GNRi1959

Thanks for this, it is a most interesting topic. One i'll be reading about over the next few weeks.

I'm sure quite a few members have tried polyurethane resin casting to make models. If the original casting master was a highly detailed piece it would produce endless copies quite quickly as 'easily'? Are masters generally made from plasticard?

Fantastic piece of work, you should be proud of this .

That loco and carriages should be in Omagh not the Alps!

John and Des, I thank you both. Another attempt at modelling Irish foiled........... Allen, has kindly accepted that I return the 'kit'.....

I made an effort to call with Joe McGrew tonight, he'd just been home after a week in hospital. I brought along my treasured GNRi enamel badge and pinned it on his pullover. He deserved to have it more than me. Joe was a shunter at Omagh General Station for over 20 years and shunted wagons between the Goods Store and the Market Branch every day. He talked of runaway cattle trains, BU's (Bread Units) from Inglis, Hughes' and Stephensons, as well as the big companies who had sidings there - Esso, Shell at the Coal Sidings - reserved for Wattersons and McCuskers Coal. We spent the evening looking through a wealth of photographs and talking about his days on the GNRi. He said shunting was 'like playing chess with wagons'. What an enjoyable evening.

Plans are now developing well with a fairly major change of approach. An end to end layout which features the turntable, kit by South East Finecast http://www.sefinecast.co.uk/Turntables/Turntables.htm , and engine shed at one end of the layout and Omagh Market Branch at the other. This means more long runs of track and less points but with lots of shunting possibilities at each end. Cutting out the station entirely (done it before in 1989) and concentrating on movement outside the station.

Popeye, to be honest I don't have many like these. Much of my work is portrait and landscape. I do though have almost 200 pictures of Omagh alone that I have gathered up over the years. I have a flickr account but only joined to view other work. Thanks, I'm glad you liked them.

Des, very kind of you to offer. Can I ask, how far away am I from a loco that actually moves. I take it theres a 'shopping list' of parts I need, that I knew nothing about when I ordered!

I've just received my GNRi UG class kit from Worsley Works, only ordered it yesterday! Anyway, its a nice looking series of etches in brass and nickel silver chassis. I know nothing about kit-building in brass and was wondering if there is anyone out there who has attempted a build like this in the past.

George, thanks I have always used Rolleiflex cameras and still do today. My only digital camera is on my iPhone. I used to go out in the morning and take pictures and develop and print them later the same evening. Unlike today, I could go away for the day and take as little as 7 shots and be satisfied with what I'd taken and finish the roll of 12 the next day or at the weekend. These were scanned in at 1200dpi but I can go to much higher on my Agfa 4490 scanner. In those days Charles was shooting with a Pentax 6x7. Glad you liked them.

Myself and the late Norman Johnston travelled to several steam excursions together from Omagh long before he ever started writing books on the railway. On this occasion it was the NIR/RPSI Steam Day celebrating 150th Anniversary of Irish Railways. The tour visited Belfast, Bangor and Lisburn and I managed to get a nice shot of Charles Friel on the footplate of 'Merlin'. The same picture made it into the Irish News the following week. They were memorable days, Norman would sit in the carriage with his notebook while I hung out of the window shouting back carriage numbers. Its ironic that this Christmas I found his book 'A Parting Shot' among my Christmas presents. 9th August 1989

Mayner, I have just returned from Enniskillen with a few lengths of flexi-track which will help set out my plans. I've also beeb taking measurements this mornings to add a few fillets to smooth out curves at corners.

Of course Noel, I have the timber framework to do this but have run out of 9mm birch ply. I will be adding these in the New Year when I return to work! Thanks. I might take a dash to Enniskillen in the morning for a few lengths of 00 flexi to make it easier to set out the corners, these are the biggest challenge. Either way, I could be reduced to fewer points around the station area, more curved track work and longer train runs.

Its ironic that we are back on the subject of N-gauge. I spent most of this morning setting out track work using trammels, compass and Peco paper templates. There is absolutely no way I can build an interesting layout in 00 gauge without sharp radius curves and lots of compromise. On the other hand if I move to N gauge this just opens everything up for me in terms in scale, dimensions, movement of engines and wagons, turntables and engine sheds. Anythings possible.

Does anyone have a 00 Works UG or U Class they are willing to sell - immediate payment

I'm toying around with the idea of capturing the movement of grain from Omagh Station to Scotts Excelsior. Everyday Eddie McAleer drew lorry loads of grain from wagons next the 'cattle beach' as it was known to the shunters at Omagh. Big Joe McGrew, now 88years old, was able to tell me the names given by shunters to the various sidings there. I've been in touch with various sources and am hoping to unearth some photographs of the traffic there. Hopefully, a small piece in the local press will bring up some material.

The layout stops short of the right side by 750mm to allow for the door opening. I may go for turntable one end and fiddle yard to other instead of run around.

I was actually surprised at how much easier it is to visualise a layout by placing decorators lining paper on my baseboards and setting out curves and pointwork using old points, steel rulers and trammel.

Patrick, thats a fantastic layout. I could have very easily lay down this week and said 'feck it' - but after seeing your recent pictures I am full of ideas. Firstly, something I realised, echoed by Wrenneire is that a layout doesn't need to be full of clutter, or have too much going on. Instead yours oozes atmosphere. This has given me an idea. Outside Omagh there are one or two bridges still in place that carried the GNRi over the Camowen River, not far from where my dad lived as a boy when his father manned the level crossing at Edenderry and lived there in a house provided by the GNRi (built on sleepers that were driven into the ground like modern day piles). This would give my layout the atmosphere it needs and the other bridge closer to town was where the Portadown line branched off to the Market Branch and crossed over the road adjacent to the same river. This is all single track with lots of grass and bushes either side of the line. Thanks for sharing this wonderful piece of work.

jhb, I joined this forum one year ago exactly tomorrow. I need a break from it..........

Junctionmad, if you say so.............. Would make a great title for a book, or a film........ "The Railway that never Was"

PaulC, so glad you posted.I'm sorry you are confused and I guess I am even more confused. I totally agree with your comments and in particular the fact that there is a lot going on - I didn't realise that until I actually looked at the drawing, looked at some 00 gauge track and looked at my available space. Yes, it certainly has too much happening. Furthermore, when I think back to my youth and recall the railway that passed the back of my house, it was a single line on a raised embankment and nothing but grass and landscape either side. My approach, as you rightly pointed out, there is little scope for scenics. Well PaulC, thank you kindly for stopping me in my tracks - I honestly do appreciate it.

Who is forum admin - I need to ask a question

Rich, I've removed the cross-overs, they were there to hold the double track parallel as I formed the curves on that corner. It has been replaced with a Y-junction which was at the South Cabin in Omagh. The Portadown line is reduced to a dead-end and will be masked by a stationary wagon in the back scene. The turntable is now in place as it was but I've lost space for the double engine shed next to the turntable. Later I can look at this when its printed and sitting on my baseboards. I'm sure I'll be able to get it in. Just a thought-the Portadown and Enniskillen lines both left Omagh from double to single line track. As I leave the station area (top left) I could reduce to a single line and fit the shed in, though I'd need another point (top right) to get my double line back again.