GNRi1959

Low relief girder bridge at North side of Omagh. Used a sheet of plasticard to block out background fixtures in room for the photograph.

Well, actually I am there all day at the College. However, I can slip away for a couple of hours. If there was a shop that would suit.

Anyone know if a model railway shop exists in Portadown. I'll be there Friday and could pass an hour or two......

Eoin, sometimes the obvious is staring you in the face and it takes someone to give you a good kick up the ass! Thanks, it looks great.

Anyone got 4mm scale letters they are not using for my name board - need the letters OMAGH - please. This would save me the trouble of buying full sets for 5 letters.

Once I have connected my points to manual operation I wanted to start ground cover and ballast. What material would you suggest I use in the goods yard area where there would be nothing other than earth thats been trampled over and saturated in oil etc. Is there a scatter material I should use or a paint?

I don't imagine so, not sure. I will message Selwyn today and arrange for him to visit.There are a number of GNRi men still in Omagh whom I know.

Scratchbuild lineside huts in Omagh. The Permanent Way store, the Carpenters store and a Nissan hut that stored all sorts. Worked from photographs in collection.

I've decided not to use my modellers liberty and bring the footbridge forward, so its been scrapped. Bringing the footbridge closer also requires me to scratch build the water storage tank and gentleman toilet. I built these on another layout 30 years ago so we don't need to go there again. Instead, I'm staying on plan and doing the North road bridge (in low profile) and then focussing on point control. Once thats out of the way, i'll ballast the track. No more buildings, then set some cash aside for GNRi wagon stock.

Thanks for that. Here is one of only two colour pictures I have of the footbridge in Omagh. Would I be right in saying that the ironwork on this bridge was green and that the corrugated panels cream thats been weathered. Any other comments welcome

Great two days spent in Dublin, trip on Enterprise was fantastic and I also managed to visit MARKS MODELS which really impressed me. It was bitter cold but thats Ireland.

Going down to Dublin on the train via Portadown. So sad that I'm not starting the train journey in Omagh but thats history! Can anyone recommend any good model railway shops where I might pick up something GNRi.I'll be there till Friday though I don't expect shops to be open then.

To create a scenic break I am scratchbuilding a footbridge to run across the platforms at Omagh. This construction is quite easy to do from plasticard, corrugated plastic and platicard strips to resemble the iron work. The criss-cross angle iron is quite unique and I was wonder what width these strips should be approx.

I have returned to this thread as I need to start seriously working on my point controls. After many weeks of research I am convinced that I am not going to spend the money needed to electrify ten points on a small shunting layout, its money that will be hidden under the baseboard and could be used with better effect above the baseboard. I have found to date that curtain wire and a wire insert is the most effective means of providing a 'push and pull effect'. Andy's method of connecting the rods to the paintwork and switching is also my preferred method. I'm carrying out a few tests today with various types of wire and then I'm going to have to start work.

Will do Nelson. Have to sit down tonight and study the single brake lever system and draw it too. Will keep you posted.

The same drawing copied so that two wagons can be cut from a single sheet of acrylic. I've watched this machine operate and its amazing! Also a cheap way of producing dis-used parked vans along the trackside.

AutoCad drawings I done last night for GNRi 9 ton van based on the dimensions taken in 2011 and posted on this website by Noel Dempster. The white are cut lines and green are score lines to show timber panelling. Small 0.3diameter holes and in red but may not be visable. I'm going to ask our design lecturer to run this drawing through the new laser cutter on acrylic sheet and I'll report back next week on the results. As you can see it is built up in two layers. The timber framing layered over the sheeting behind. The W-irons and springs will have to come from MJT or similar since the laser doesn't perform in 3d. I could use their 3d printer but metal parts are readily available. The slight lack of 'curve' on the van ends is a display problem with autoCad, but it prints fine. By the way, is Noel still around?

Some of the drivers I knew of became UTA bus drivers, furniture removal men or school lollypop men!

This is a fascinating layout. It oozes detail, realism and life. It is one to draw much inspiration from, well done and thank you for sharing.

Bought some nice photos of Omagh from a private collector £2 each - this shows how important the station was and should still be today, beautiful isn't it?

Glover, that is certainly one of my questions because I have photographs of Brewster/Stevensons and Inglis containers all in Omagh and not forgetting the Provincial Wagons fleet!

Thanks everyone. Tonight I'm calling on the home of Joe McGrew who was a boy porter with the GNRi at Omagh and progressed to shunter. We'll be talking about everything that was happening in Omagh and his daily duties as a shunter. I'll report back during the week.

Truly amazing. I wish I was there.

Omagh North Progress - Some life is coming into the layout though not until my 1950s Bachmann staff arrive! I've finished the platforms, added a little detail (wall and fencing) and the name board awaits the Slaters Alphabet - bought today on eBay for £2.99 - bargain. I have yet to do a final paint of the stonework on the goods yard shed, lighten the colours and bring out the detail. At the other end, the card mock up of the bridge looks good and this will be fashioned out of Wills rough stone, I have the plate girder bridge panels, ready to go. The rolling stock is all rubbish that I have lying around and a new Christmas pressies loco that I use to test the track. I have yet not got round to automating my point work or even thinking of ballast.

I think if I were to continue investing money and time in scratch building - I could have bought as many RTR kits and supported the sterling effort of the companies here.