GNRi1959

I'm a complete novice in this area but more and more I am being driven away from the expensive Irish market out there to considering 'anything' RTR.

When setting out the track work on my baseboards last night in pencil using a trammel, the radius on the double track main line was 500mm radius and over. I thought they weren't too bad.

Well spotted, that was an exciting project! The book was one of a few that Norman done that inspired him to form Colorpoint Books with his wife Sheila way back in the 90s. Incidentally, the name came from their love of 'Colorpoint' cats which they kept. I printed quite a lot of the photographs for the book in my attic darkroom straight from 6 x 9 negatives - nobody else around had a big enough enlarger to do it. During the writing of the book, we went to Fintona and had a get together for all the surviving GNRi staff and had tea and biscuits. I assembled them all where the station was sited and took several photographs. I don't think there are many of them left today. A memorable day out with a great man.

More progress tonight. Gradually working my ideas onto baseboards, re-arranging pointwork and curves to maximise space.

For several months, my mother took me once a week from Omagh to Belfast by train. The line ran behind our house, we could hear the ring of the permanent way men maintaining the track. My grandfather would take his morning tea in our back kitchen and then get back to lines. He was s very stern man and told my dad once 'If I ever see you near the railway lines, i'll break your back!'

I really don't know, I know that his nephew Leslie worked with Fred. They had two cameras, when Fred was filming a train approaching, Leslie was driving ahead to catch the next interesting scene. Perhaps the collection is in his care.

Not sure if this has been posted before but there is some wonderful footage filmed by Fred Cooper that can be viewed (and downl****d ). I treasured going to these films around the country with Norman Johnston years ago when Fred visited Omagh and many other venues to show his film exclusively in Super and Standard 8mm film. https://digitalfilmarchive.net/media/super-8-stories-extra-footage-the-680 https://digitalfilmarchive.net/media/super-8-stories-extra-footage-bridge-681

I'm cutting supports for mine tomorrow and I'm cutting 120mm. 60mm to fix to current baseboard frame and 60mm of a rise to underside of the new raised trackbed.

Paul, I will be fixing my baseboard frame this week and boring holes between these sections to allow wiring to be fished through. Around the station area the bridge leaving the station had a ‘headroom’ sign showing clearance of 11’8 underneath. I was planning to raise the trackbed to finish at 55-60mm above the base of the embankment. What dimension are you showing above?

With the narrow baseboard width I have of 350mm I may be pushed to form embankments all round and may have to revert to dropping bridge levels below the baseboard. To form the embankment would mean losing at least 75mm I'd imagine if not more to form reasonable slopes? Any ideas?

Sounds lovely, do you remember the pit below the lines half way across the bridge? Its a nice part of town.

David, here's a picture I took last week of the bridge, still standing. Yes, you are correct, however this one is slightly further out and more attractive. When the next Hospital Link road was built last year, for some strange reason they left the bridge intact running parallel to the modern crossing and it looks fabulous. If I am able to work it into the layout, it will be situated on the lift off flap where I enter the shed.

David, the curves on the layout are generally anything from 760mm - 1100mm and they work well. It is impossible to incorporate a cross-over in a curve of over 1metre radius as nothing exists. Small radius Y points used together come close to providing an authentic crossover, similar to those in Omagh. As shown below.........

Paul, I have plans to include a road bridge over, road bridge under, cattle creeps and a three arch bridge over the Drumragh River that carried the railway into Omagh just beyond the Market Branch. The track work has been simplified to give good train runs and plenty of scenery.

The small radius Y points work better to form a double track cross-over and are clearly seen in the original Omagh track plan. I also need to use a small radius Y point where the Portadown line swings off a curve and sweeps out the the station heading east. The track plan is a series of sketches, over multiple attempts and only starting to come clear now.

PaulC, thanks for your interest but the markings on the baseboards wouldn’t make much of a photograph. I should be laying track in coming weeks and will post.

Is it normal practice to try using large radius points in a layout. Although I am trying to keep all curving to large radius I find that I may have to resort to small radius pointwork to achieve what I want to do. Any thoughts?

The morning sun gave me a burst of energy so I went out to the shed armed with trammel and several large radius curves (1.2m and 1.1m) I cut on the bandsaw in ply and I set out a very pleasing track arrangement with a double track, reduced to single line at one end to give me a complete circuit. I also was able to get turntable, sidings and fiddle yard in place. Very pleased with it, give me an idea on how much track and points I need to buy.

Are you still writing notes to Santa Claus..........?

I believe it is earmarked for October this year.

I have yet to buy track for my layout - I'd be looking seriously at this but don't think I could operate with the small range of points.

NIRCLASS80, great! Do they have the full range of pointwork. I'm trying to source track at a reasonable price at the moment. I've been cutting very large radius curves in ply today to assist with the flexi track but my purchase is only weeks away. Will follow your progress. Are you buying locally?

Anyone know the cheapest way of buying a box of Code 75 Peco 00 gauge flexi -track. The online prices add up to £8 postage. Is it sold anywhere in the North of Ireland?

Glad to have taken delivery of a 3 pack of IRM Ballast Hoppers today, they look fantastic and although these may never have made it up the 'Derry Road' I have to be imaginative and optimistic that if things were different today, we'd have still had a railway network running through Omagh. Indeed, I have taken a sideways step and decided that my new layout will feature a 'flavour' of everything that was Omagh but brought into modern day practice. Therefore, ballast hoppers are welcome too!

Will pay £300 for MINT/Boxed UG Please PM if you can help.