiled photographic record of the structures as they exist today. And will generated cad drawings at the appropriate time. I may shrink the goods shed slightly in length to accommodate the reduced platform lengths on my layout. The heritage officer of IE has been most helpful

Those penbits bogies look the biz.

Track laying starts in the new year. Handbuilt 16.2 mm 00-SF in station area flaring to 16.5mm 00 C&L new style bull head flexi , and then to PECO code 75 in non scenic areas/fiddle yard. I have a electric TVs lifting mechanism , that I'd like to modify into a vertical stacking system. But that's in the future Code 55 flatbottom on copperclad will be used to represent the lighter gauge goods sidings etc. The layout will feature working semaphore and ground signals , MERG DCC control system and MERG CBUS can controller based layout bus. ( ambition is a great thing )

Yes. Primarily as Noel has said , it's too difficult to fit into a conventional baseboard setup. Both length needed and a way of accommodating the flat crossover. I don't agree with Noel as to its looks. True the station building is a bit like a stagluff XV concentration camp administration block ( especially from the road ) Bit the main issue n model terms would be to accommodate platform length wise , 5-6 coaches plus engine doubled. Less then that , it doesn't work. Claremorris has the advantage of essentially five tracks converging , yet the layout is reasonably compact even of the length has to be squeezed. Using modellers license and retaining the ballinrobe branch operational into the 70s is a small conceit, especially as the track work was not remodelled upon its closure. The existence of " knock " specials allows a crazy number of passanger trains in the station at any one time ( upwards of 30 locos and 160 carriages )

As a layout LJ offers great running potential. Virtually everything ran through it. You dont have to model an associated town , the buildings remained substantially unaltered and are still there today. Pre CTC track was interesting. The quirky carraige stock movements are interesting operationally The area was well photographed to boot The main issue is length and accommodating the flat crossover on a conventional baseboard layout.

What plans was he referring too.

Yes , that's the period I'm interested as it corresponds with my teenage train years , allows a mix of stock from small loose coupled Black and Tan through to super train and liners, bagged and bulk cement , fertiliSers etc. , also good coaching stock variation Others have suggested the shed was converted in the 80s. Rather then mid 70s. One thing I don't have is a Picture of the original road door . Maybe my IRRS searches will throw up something. I have a 1975 picture that doesn't show the new road door canopy Outside of the o'dea collection, there's very little 75-80 pictures of claremorris , quite a lot of post 1980 -2000 pics.

I think it will boil down to a pre esrly 80s with goods shed operational. Or post front door changes and wagon access doors blocked up

Thanks everyone so far. There's been great responses from several people including glenderg and others I think for my period 75-80 , I can assume The original front valance and road door was in place . As yet I've not tracked down a decent end on photo The office was rebuilt as it is today , except the chimney wasn't added ( that came in the esrly 80s I believe The roof would be the new one as currently exists. That leaves the question of when the two wagon access doors were blocked up ? , logic would suggest that was done when the new door and valance was added in the 80 s Trying a specific date to the new valance and door in the 80s would be really useful. That's where the IRRS records might help

Horse tan , Yes the shed was modified rather then rebuilt. In the early 80s a chimney was added to its roof when the internal office n the shed was removed.

So would you suggest the wider road door and valance were added in the 70s or 80 s. If the bagged cement was started before kegs t may mean the goods shed door was put in in the 70 s. I know that claremorris keg storage was then moved to a Guinness secure pen, near the removed mart building , it's still there

Because it lets me understand the progress of the building through the period , I was thinking of modelling the goods shed pre modifications of the front road valance , so I'm trying to estimate when that was added , it has been suggested 80s which is later then my chosen period In other words because I've picked 75 to 80 as the desired period technically allowing some Black and Tan and super train , I'm trying to establish when the goods shed was modified ( ie wagon access door blocked and new road access door installed ). If it's 80s , I can model older version etc No 201s mk3 or auto ballasters for Me !

The pen on the end of the passanger platform behind the concrete buffer is detailed in a few old photos. I suspect it was not for cattle as it didnt seem strong enough and may have been used for horses . The cattle loading always took place on the long northern goods platform after track initial reconfiguration ( which was pre 1945 ) Here's a 1950 pic, of the old goods shed and the relevant pen , note original goods shed office And one from 1960 , pen gone shed office new Copyright o'dea collection , Nli

Sent in my pink joining form just today.

Des does your kit contain the etched detail parts thanks dave

think your confusing two things , The big loading platform area to the north had a small cattle pen, made from rails, but the big building there is the claremorris mart building removed in around 2005 the goods shed was also at the end of a platform , still there to this day, Its never handled cattle as far I I could see, The goods shed had a sliding door , near a crane that opened onto this platform , separated from the passenger platform by a wall, The northern side of the goods shed has two doors for handling access to wagons , blocked up post 75 when the building was converted into a cement or keg store. what I trying to visualise was the vehicular door as it would have orginalyy been designed and also the two wagon access doors, how did they get used, was each wagon placed specifically at each door ? are there any MGWR sheds with similar features for comparison ( i.e. pre mods)

sure sure , just trying to get to the truth, first , then corrupt it here's the layout

Horsetan I begin building the Claremorris -balkinrobe model railway in the new year. Compacted into 16 x 10 It's a complete replica of the 1970s track with the buildings around the same time. Full signalling as per 1975 The reason for my question re the goods shed is to determine if the big end road door and side wagon doors would have bee in place in 1975. I still haven't answered this. If not I'll make a gues at it. Or model it in post 1975 state. If I had more early pictures of model it before the loco shed was removed but I've yet to see more then a single badly positioned pic of that shed I will operate the balkinrobe branch as if it were still in operation into early 80s. So aec railcar C class and single coach or even G class. Aka loughrea branch See my other posts re layout diagram

agreed, but I dont think oil handling was ever handled on the other side, most of the southern side was used by the ballinrobe service and engine run round etc . The ESSO depot itself only appeared in the late 60s , certainly 1950s show no oil silos. late 60s seems early for container crane.? didn't all these get bought in the freight modernisation plan of the 70s according to station staff, the goods shed was used a keg store rather then bagged cement , but that could have been later, there is a photo on the station of kegs being forlklifted into it around the 80s

ref the signalling diagram, That was a " reconstruction " of the pre CTC installation. and is the current one in the cabin if you visit today. The O'dea collection shows the diagram from the 60s when the burma road was in operation and in my view is a better starting place then the one shown above ( which I also photographed), unfortunately for the station anniversary the signal cabin was renovated by ex signal men, and in that regards is not a correct representation ( the signal levers etc are a bit wrong ) signals were also somewhat renumbered as advanced starters were added and some levers re-tasked I have loads of claremorris photos if anyone is interested The track plan was essentially unchanged since the 40s and had already been changed from the OSI well before the old engine shed was demolished and the extra platform installed IM trying to model it in 1975-78, right at the changeover period, this is what Im trying to establish as the claremorris good shed North door arrangement

Glenderg thanks This bit confuses me I suspect the road side door was bigger then the platform door. I was interested in the double doors for the goods wagons, how dod that work, since the spacing is wrong and I wondered when the wagon access doors where blocked up No , That window was open till well into 2000+, I have later pics. I suspect it was only closed in the recent track rationalisation when the goods shed was leased to a private company and the window was closed for security The steel canopy is there from early 80s at least ,

I must email des to order my one. It's the only loco I ever got to drive in real life

Yes , preservation Irish style. None can see it or photograph it as it rusts away from sight.

Indeed , that was Queallys Quarries. On one of the trains , we loaded ballast on the return journey , the hoppers were filled by one of those big yellow loaders as the train driver moved the train along as it filled. On that occasion I was dropped off at old the kilmeadan platform The quarrying had begun after the railway initially closed and had grown to both lines of the line , given the few trains a day and there slow speed , I suspect things were quite lax , there was always significant walkers , fishermen etc on that line especially where it parallel the shore of the Suir The drivers were always leaning on the horn around there. There was always a tremendous view of the train as it burst from the area locally known as the " mossy woods" on a steep curve as it swept along the Congreve estate on one side and the river immediately on its other. The "S" bend in the woods had two flange lubricators as it was tight, and the woods masked the sound of the doubleheaded 141s. Then they burst out , to the consternation of kids, fishermen etc. Safety was a different concept in the 70 s ! I only rareLy remember 121s pulling that train. A class was more common on the magnesite and oil trains. But the magnesite trains were far less common then the dolomite, especially as time went on.

Sure , sure. But I'd know it's wrong. Certain minor details can always be ignored in 4mm. I find it hard to accept that Includes the number of wheels