Florencecourt - a slice of SLNC

[Galteemore]

Recent analysis of my modelling revealed some key principles ;

1. Building stock is fun but would be nice to run trains properly. Rosses Point is a great stock shuffler but you can’t run bigger trains.

2. Rosses Point proved the concept of building SLNC stock, so can reasonably confidently attempt an SLNC layout without having to add in a safety net of CIE stuff from commercial kits.

3. We have very little permanent space available. So any layout will have to be portable with detachable fiddle etc.

4. It would be nice to model something real rather than my own pastiche, just to stretch myself a bit further and learn more. Could I take some 120’ scale slice of the SLNC and model it?

 

Enter Florencecourt. A simple but delightful station, which conveniently had the turnouts just away from the 120’ cutoff in the slice from level crossing to platform end!  It will be a cameo layout on Ricean principles, with cassettes either end. How boring, you say as you espy the track plan! It is, however, a four layered project….

1. The layout itself. The intent is to build this to scale as close as possible - point rodding, the works. So a lot of detail to work out and attempt to emulate. The viewpoint is assumed to be standing on the goods platform with the sheds behind you. I’d like to model them but they are a view block just where you don’t want it!

2. The stock. This will all have to be built from scratch essentially. So lots of work and research. Scope for oddities too like the GN weed spray.

3. The running. It will run to the WTT of 1950, 57 or earlier as required. With occasional wild cards such as a loco running to the works and of course cattle trains.

4. The operation. Eventually Belcoo and Enniskillen fiddle yards will have model block instruments and the plan is to signal the layout - even if by pure scale the signals are in the FY! 

 

 

 

Edited December 17, 2021 by Galteemore

[Mayner]

 Florencecourt is very unusual in being a single line block post without a crossing loop though with Staff & Ticket working the risk of a head would have been fairly low, it would be tempting to add another baseboard for exhibitions or occasional set up to run longer trains 7-8 wagon goods trains. It might even blossom into a 7mm SLNCR Modellers Group with different members building models of the smaller stations a 21st Century follow on from Richard Chowns Castlerackrent.

You won't need much in the line of motive power SSM Leitrim kit or two along with your Large Tank would fill out the motive power roster, the Railbuses and Railcar would be the most challenging. 

The open wooded countryside much more achievable than the more rugged Leitrim and Sligo Countryside.

[Galteemore]

Thanks John - dead right on every count, although Dromahair and Glenfarne had unorthodox crossing arrangements too…. You can manage the basic WTT with 3 power units, if you assume that the 1115 goods didn’t run. So a daily freight from Sligo to Enniskillen and return, with 2 passenger sets either steam or railbus/railcar. I do have a small tank kit to hand, and a few railcar drawings…..

Indeed, this will lend itself to modular operation nicely. Could easily have a few open scenery ones, and a halt like Abohill or Kilmakerrill……

Edited December 17, 2021 by Galteemore

[Angus]

Looking forward to watching this one develop Galteemore.

[Irishrailwayman]

7 hours ago, Galteemore said:

Thanks John - dead right on every count, although Dromahair and Glenfarne had unorthodox crossing arrangements too…. You can manage the basic WTT with 3 power units, if you assume that the 1115 goods didn’t run. So a daily freight from Sligo to Enniskillen and return, with 2 passenger sets either steam or railbus/railcar. I do have a small tank kit to hand, and a few railcar drawings…..

Indeed, this will lend itself to modular operation nicely. Could easily have a few open scenery ones, and a halt like Abohill or Kilmakerrill……

Great project. BTW Alphagraphix do very nice card kits in 4mm and 7mm of the station at Florencecourt and of the SLNCR signal cabins. Attached photos are of the 7mm kits built by John Walker Wexford MRC (I have the 4mm versions on my "Ballybeg" 4mm layout).

[LARNE CABIN]

9 hours ago, Galteemore said:

 

Enter Florencecourt. 

The layout itself. The intent is to build this to scale as close as possible - point rodding, the works. So a lot of detail to work out and attempt to emulate. The viewpoint is assumed to be standing on the goods platform with the sheds behind you. I’d like to model them but they are a view block just where you don’t want it!

 

 

As you know, @Galteemore , I love to see people model real locations and based on the excellence of your previous projects, this promises to be something special, so looking forward to seeing it develope.

[airfixfan]

Looks great David

[David Holman]

Sounds great to me! The concept is just that little bit different, yet eminently achievable.

 As I discovered with Fintonagh, you don't need a huge space to create a layout that is interesting to operate, while Iain Rice and Chris Nevard, the gurus of cameo layouts have long proved how much enjoyment can be had in modelling a small space really well.

 Already clear I am not alone in looking forward to seeing this one develop.

 

 

 

[J-Mo Arts]

Looking forward to seeing how this great project develops! 

[Galteemore]

What I did in my Christmas holidays…..taking the proceeds of Rosses Point, I visited a local timber merchant and purchased a large quantity of ply, timber and Kingspan. Throw it all together and we get this….lightweight baseboards on folding trestles. Basic idea is a 50mm slab of Kingspan which sits on 2 girders of 4mm ply/12 by 33 timber. The girders were made by clamping/gluing a strip of 4mm ply to a length of 12 by 33 overnight. 
4mm ply ends, braced with more 12 by 33 mounting blocks for the split hinges. Trestles are 21 by 44 with butt hinges.
 

The centre board will have the cameo style proscenium arch eventually. A few more tweaks yet, such as adjustable feet and chains on the trestles. But so far it all seems to work…not the most exciting stuff to be doing but get this wrong and you’re just storing up trouble…...

 

Edited January 4, 2022 by Galteemore

[jhb171achill]

If I set that up in our landing, I would get into very serious trouble with the Dept. of Domestic Matters (Planning, Clearing & Tidying Division)....

[Galteemore]

That’s the delight of it, JB - it’s designed to go up or down within two minutes….each baseboard can be lifted with one finger….

[KMCE]

Looks excellent - like the idea of the Polyurethane & those trestles look good!

[David Holman]

Looks like the new project is going to be built on firm foundations!

[Galteemore]

One of my favourite pieces of railway writing is a description of the 7:20 from Enniskillen by NW Newcombe, who described ‘Enniskillen’ struggling on Kilmakerrill bank at 16mph, issuing tremendous gouts of black and red smoke. The completion of Brake 2 means that I now have the complete consist modelled. When the smooth talking @David Holmanlured me in to 36.75mm, the 7:20 was the goal I aimed at making! So thanks David. Just need to build the layout now! Everything here is scratch built over the past few years and if I can do this, anyone can ! Note the white tailboard - and also just how big an H van is….

Edited September 4, 2022 by Galteemore

[jhb171achill]

I love the "distressed maroon" on the coach! In later years, there were three categories of "livery" on at least two of their coaches - bare, faded bleached wood where all paint had long peeled off, and damp was getting into the timber; twenty layers of dull brake dust; and what was left of the maroon paint, now faded to a nondescript pinkish-brown!

There was just one coach which got a nice new coat of the dark maroon towards the end - one of the bogies.

Great description of the 07:20, though why on earth there was black smoke while ON a gradient is a puzzle - any fireman worth his salt would have put on a fire going downhill, not uphill!

That's an amazing model of the whole train - it captures the down-at-heel look of the railway in its later days perfectly. It would be interesting to see a decent selection of pictures of when everything was pristine and new, though it didn't last long. Yes, a layout is needed now!

[jhb171achill]

Worth adding, when jhb171Senior was in Enniskillen, he was very friendly with both the SLNCR's general manager (G W Egan) & Traffic Manager (E W Mongahan). The latter was perpetually sorely embarrassed by the state of their passenger stock and preferred the railcar (B). The old railbuses were clapped out too and to Monaghan equally embarrassing!

As a result, at every opportunity he could, if there was a loco-hauled special, he would prefer to borrow equally elderly ex-MGWR six-wheelers from CIE in Sligo, as they were better looked after and more presentable to the public, or an elderly bogie or two from the GNR's spare stock at Clones!

As it happens, I am unaware of any CIE bogie stock, let alone corridor stock, ever traversing the line. There's a nice shot in one of Charles Friel's books of an excursion arriving in Enniskillen off the SLNCR with two MGWR 6-wheelers (in CIE green) in the midst of it. So Enniskillen did see its "flying snails" on more than wagons! A few more years and who knows - a Crossley or Sulzer diesel?

[David Holman]

A fine combination that epitomizes the Sligo - straight out of the Neil Sprinks photo album. Indeed, for such a small, impoverished railway, the SLNCR is remarkably well served for modellers in 7mm sca!e with kits of the Small Tanks and all manner of stock and buildings in the Alphagraphix catalogue.

 Ok, ready to run it ain't, but the results are very convincing and definitely something to be proud of!

[Patrick Davey]

As a huge fan of the SLNCR this layout is of great interest - I love the train formation!!  I have tried to visit Florencecourt on a few occasions but a barking dog has scared me off each time....

A wonderful subject for a layout and I will be looking forward to seeing it develop GM.