Colin R

I totally agree with you, a new build loco has to be of use and as much as we would like to have everything that has ever operated, a heritage railway places a different kind of restrain on what locos you need. Should it come to pass and that Downpatrick was able to rebuild back to Ardglass and or just to the outside of Newcastle, then the sort of locos you need will be much different to those you have now. I do not know the trackbed on the BCDR and what operational problems may exist, so I am hesitant to suggest a type of loco that might be nice to have but totally unsuitable for the heritage operation. If a new loco was required then why not look at one of the old BCDR 4-4-2T designs? as it must have been suitable for the operations back then so it should be OK now. Of course we still have the old SL&NCR 0-6-4T which as far as I am aware has never worked since it was taken into preservation, could this be a suitable candidate to be restored for future BCDR operations?

Out of all the locos in 4mm scale I am most surprised that no one has made a kit of this one. Colin

Hi all Sorry if this has been asked before, but where would I find the loading gauge for the different part's of the Irish broad gauge railway system, I have the various narrow gauge ones, but not the broad gauge version. Something else which bothers me is how many of the Irish Railway coaches had straight sides? I can see that some had a tumblehome but others where straight. I might as well get this one out of the way as well, I know the different parts of the CIE had their own track arrangements, but I was wondering if anyone can tell me which companies used 2, 3 or 4 hole fixings for rail chairs and different rail lengths and weights. Regards Colin

I would agree with you but if money was no object why not build a new one in 12 inches to the foot scale, sure would be quicker to get running and to extend the BCDR to a rebuilt station at Ardglass, we can but dream.

Should we not forget that if the Derry Road had survived until today may be and just may be the Sligo, Leitrim and Northern Counties Railway would have done as well?

Hi can I just add that if you can and have the space try to design your layout to use the largest radius point work. In OO a 3ft radius curve is equal to a 3 chain curve or 66 (real) feet and in modelling terms that would still be to small, I am not sure what the minimum radius is on the main Irish railways, but a real 6ft or 2 meter curve in OO is much more desirable in modelling terms if you have the space. This in not mine and I have nothing to do with it but found this on the web:- https://www.thespruce.com/model-train-track-minimum-curve-issues-2382061

Hi all. Just signing in to let you know you have a new (for now) lurker on the site. I have plenty of questions for you guys, so I hope you can point me in the right direction to find the answers I am looking for. So a little bit about me (sorry if this goes on a bit to long), well I am in my late fifties (but I don't feel it), I am semi retired, I have been interest in narrow gauge railways most of my life, with the Lynton and Barnstaple Railway in North Devon being my prime railway. It is a toss up sometimes between that and the Donegal as I just so happen to love big narrow gauge steam engines and both supply those in bucket loads. I got in to the Irish narrow gauge scene via the late David Lloyd who had built the layout the Augher Valley back in the early 1960's and later went on to build the layout Coolcalaghta (which sadly has disappeared off the face of the modelling world). It was all his fault that I got introduced to both the Swilly and the Donegal railways. Since then I have been building up a collection of OOn3 kits for the one day I will get around to it model railway layout which will include bits from all over Ireland just like the Cavan and Leitrim became in the end. It was while I was doing some of my unfinished research that I took a look over the fence and came across the World of the Irish broad gauge, wow now this is what I like, having looked around there is so much modelling potential that I don't think you could fit it all in on just one layout. Currently I am thinking of something like Strabane in the 1930 - 60's period when steam was king as this would allow for both narrow gauge and broad gauge trains to run. However I don't need to tell you folks that finding Irish broad gauge steam locos and rolling stock kits in 4mm/21mm gauge is not the easiest thing in the World. It is the main reason why I think the Irish BG has been so hard to come by, but that is slowly changing, there are still not enough layouts with an Irish feel on the exhibition circuit or appearing in the modelling press, but I am hoping that is also changing. I have also been thinking about building just a broad gauge layout based on Ballyglunin. Why that station? Well over here in the UK we are having a period when the John Wayne film the Quiet Man is on one of the tv channels at least once a week and the write up tells us that the above station is where all the action took place. The only problem I have at the moment is trying to identify the class of steam loco used in the film so any help would be appreciated. Well that is where I am at the moment, but it could all change tomorrow as coming across the Irish broad gauge system it is like a child walking into the sweet shop and not knowing what to buy. If space was no problem, one station I would love to model and that would be Downpatrick as it was before it was bulldozed. I am having great difficulties finding photos of the station from the road side and anywhere in the yard area or any of the other railway buildings as well, the best I can do is to base the model on just the track plan in Desmond Coakhams book on the BCDR. Regards Colin