Patricks Layout

[patrick]

Lovely work, Patrick.

 

Can I ask you, I noticed you're sticking with the tension-lock couplers on your stock.

Being from the other side of the pond I thought you would have converted them to Kadees.

Any particular reason you haven't?

 

No particular reason. They work for now so my limited resources went elsewhere. It is planned to convert to Kadees however, hopefully sooner rather than later.

[StevieB]

I'm gradually adopting Kadees - #19 are the recommended ones although I find my stock will go round 24"/61cm curves without trouble with #18 fitted - as a result, they look more realistic.

 

Stephen

[patrick]

 

Crossing keepers cottage made from a cut down Scalescenes downloadable lock keepers cottage kit. I hope to replace it with a better built model now that I have some practice building it.

[David Holman]

Sometimes, less is more - and this little scene = a lot

[Weshty]

Yup. Sweet.

[irishthump]

Stunning, as always!

[burnthebox]

Love that scene Patrick, so remote, isolated, perfect, btb

[Mayner]

I like the crossing keepers cottage, they were such a feature of the Waterford-Lismore line. All that's needed is herself looking after the gates a lineside vegetable garden and washing line

[Junctionmad]

My memory of the gates on that line ( from the 70s) was they were of that peculiar Cie double heavy beam on top with bits hanging down ( sorry about the description ) rather then a conventional gate design

[patrick]

I like the crossing keepers cottage, they were such a feature of the Waterford-Lismore line. All that's needed is herself looking after the gates a lineside vegetable garden and washing line

 

 

Thanks for the suggestion John!

[DiveController]

Ha-Hah! Excellent, Patrick. I presume you've thrown a few seeds in the ground also

[patrick]

 

Junctionmad is correct in his comments about the level crossing gates. The current ones are adapted from a Wills kit. Replacing the round British style targets with the red X immediately makes them more Irish. An SSM level crossing gates kit is on hand only waiting to be built

[closetmodeller]

Just spent a happy hour or so looking at your photos of Patrick's Layout. Wonderful model. Really creative.

[patrick]

 

There hasn't been much progress on the layout due to my work schedule in the last six months. Hopefully that will change soon. We still enjoy operating from time to time though.

[patrick]

[Kirley]

Good to seeing you posting again Patrick.

[jhb171achill]

That layout absolutely oozes atmosphere better than about anything I've ever seen. Excellent work - keep the updates coming!

 

I'll make representations to the RPSI to send a train down there........... !

[josefstadt]

Classic, as usual, Patrick!

[patrick]

 

A few more photos from the most recent operating session.

[dave182]

Hi Patrick. I always get excited when I see a new post from you and your amazing layout! I've looked over the thread on many ocasions from start to finish and it's very inspirational! I see you neighbour Bruce operates trains occasionally. How do your American friends react to the layout? I'm a fan of operational based layouts and I love the concept of ops nights that you see on big american club layouts, but I guess they would find the short trains and minimal scenery and trackwork a curiosity?! Keep posting, I could never tire of pictures of this layout!

[The Derry Road]

Lovely layout Patrick. Very neat and typically Irish scenes. Keep the pics coming. TDR

[David Holman]

Superb presentation. Well done sir!

[enniscorthyman]

I love when you post up photos-fantastic.

[Mike 84C]

I like the way you have melded American layout operation and construction with Irish railway scenes. Please keep posting

[DiveController]

Love photos from your layout, Patrick. Very Irish indeed=D

[StevieB]

Patrick

 

Have you ever been approached about getting your layout in print in either British or American model railway magazines? I think it would go down a storm.

 

Stephen

[BosKonay]

Patrick Have you ever been approached about getting your layout in print in either British or American model railway magazines? I think it would go down a storm. Stephen

 

Hear hear!!

[patrick]

Unfortunately my circle of friends and acquaintances over here doesn't include any railway/railroad modelers and the nearest club is 50 miles away. Our neighbor Bruce has a passing interest in railways and enjoys following progress on the layout and operating from time to time. The layout is located in what was originally a windowless storage room at the bottom of the stairs in our split level condo which the previous owner opened up by removing a non load bearing wall and turned into a "multi media room". Maureen agreed that the area could be used for a model railway and continue along the walls of the corridor as long as it looked tidy, hence the valance, fascia and drapes. The aisles are kept clear making it very comfortable to view and operate the layout. When we have company the layout lighting is left on encouraging visitors to take a tour of "the hills of Ireland" as the layout is known in our household and always receives very favorable comments. Most visitors are very surprised at the presentation, expecting an 8X4 foot sheet of plywood with track on it on a table in the middle of the floor!

As regards minimal scenery and trackwork, i don't think this as a curiosity. There seems to be quiet a movement over here towards shelf style switching layouts in recent years and larger layouts with narrow benchwork emphasizing the railroad letting an effective backdrop providing depth.

I am flattered at the suggestion that an article on the layout could be published in a magazine. To be honest I am not a great craftsman. Many of my models are crude imitations. The layout succeeds as a whole (in my opinion) because I try to keep all the elements era appropriate, avoid overcrowding and study prototype photos and model the mundane and typical. I am also an advocate of Allen Mc Clelland's (of Virginian and Ohio model railroad fame) good enough philosophy. The idea is that not all the elements of a model railway have to be super detailed but "good enough" to work together to paint a convincing big picture.

[josefstadt]

To be honest I am not a great craftsman.

 

Rubbish Patrick! You are indeed a great craftsman. Your might consider your layout to have 'minimal scenery and trackwork' but yours is spot on. And while you might consider many of your models to be 'crude imitations' they too are spot on. The images of, for example, the B141 trundling through the rolling countryside with a short goods train perfectly captures to essence of the Irish railway scene in the 1960s / 70s. As such, your layout certainly deserves to be considered for a magazine article.

[fishplate7]

Patrick. I totally agree with josefstadt and all of the other posts here. I grew up in the era you are modelling, 1970's black and tan A class locos, loose couple goods, single line mechanical staff exchange, etc., I spent all my spare time on a single line section of the MGWR, working the frame, changing the road, locking bars, pulling off signals etc. all under the watchful eye of wonderful signalmen who made my dream come true! Your layout transports me back to those days!. It is an absolute joy to look at it and to see how you have developed it over the years. Its 'minimalist' nature is its strength and joy! You have perfectly captured this era, and as josefstadt says 'you are indeed a great craftsman'! It has atmosphere by the bucketloads! Some day soon I hope to start work on my own model of similar era in the not too distant future. I have a long, long way to go to scale the heights you have already reached, but I will try! Please, please keep posting Patrick! Many thanks indeed. Eamonn

[Mayner]

Great looking layout Patrick, the walk around layout and presentation really lift it above the average. Signals would really finish it off and confuse American railroaders!

[Noel]

Very nice. I love the rural and natural atmosphere of this layout. It oozes nostalgia.

[jhb171achill]

I thought immediately of this layout when looking over some papers tonight and finding a small handwritten note of my father's from a long-ago-forgotten grice in the south east....

 

"Loco B135, 2 x 4W vans + 2 coaches 9.20 ex Rosslare Harbour, Macmine Junction."

 

The vans were silver "tin vans". A clue to modellers, all that time ago, of what a typical passenger train was in those times - early 1960s. he mentions that one of the coaches was numbered 2101 - a laminate, I think?

 

On the same bit of paper he has written details of train times between Newry and Dundalk. This puzzles me, as he doesn't mention Goraghwood - what we NOW know as "Newry" was then Bessbrook station - and it was closed.

[patrick]

 

Over the last few years I have been frustrated attempting to assemble SSM signal kits mainly due to the difficulty soldering small parts. Since the layout needs 12 signals an easier construction method was needed. Here is what I came up with. Substitute 2mm Plastistruct rod for the brass tube. 2mm square plastic strip is used for the semaphore mount and short sections of L girder is used to support the lamp. The weight arm is brass strip and all the pivots are track nails. Not as close to scale as the orignal parts but much easier to construct.

[David Holman]

Gilding the lily, Patrick. As others have said, your layout would make a fine feature in magazines. Suggest you get in touch with Railway Modeller - am sure they would be interested.