N Scale Ballywillan, Co Longford.

[derek]

This sounds like its going to be amazing Kevin. And your fantastic buildings will finally be displayed to the best effect. You have your work cut out for you, but with your level of production, it should be a doddle for you. Really looking forward to seeing this coming on. Oh, and in my humble opinion, your second layout on the other side of the room should be Limerick. Would love to see  that. But then I might be a little biased. Great childhood memories of going into Colbert Station and walking right up to the rumbling 141s as they idled at the platform. Even putting hands on them. Different times.

[Kevin Sweeney]

12 hours ago, derek said:

This sounds like its going to be amazing Kevin. And your fantastic buildings will finally be displayed to the best effect. You have your work cut out for you, but with your level of production, it should be a doddle for you. Really looking forward to seeing this coming on. Oh, and in my humble opinion, your second layout on the other side of the room should be Limerick. Would love to see  that. But then I might be a little biased. Great childhood memories of going into Colbert Station and walking right up to the rumbling 141s as they idled at the platform. Even putting hands on them. Different times.

I'm also thinking Limerick, but made as a through station, with a train shed. I have a drawing of it, I got at the Irish Architectural Archive exhibition last year. I love Limerick, it's a beautiful city, now that you mention it I'm thinking maybe of basing the city section on Limerick. Lots of great Georgian architecture, and beautiful buildings like the Hunt Museum and St Mary's Cathedral. I like the Railway hotel as well.

[Kevin Sweeney]

I'm working on the Distillery and have really come to appreciate the Cricut cutting machine. It banged out this set of parts in about 20 minutes last night, while I drank coffee. It would have taken many, many hours to cut this lot out by hand.

 

[derek]

10 hours ago, Kevin Sweeney said:

I'm also thinking Limerick, but made as a through station, with a train shed. I have a drawing of it, I got at the Irish Architectural Archive exhibition last year. I love Limerick, it's a beautiful city, now that you mention it I'm thinking maybe of basing the city section on Limerick. Lots of great Georgian architecture, and beautiful buildings like the Hunt Museum and St Mary's Cathedral. I like the Railway hotel as well.

 

 

The whole area around the station has been going through a lot of upgrading lately. The forecourt of Colbert has been totally opened up with the front walls and railings being removed. I fear for the future of the Railway Hotel if/when a sale goes through. Hopefully the facade will remain, whatever becomes of it.

[Kevin Sweeney]

2 hours ago, derek said:

The whole area around the station has been going through a lot of upgrading lately. The forecourt of Colbert has been totally opened up with the front walls and railings being removed. I fear for the future of the Railway Hotel if/when a sale goes through. Hopefully the facade will remain, whatever becomes of it.

It always amazes me how feeble the statuary protection of our built heritage is in this state. Our neighbours in the UK for all their failing have rigorous and well enforced laws to protect historically important buildings like this. Hopefully the hotel (or at least its façade) will survive.

[derek]

20 hours ago, Kevin Sweeney said:

It always amazes me how feeble the statuary protection of our built heritage is in this state. Our neighbours in the UK for all their failing have rigorous and well enforced laws to protect historically important buildings like this. Hopefully the hotel (or at least its façade) will survive.

Yes, I agree. Working as a joiner over the years, I can't believe the things that are replaced instead of preserved. UK way ahead of us on that score.

[Kevin Sweeney]

Making good progress with the distillery. There are an epic number of windows in it, so I have spent much of the last few days cutting out tiny squares. I find it strangely therapeutic. I'm about 2/3 of the way there with the windows. Unfortunately the windows are too fine for the cutting machine.

 

I've decided to use the Ballywillan station house and goods shed for the country station. I will need to remake the foot bridge and shelter from the Crossdoney diorama. I'm going to use Noel's track plan for Gort, which will give me good shunting operations at the station.

I'm almost there with the cork road bed, so track laying is next. it's been a steep learning curve for me, with track laying and wiring, but Youtube has been invaluable.

 

 

Edited December 14, 2023 by Kevin Sweeney

[Kevin Sweeney]

 

The distillery begins to take shape.

I still haven’t laid any track yet, which is fine as I’m refining the track plan. Rather than store trains under the scenery in the rural section, the new plan is to build a fiddle yard on the branch line between the two scenic sections of the layout. This would mean moving about the room to three different control panels to run the full layout, or it could be run by three people.

I was going to use some compression on the rural station, but I have lots of room and can go full size with the station. Right now, I’m thinking of platforms 800 mm long.

I’m using Anyrail software to refine my idea about the scenery and trackwork. This is the plan so far. I was anxious to get track layed, until I saw a good maxim, lay track in haste, repent at leisure. So I think taking another week or two will be beneficial and refine the plan some more.

I am also thinking about making the baseboard for the city section and getting all the track layed.

This is where the plan is right now

[Kevin Sweeney]

More progress on the distillery. The big building will require a full A4 page of Scalescenes slates.

[popeye]

That's just beautiful. 

[Kevin Sweeney]

1 hour ago, popeye said:

That's just beautiful. 

I knew when I say the plans I had to build it. Not only because it will make a great centre piece for the layout, but because I'm a whiskey drinker.

[Kevin Sweeney]

More progress on the distillery.

 

[Gabhal Luimnigh]

Fabulous work

[Patrick Davey]

Wow that's a super prototype and a great model Kevin!

[Kevin Sweeney]

2 hours ago, Patrick Davey said:

Wow that's a super prototype and a great model Kevin!

Thanks Patrick. It will make a great centre piece for the rural section of my layout.

[derek]

8 hours ago, Kevin Sweeney said:

More progress on the distillery.

 

Fantastic building as usual Kevin. Methinks you are addicted to the  buildings side of things at this stage. Keep it up. Who needs trains?

[Kevin Sweeney]

15 minutes ago, derek said:

Fantastic building as usual Kevin. Methinks you are addicted to the  buildings side of things at this stage. Keep it up. Who needs trains?

You've diagnosed my syndrome perfectly, I keep threating to lay track but get distracted by another bloody building. I was ranting recently to my wife about the 13 year schedule to open the Navan Dublin line, and she replied your a fine one to talk, your railway is taking almost as long to build. I need to dedicate an hour or two every day to actually building my railway, but the road to hell is paved with good intentions, or in my case with interesting buildings.

[David Holman]

It's a hobby, so meant to be enjoyed. Allegedly...

However, still a case of some things being less enjoyable than others. In my case, ballasting, brake gear (all types), painting stonework, to name just three. Half an hour a day generally gets things done, but the adage of a bit of what you fancy doing you good also applies. And why not, when you (and us) can sit back and enjoy another creation?

[Kevin Sweeney]

More progress on the distillery. The big job of the last few weeks has been making slates, but well on with it now.

 

[Tullygrainey]

Beautiful, painstaking work Kevin. The slate work is exceptional. I have to keep reminding myself this is 2mm stuff. 

[Patrick Davey]

Intoxicating!  You must have a good head on you.  Plenty of proof.  Sorry….

The distillery is exceptional, and I concur that it is hard to believe this is N gauge! 

[David Holman]

Yep, that's a wow from me too.

[Kevin Sweeney]

Getting there with the distillery. It has taken almost four A4 sheets of slates to roof it.

 

[Gabhal Luimnigh]

Fair dues 

[derek]

On 24/1/2024 at 11:54 AM, Kevin Sweeney said:

Getting there with the distillery. It has taken almost four A4 sheets of slates to roof it.

 

Amazing Kevin. No other words needed

[derek]

On 10/12/2023 at 9:42 PM, Kevin Sweeney said:

It always amazes me how feeble the statuary protection of our built heritage is in this state. Our neighbours in the UK for all their failing have rigorous and well enforced laws to protect historically important buildings like this. Hopefully the hotel (or at least its façade) will survive.

Kevin, following on from what we were saying about old archictecture  being replaced instead of preserved, it brought to mind a job I was involved with last year on the clock tower of St. Josephs Hospital on Mulgrave street  in Limerick. I had the job of replicating the old facades which were crumbling. It made a very nice change from the daily humdrum of standard joinery. These photos show before and after in the workshop and the new work in place on the tower. Had to make one for each face. We also replaced the louvres on the corners, but not quite as enjoyable. The elliptical sections are 5 foot by 3 foot although they look a lot smaller on the tower. Sorry for hijacking your thread, but I thought you would like to see this.

[Kevin Sweeney]

1 hour ago, derek said:

Kevin, following on from what we were saying about old archictecture  being replaced instead of preserved, it brought to mind a job I was involved with last year on the clock tower of St. Josephs Hospital on Mulgrave street  in Limerick. I had the job of replicating the old facades which were crumbling. It made a very nice change from the daily humdrum of standard joinery. These photos show before and after in the workshop and the new work in place on the tower. Had to make one for each face. We also replaced the louvres on the corners, but not quite as enjoyable. The elliptical sections are 5 foot by 3 foot although they look a lot smaller on the tower. Sorry for hijacking your thread, but I thought you would like to see this.

It's great to see this kind of work being done, protecting our heritage rather than sweeping it away, and replacing it with post modern junk. A particularly awful example from my own area. was the destruction of this farmhouse and yard, which was demolished completely some years back, only the hayshed is left. It was a really good example of a house that started as a single story thatched building and was extended as the family came up in the world during the 19th century. It was a great example of an upwardly mobile 19th century catholic family home. In Northern Ireland it would have been a listed building, instead it became rubble and was used as fill for the foundations of the modern house that replaced it.

[derek]

isgrace

7 minutes ago, Kevin Sweeney said:

It's great to see this kind of work being done, protecting our heritage rather than sweeping it away, and replacing it with post modern junk. A particularly awful example from my own area. was the destruction of this farmhouse and yard, which was demolished completely some years back, only the hayshed is left. It was a really good example of a house that started as a single story thatched building and was extended as the family came up in the world during the 19th century. It was a great example of an upwardly mobile 19th century catholic family home. In Northern Ireland it would have been a listed building, instead it became rubble and was used as fill for the foundations of the modern house that replaced it.

Real shame to hear it went to fill foundations. All we have left of this carry on is the great photos that forward thinking people took.

[Kevin Sweeney]

Getting very close to finishing the distillery. All that's left is capping for chimney, hood for malt kiln, two large tanks and downpipes. This by far the biggest build I've yet done.

[David Holman]

Splendid.

[Metrovik]

Beautiful work on that distillery, May I ask how you made the roof slates?

[Patrick Davey]

Just amazing - lovely lovely work!!

[Kevin Sweeney]

On 3/2/2024 at 8:12 PM, Metrovik said:

Beautiful work on that distillery, May I ask how you made the roof slates?

They are Scalescenes slates.

TX18a Slate Roof Tiles – Scalescenes

[Kevin Sweeney]

I got distracted again, and as so often before it was by Michael at Chandwell on youtube. Over the last few weeks he has been building an Indian restaurant on his layout. Because he was making an interior in the building, he made it from the inside out. He started with a floor plan and then created a wall plan, and then built a carcase. Then he made the walls to fit the carcase.

I have always made buildings by making walls first, then making the structure to fit the walls. I have always started at one end, with a gable wall and worked the building out as I went along. This is a very inefficient way to work. Why not try the Chandwell method I thought

I started on Friday morning with a plan of Kilmore Church of Ireland Cathedral, this is where I'm at after about 35 hours work. I lost a lot of time in that 35 hours, learning as I was going. But even so I am very happy with progress, as of this evening.

I have cut all base layers with the cutting machine, done all the wall textures in Inkscape. I have a lot of slates left over from the distillery. I have all the drawings done now. I am making serious progress in a very short time, just by changing my working method.

 

The first pieces.

The wall panels are being held in place with blue tac.

.

The tower wall panels have been added

 

The buttresses were cut with the cutting machine.

 

 

[Tullygrainey]

This isn’t model making, it’s miniature architecture! Wonderful work Kevin. Really impressive.