Irishrailwayman

Donegal Dad-Rail has kindly published a short video on You Tube describing "Llangollen" in N gauge as shown at the recent North Down MRS Exhibition in Bangor: "Llangollen" Layout in N Gauge

For the record on this forum string, I was very glad to show "Llangollen" in N gauge for it's 13th public outing at Bangor 2026: DSCF5797.AVI DSCF5798.AVI

Great to meet everyone at Bangor 2026 and show "Llangollen" in N gauge:

I have developed a demonstration model of the Manorhamilton Signal Cabin to show the various stages of assembling/painting the kit. This will be on view at the next Bray Train & Model Fair on Sunday 15th march 2026 where the kit will also be available from Redmond O'Hanlon.

Redmond O'Hanlon has now designed an O gauge kit for a signal cabin based on the design used at the Sligo, Leitrim and Northern Counties Railway. I have assembled the kit and finished/painted it in similar livery to the earlier water tower kit. I have added Peco interiour detailing and lighting. I have some detailing below the stairs to finish. This finished building will be on display at the next Bray meeting on 15th March 2026.

I scrolled through GOG Gazette on-line but couldn't spot that - what page is it on please? No mention of this on alphagraphixkits.co.uk.

These look great in OO and will look even better in O!

While the water tower providing facilities at one end of the platform has been completed, I have modified a Skytrex kit to make a water column for the other end of the platform. On the prototype, these were often insulated with straw as depicted in a number of photos in a variety of books on the Irish railway network. This prevented the possibility of frost freezing the flow of water vital for the safe operation of steam locomotives. For the model I have used hairy string to reproduce the straw!

A couple of views around "Maam Road" before we progress with development of Irish outline stone signal cabin, station building and goods shed to the same standard as the water tower.

Moving on from the water tower, I have been trying some SouthEast Finecast Random Stone plasticard and polyfilla to make rough walls for the front section of Maam Road. This is with a view to hiding the GWR spear point fencing and also to ruggedise the presentation for the West of Ireland location. Some photos of the results:

I have assembled and painted another of Redmond O'Hanlon's water tower kits - a rectangular one based on that still at Gorey station. This time I used diluted Polyfilla as a means to bulk up the individual stones:

Thank you. The 3-D printing left a slightly roughened surface similar to rust pitting. I lightly brushed on Humbrol Matt #113 "Rust" using a flat brush to provide the finish seen here. This is a useful paint for general weathering.

Other progress on "Maam Road/Bóthar an Mhama" includes bi-lingual signage (thanks to Des Sullivan at Studio Scale Models), brake vans and corrugated open wagon (thanks to Enda Byrne at CK Prints), water column by Skytrex and water tower in place on layout (thanks to Redmond O'Hanlon). A truely collaborative project with creative craftsmen. The signage has the Irish language version in the "sean-cló" or old irish writing style with "H"s replaced by a dot over the previous letter.

I have tried some Icon Modelling Paste to raise the blocks a little and am experimenting with dilute Polyfilla to achieve the same...

Just a note to file on a suggested painting scheme for the water towers. First coat all exposed wood with Rustins grey primer/undercoat. Next "dry brush" with Humbrol #64 Light Grey matt (ie use small amounts of paint on a flat brush wiping it almost dry on kitchen paper before skimming across the "stones" avoiding flooding the "mortar" lines between). Pick out individual stones with Humbrol #27 Sea Grey matt. For woodwork, windows and door use Humbrol #80 Grass Green matt. For "yellow" brickwork lightly paint to avoid flooding the "mortar" lines with RailMatch #606 GWR Light Stone (Humbrol #121 Pale Stone matt would work either). For red brickwork use sparingly 50:50 mix of Humbrol #73 Wine matt and #62 Leather matt. For the 3-D printed water tank streak sides with Humbrol # 113 Rust; insert clear plastic to fit, paint underneath with Humbrol #80 Grass Green matt and streak with Humbrol #113 Rust matt (could also paint blue/brown as colour in reality would be dictated by overhead light conditions). I used a section of 5 mm plastic tubing and some heat-shrink tubing to represent the water outlet leather bag which flops in to the receiving steam engine water intake point. I fitted small sections of clear plastic behind the windows with DeLuxe Glue& Glaze as glazing.

Redmond 3-D printed the water tanks. Good idea on the rougher stones thanks.

Yes JB! Redmond is working on a OO version at present. You could chat to him at the Bray event if you are free on the 21st am? I hope to get a OO kit and paint it up as an example. Next steps on the Maam Road project is to develop similar O gauge Irish outline signal cabin, station building and a goods shed to match in style the water tower. All may be available in OO in time. Thanks. I will post up the painting scheme used shortly.

I am working with a good friend Redmond O'Hanlon to develop laser-cut wood model O gauge buildings for "Maam Road". First up is the water tower based on an example at Gorey station with some details from buildings originally at Manorhamilton. Redmond has produced a lovely kit which fits together easily with wood glue. I assembled one and painted/detailed two examples per the following photos. BTW Redmond attends the monthly Bray Modellers' Meet at Bray Wheelers' clubroom: next one is on Sunday 21st December 2025 if you want to chat to him about his work on this and other irish outline buildings and structures in a variety of scales.

Is this similar to the currently listed Alphagraphix MGWR G2 Class 2-4-0 or MGWR J81/!9 Class 0-6-0 kits?

Wow, these look great! Thanks for sharing.

Thanks David, I very much admire your O gauge Irish models and have seen some of your layouts at exhibitions. Have you posted photos of the J26 build or finish by any chance or of the other Alphagraphix MGWR coaches?

Thanks JHB and glad you like the concept. The challenge working in Irish outline O gauge is of course absence of RTR or kits. The layout can encompass many "might have beens" to accomodate whatever stock comes to hand.

Thanks Galteemore that's very helpful. I presume that the Alphagraphix 6 wheel coaches would be a bit simpler?

Hi David, good question - but for my own sanity I will stick with the (incorrect) Peco track for now! I am looking at the Alphagraphix brass kits for MGWR locos (G2 and J18/19) and 6-wheel carriages. I hope to begin kit building/soldering soon with help from a more experienced friend - are these kits suitable for a beginner?

Some of you may know of my GWR UK outline O gauge layout "Buffers Lock". I have detailed the story of it's build and exhibition life elsewhere on irm.com (see: Buffers Lock). Basically, this is a 16.5 feet long exhibition layout with a scenic area of 8.5 feet by 26.5 inches. Two four foot long fiddle-yards (three lines each) feed trains from either end allowing through trains to be run. One fiddle-yard is a traverser and the other is a train turntable. Originally the electrical set up was DCC to run trains and the point motors/semaphore signals. The "brick" outline station building, signal box, goods shed and other fittings are all typical of GWR practice. The backscene is of a UK village in the middle distance (Ross-on-Wye I believe). I have now started a project to develop the layout to allow for alternating use as an Irish outline layout. To accomodate a variety of rolling stock that might become available, I have rewired the layout to be easily changed from DCC to DC use with Double-Pole Double-Throw switches. DCC control will continue to use the Roco/Fleischmann's Z21 system while DC power is now supplied by a Morley Controller Vanguard Zero One unit delivering 2.5 Amps per track. In either mode the signals and point motors will be controlled by DCC. In time, I am working to have suitable alternate buildings developed with a "stone" outline matching actual Irish prototypes. These will fit directly in place of the GWR outline buildings when running in irish outline mode. CK Prints (Enda Byrne) has developed Irish outline brake vans in flying snail grey and roundal brown versions. Enda plans to produce other Irish outline wagons in time including beet and other wagons. Alphagraphix have a range of MGWR outline locomotives and passenger carriages available in metal kits which are worth considering. Once the layout is further developed, I plan to invite other modellers to run their Irish O gauge rolling stock on this layout perhaps attending exhibitions together as a joint venture. The alternate layout has been named "Maam Road" translated in Irish to "Bóthar an Mháma" (which means the road to the mountain pass). Many rural irish railways had stations some distance from the towns they served and so had the "road" designation. My idea is to situate the layout somewhere in the West of Ireland within a wild mountain landscape similar to those the Clifden or Achill lines ran through. There was a station at Maam Cross/An Teach Dóite but my layout is not intended as a copy of that station. I have mounted a suitable backscene on new boards (to alternate with the existing "Buffers Lock" backscene). I attach a few photos to show what the scene looks like without buildings.