Patricks Layout

[DiveController]

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?

2101 would fall into the GSR 2090 series composites and I think this system was continued by CIE. It's likely that one 4w van was the HLV behind B135 with a second 4w luggage van or hooded van.

[Mayner]

The Rosslare Harbour-Macmine may have been the North Wexford passenger some of the Waterford trains worked to and from Wexford, Westand Row-Rosslare services were railcar worked often with ex GNR BUT railcars.

 

There are several colour photos of the North Wexford passenger train before it went over to diesel in the two Irish Railway in Colour albums published by Tom Ferris about 20 years ago. The usual steam hauled consist seem to have been one or two GSWR or GSR coaches in green sandwiched between a pair of tarnished silver luggage vans.

 

Its difficult to see CIE bothering to provide more modern black and tan stock & a heating van when the service went over to diesel haulage before the line closed

 

The Dapol GWR signals with the finial chopped off new arms and a re-paint might be an option for signalling the layout.

Edited July 23, 2016 by Mayner

[jhb171achill]

Its difficult to see CIE bothering to provide more modern black and tan stock & a heating van when the service went over to diesel haulage before the line closed.

 

Yes, the consists seem to have been somewhat random, but that's actually a very interesting feature of the early 1960s, appropriate given the planned launch of a model 121 in grey and yellow.

 

Elderly six wheel coaches or brakes mingled with laminates of various types, wooden bogies of GSWR* origin, and new Park Royals and "tin vans". Green, black'n'tan and unpainted dirty aluminium mingled as well.

 

Branch lines sometimes did have a tin van at either end of even a short conduct. I would guess that what my dad saw was the two coaches with a tin van at either end, though I recall a picture of a Ballina train with two tin vans at one end; another in the late sixties with a laminate or two followed by a then new BR van, and THAT followed by a tin van!

 

Nowadays, the standard consists of identical stock are just plain boring!

 

* By the 1960s, a "cull" had taken place of older wooden stock. Most surviving DSER stock had gone, and what was left of Midland stuff was mostly the hardy standard six wheelers. Curiously, most GSWR six wheelers had gone, and almost all DSER ones! West Cork retained just two or three ex Bandon coaches, mostly for Courtmacsherry excursions because they were of short length.

Edited July 23, 2016 by jhb171achill

[DiveController]

Yes, the consists seem to have been somewhat random, but that's actually a very interesting feature of the early 1960s, appropriate given the planned launch of a model 121 in grey and yellow.

 

Elderly six wheel coaches or brakes mingled with laminates of various types, wooden bogies of GSWR* origin, and new Park Royals and "tin vans". Green, black'n'tan and unpainted dirty aluminium mingled as well.

 

Branch lines sometimes did have a tin van at either end of even a short conduct. I would guess that what my dad saw was the two coaches with a tin van at either end, though I recall a picture of a Ballina train with two tin vans at one end; another in the late sixties with a laminate or two followed by a then new BR van, and THAT followed by a tin van!

 

Nowadays, the standard consists of identical stock are just plain boring!

 

* By the 1960s, a "cull" had taken place of older wooden stock. Most surviving DSER stock had gone, and what was left of Midland stuff was mostly the hardy standard six wheelers. Curiously, most GSWR six wheelers had gone, and almost all DSER ones! West Cork retained just two or three ex Bandon coaches, mostly for Courtmacsherry excursions because they were of short length.

The 1950s and 1960s has become a very interesting period for me in terms of the rolling stock, with a huge variety of pre CIE stock still in traffic or sidelined for more occasional use, especially in the 1950s. Unfortunately I arrived a decade or two too late for all of that:((

[patrick]

 

A50 on Waterford Cork goods at Keilys Cross October 1970.

[DiveController]

Lovely shot of the A, like them in that livery with the large warning rectangle.

[Noel]

What an atmospheric scene. Nice photo.

[Mayner]

I like the distinctive Irish gates

[craven1508]

lovely setting.... perfection.

[David Holman]

Indeed, the Land Rover compliments the scene nicely too.

[patrick]

 

Goods train at Grange.

[jhb171achill]

Lovely. Brilliantly atmospheric. What a layout should be. I'm looking at that scene and thinking that if I can find 35p in my pocket, I can get a pint of Double Diamond and a packet of King Crisps in Foley's down the road, before the long drive back to Dublin through small towns and villages on narrow potholed roads in my Morris Minor. And there's the daily "E" class red and cream CIE bus in the square delivering bundles of the Irish Press to the newsagents....

[jhb171achill]

Just curiosity - is there a reason the trains cross on opposite sides to normal? There were a few rare examples in real life.

[dave182]

'Just curiosity - is there a reason the trains cross on opposite sides to normal? There were a few rare examples in real life.'

 

Not sure about that Jhb. Rathdrum would be one I can think of, to allow laden fert trains power up the incline without having to slow to cross points. Enfield springs to mind also for some reason

[Mayner]

Just curiosity - is there a reason the trains cross on opposite sides to normal? There were a few rare examples in real life.

 

More or less standard practice at the majority single line passing places with bi-directional signalling on CIE. Seems to have started when mechanical staff exchange was introduced on the Midland Mallow-Rosslare & NCC main lines to allow non-stop running through single line crossing places.

 

Both roads are signalled for two way running, one road is aligned for high speed running and the other road treated as a loop. Most crossing places on CIE were signalled for two way running, scheduled trains usually brought in on the main platform road to do station work.

 

On the Mayo Line Roscommon was the exception where normal up and down running continued through the platform roads after the Athlone-Roscommon was signalled in the early 1930s. At other stations Up and down trains usually called at the platform with the main station building, though Ballyhaunis could be an exception with through trains signalled along the down loop when the cabin was switched out.

[billyboy]

I am impressed, I wish my layout could look that good.

[patrick]

 

 

 

 

 

I spent this evening running trains and taking photos. The second photo shows Cork fiddle yard.

[Mayner]

 

 

 

 

 

I spent this evening running trains and taking photos. The second photo shows Cork fiddle yard.

 

The photo of the VW Combi van under the viaduct takes me back of have a photo somewhere of my nearly new Rover 214SI parked under Stradally Viaduct during a weekend gricing the remains of the WDLR from Fermoy to Waterford.

[craven1508]

mmmmm lovely stuff this!

[Noel]

Super scenes. I just love this layout and its beautiful scenery.

[enniscorthyman]

Very enjoyable to see.

[StevieB]

Nice to see some more photos of this very realistic representation of the Cork to Waterford line, albeit not the one actually built.

 

Stephen

[Weshty]

Love it. The viaduct shot is just so on the money.

[Sulzer201]

Class layout, lovely atmosphere with period liverys and rolling stock, what we wouldn't do to get back to those days.

[patrick]

 

I picked up some strip wood which seemed about right for making sleepers at a craft shop yesterday and it led to an enjoyable one evening project. The roof is plasticard covered with fine black sandpaper. It still needs a door and probably should have a window, I could not find any photos of Irish platelayers huts online so much of it is based on my own recollections of a similar one which was once in Tralee.

[popeye]

Very nice. small details can make a big difference.

[patrick]

 

The first three Provincial Wagons H Vans have been assembled and painted. I am waiting for Railtek tan roundals with CIE in white to finish them.

[StevieB]

Patrick

 

Another delightful scene - the H vans really look the part.

 

Stephen

[jhb171achill]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]25975[/ATTACH]

 

I picked up some strip wood which seemed about right for making sleepers at a craft shop yesterday and it led to an enjoyable one evening project. The roof is plasticard covered with fine black sandpaper. It still needs a door and probably should have a window, I could not find any photos of Irish platelayers huts online so much of it is based on my own recollections of a similar one which was once in Tralee.

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]26155[/ATTACH]

 

 

 

 

The first three Provincial Wagons H Vans have been assembled and painted. I am waiting for Railtek tan roundals with CIE in white to finish them.

 

Leslie's "H" vans really ARE the business.

 

Outstandingly realistic - absolutely superb! Beware of roundels though - on these vans in this era they't be tan rim and white letters, rather than all white; not sure if anyone does those.... Confusingly, wooden open wagons all white! I know it's only a detail, but that whole scene is straight out of a photo of 1967 otherwise!

[patrick]

 

Ten H vans are currently under construction and will add hugely to the atmosphere of the layout. Most will be grey with the tan and white CIE roundal {available from Railtek)since most of my palvans and 12 ton ex GN vans are brown. This will keep the brown/grey ratio at about fifty fifty as jhb suggests. When starting the layout the idea was to cover the eras from the late sixties to the mid seventies however I have now decided to concentrate on 1973-1974 during the transition to the then new supertrain colour scheme. The black Metrovicks and railcar will come out occasionally for photos. Hopefully next on the workbench will be Leslie's Bulleid opens which will replace my own much inferior home made versions.

[flange lubricator]

great stuff Patrick , the palvans interspersed among Leslie's H vans would be very realistic for that period.

[patrick]

 

The Railtek transfers arrived today and applied to the first two H vans.

[jhb171achill]

D R O O L !!!!!

 

Congrats to Leslie, Railtek, the layout.... the standard of Irish stuff is getting SERIOUSLY better every tear. the "H" van has been probably the most glaringly obvious omission. No amount of BR vans of all shapes and sizes look right behind an Irish locomotive!

 

Absolutely superb stuff all round.

[enniscorthyman]

Very nice.

[Weshty]

Oh , very very tasty. That ;ate 60's vibe down to a tee.

 

By the way, where did you get those pallets? They look verty well.