Lambeg man

Back to the planning department. Extra points a deemed needed acquired over the weekend and set down in the 12' area. With regard to the curve through Queens Bridge Station, below is a photo of the intended layout of the baseboards. So from an idea for an 8' shunting layout we have from left to right - Board A: 4' x 1' hidden sidings x 3 - Board: B 4' x 2' scenic - Board 4' x 2' scenic - Board  Board AS CAN BE SEEN ABOVE MY P.C. APPEARS INFECTED WITH EMOGIS WHICH I PRESUME WERE PLUGGED IN BY THIS WEBSITE. I DID NOT IMPORT THEM, THEY HAVE JUST APPEARED AS I TYPED AND I CAN FIND NO WAY TO REMOVE THEM... SO F**K IT, LIKE KIRLEY I'M OFF. GOODBYE TO ALL OF YOU AND THANKS FOR THE SUPPORT OVER THE YEARS.

You've got that in one! If they were serious, put the rail connection at the start when it would be cheaper rather than waiting until other building makes it impractical.

Going back to David Wilson's video, I thought these screen grabs merited further comment. I am presuming the Gunpowder Van is of NCC origin? When it came to repairing goods vans, the UTA replaced rotted timbers with new ones soaked in Cuprinol. They did not repaint the whole wagon, so by the early 1960's many goods vans were in this type of 'patched' livery as seen above. Interesting little two planker. Note also the new cement mixers in the following wagon. Large cable drum load mounted no doubt on a flat wagon on the rear of the train. Note also NO Brake Van in use on these transfers (That's handy!) Note the absence of any 'proper' ballast. (Equally handy!)

Sounds like it was lucky you came back with your wallet...

Never actually been to Luton but through the course of my police work I have had several times had to deal with certain individuals from Marsh Farm. That is Houghton Regis is it not?

You don't know what you're missing. So there must be more than one Nurse Broithe!

Ah, so you live in the Norwich area. I got stabbed just before Christmas by District Nurse Broithe. Got to be one and the same surely or is there more than one?

A recent event prompted me to remember this old one... On a Friday Frank flew at some expense from Dublin to Rome to conduct a pilgrimage to see the Pope in the Vatican City. Getting out of his taxi near the gates to the Vatican City, he approached the said gates and found them firmly shut. Standing in front of the gates was a member of the Swiss Guard. Frank: "What is going on? Why are the gates closed?" Swiss Guardsman: "The Vatican City is closed to all." Frank: "What do you mean? I've come all the way from Ireland to visit the Holy City, perhaps even see His Holiness." Swiss Guardsman: "I've just told you, the City is closed to all." Frank: "This is so unfair. This trip has cost me a fortune. There must be some reason?" Swiss Guardsman: "Alright. The truth of the matter is that the Pope is dead, but for political reasons they are keeping it quiet until Monday. But don't you tell anyone that I told you so." Frank: "Fair do's." Frank then orders a taxi to take him back to Rome airport where he boards the next flight to Dublin. The following morning he goes into his local bookmakers. Frank: "What's the odds on the Pope dying before the weekend is out?" Bookie "About a thousand to one." Frank: "I'll have a hundred quid on it." Having placed his bet Frank adjourned to his local tavern where he met his friend Sean. Sean: "Jesus Frank, I thought you were on your pilgrimage to Rome." Frank: "Never mind all that. Get yourself down to the bookies and put a hundred quid on the Pope dying before the weekend is out." Monday morning arrives and the Roman Catholic world goes into mourning following the announcement that the Pope has died. Frank goes to the bookies and picks up his £100, 000 winnings. Walking he home he meets Sean, who has a very long and sad face. Frank: "Hi Sean, what's up?" Sean: "I heard the news that the Pope has died." Frank: "Yes, and? Ah bugger, you didn't put the bet on, did you?" Sean: "Oh yeah, that. Yes I put the bet on like you said." Frank: "Well cheer up and go and get your winnings." Sean: "I'm afraid there's nothing to collect. I did him in a double with the Arch Bishop of Canterbury."

Yes, I would tend to agree. The gradient 'fall' down into the tunnel would need to begin about halfway along the layout, leading to issues of 'parked' wagons running away IF operating purely shunting movements within the 12' main section when the Hidden Sidings would not be attached. I think I will keep the whole of the 12' main section on the level!

As can be seen in the video, the gradients both IN the tunnel itself and on the SOUTH SIDE after the slewing were brief but clearly severe. I am yet undecided whether to incorporate the 'FALL' into the tunnel in respect of the two middle lines or whether to keep things simple and avoid gradients.

On the contrary David, some VERY interesting bits. Note the often single wagon transfers. Note the absence of ballast! Shot circa 1963 just before the section closed. You can clearly see why there was the need for a second road bridge! The south exit from the tunnel swings more sharply to the right than it did prior to 1960. The line was obviously slewed closer to Laganbank Road to allow the bus station to be built on the site of Queens Bridge station. Excellent post, thank you. LM

Yes. 2" x 1" timber framing, then a sheet 4' x 2' 6mm MDF covered by 4' x 2' Sundela board. Have stuck with this as they are already made up. Modern Sundela is rubbish as years ago the original was made from surplus pulp generated by Fleet Street newspapers. When that source dried up they switched to an alternative which is not as good.

To quote E.M. Patterson "The proposed Central Station was to be built between High Street and Waring Street, with frontage onto Victoria Street." The white patch in the upper part of the following photo shows the approximate location for the intended Central Station in relation to where the Central Railway actually ended at Queens Bridge, seen in the lower part of the photo. Had this project ever got legs there was clearly a lot of established property that would have had to be demolished. At one point it was also proposed to build a second viaduct over the Lagan to allow B&CDR trains to run direct into the new station. There appears to have been no definite plan as to how this station would be connected to York Road. Were all this proposed in more recent times it may well have already been labelled "ill thought, impractical, unfunded - just another Boris project"! Britain from Above Going back to the earlier photo and the my reference to the large shed possibly being the original BCR Goods Shed, have a closer look at the smaller shed indicated by the arrow. Note the roof ventilators. Surely this has to have been the BCR loco shed? The did actually own 3 or 4 of their own locomotives (all small tanks). Tracks overdrawn in blue.

Thanks for that JHB. It is my understanding that someone else is already on the case having recently been asked if I could help out with BCR carriage drawings. LM

Not quite! 1930's shot of the station area showing the shed and more interestingly the sand(?) mounds on the other side of Laganbank Road. Given the amount of sand residue in front of it, this shed (probably the original BCR Goods shed) appears out of use. From 'Britain from Above' The above layout ties in with the 1931 OS map. I am looking at the amount of sand deposit to the left of the big shed and what appear to be a long rake of wagons filled with sand further left. From 'Britain from Above' Closer view shows how there was a three way exit from the tunnel, the right hand one apparently later removed. Given my previous discourse as to what traffic was actually dealt with at Queens Bridge, it would appear that this may have been the final call for the Coalisland Sand Trains(?). The vans in the old passenger station suggest the only other traffic was 'Sundries'. I am now off to work out how to configure the baseboards into a sort of 80 degree angle to allow deeper space in the middle of the subsequent corner area to accommodate the old station buildings. Will still stick with the 1950's layout where the big shed was gone. Question - How do you shunt a rake of five plank goods wagons loaded with sand into a siding area, unload them, run the empties out and then get the sand back into the empty wagons? Answers on a postcard please.

This picture is an extract from a much larger aerial photo of Belfast in May 1955. Queens Bridge station can just be made out. Of interest to me is that kick back siding running to a shed shown in the 1931 OS map is not present. There appears to be a gateway off Laganbank Road accessing the yard at the top of the picture which has a single siding, as per my plan. So the hunt for the elusive rail connected shed is over! National Library of Ireland Also this afternoon took advantage of a break to clear a 12' x 2' area of the former 'Scarva' layout and lay out what points and track I already have. Things can look different in the flesh compared to a 2-D drawing! Results follow. No. 19 sitting about the halfway point. The 12' starts at the base of the 'Y' point in the distance. Looking in the other direction. Overall I think the "plan" should work. Obviously need a few more points to complete.

Hi Jim, There is an article (with indeed photo of Queens Bridge) by Trevor Hodge in the OCTOBER 1954 issue of Railway Magazine! The text is factually incorrect where it refers to the Belfast Central Railway. LM

Hi Jim, did you mean May 1954? If so there no mention of the Belfast Central in that issue. LM

Okay, back to the thread. So I hit on the idea of Queens Bridge based on one photograph and then started more serious digging. Queens Bridge passenger station was completed in 1871, but was not brought into use until 1875. It served a double track line from Ulster (later Central) Junction until 1879 when the 'Tunnel' was punched through the site. Passenger services ceased in 1885 when the GNR(I) bought the Belfast Central Railway. Thereafter Queens Bridge was a goods only station. The 1931 OS map already referred to is 'mushy' when trying to work out the actual point work in the vicinity of this station. Bearing in mind this all started with "Where would No. 19 look at home", the previously posted track plan was one of my own imagination really. On reflection, it would not be the best idea for providing 'shunting' within the 12' scenic section as the crossovers were at the ends. Tonight I found a J. Macarrenty Roobins photo on the IRRS website. Based on it I can produce this rough diagram of what the actual trackwork was in the late 1940's. Best of all, the crossovers will be roughly in the middle of the proposed 12' scenic section. The same photo shows the old passenger station platform full of goods vans and the area marked 'A' on diagram is seen to be covered in either sand or cement dust. However, no view of the Goods shed. Was it gone post 1948? So this what I will probably aim at rather than the previously posted layout.

Thank you for that advice Broithe. It goes some when you have to ask the customer for advice. Anyway I for one am leaving the security business and going back to my railway project. Good luck with only Galteemore watching your back. (or was it your front?) Honestly, working with him was a nightmare. Problem - Broithe at risk, Solution - Oh let's find some drawings of early SLNCR Railbuses. See what I was up against!

Hi Andy, neat or diluted? LM

It was supposed to be PROTECTION but no doubt receiving an invoice from the "A High Mountain in Ireland and a Small Village in the Lagan Valley Security Company" (Galteemore's idea to keep our identities under wraps) would have confused anyone!

No Galteemore, he's here on the previous post! (Foolish Drivers)

RT No. 24. Probably propelling as no flagman is visible in the shot.

Okay, I'll go with when time permits. While on the subject of "TRUST", where is Broithe this morning? Have you lost him again? Sorry Ernie, I should have realised. I have about eight images taken at roughly the same vantage point as your photo above. They feature GNR 'RT' and 'PG' classes, plus NCC 'V1' and both Sligo tanks coming or going through the tunnel. Only have three images taken at the other end of the tunnel, all looking at it. I am trying to find a shot taken from the tunnel mouth area looking south.