Clogherhead - A GNR(I) Seaside Terminus

[Flying Snail]

Well Patrick, you certainly flushed out all the wee toilet jokers floating around the IRM forums!

Edited November 24, 2023 by Flying Snail

[Patrick Davey]

I suppose the collective name for a group of toilet puns would be a ‘chain’

[DJ Dangerous]

43 minutes ago, Patrick Davey said:

I suppose the collective name for a group of toilet puns would be a ‘chain’

 

What do you call the turd link in the chain?

[Patrick Davey]

Relief for Mr. Weaver

[Broithe]

I've suddenly started wondering if there was ever a railway through Feakle?

[DJ Dangerous]

8 hours ago, Broithe said:

I've suddenly started wondering if there was ever a railway through Feakle?

 

Does it Matter?

That one was a bit scatty, sorry.

[Galteemore]

Maybe Patrick needs to look at the Kenmare branch next…http://eiretrains.com/Photo_Gallery/Railway Stations L/Loo Bridge/IrishRailwayStations.html

[Patrick Davey]

2 hours ago, Galteemore said:

Maybe Patrick needs to look at the Kenmare branch next…http://eiretrains.com/Photo_Gallery/Railway Stations L/Loo Bridge/IrishRailwayStations.html

Was actually there last June!!!

11 hours ago, Broithe said:

I've suddenly started wondering if there was ever a railway through Feakle?

That’s gone over my head……!

[Galteemore]

Say it out loud Patrick. It’ll deposit in your mind eventually. And you really don’t want it going over your head!  

Edited November 25, 2023 by Galteemore

[Broithe]

30 minutes ago, Patrick Davey said:

That’s gone over my head……!

We've all had curries that have done that...

[Tullygrainey]

This has become a running joke

[Patrick Davey]

Getting back on topic before this thread descends further into the sewer…..

The toilet block is now finished, and I’ve added a small bit of weathering.

I’m not going to bother decorating the outside rear wall as there will hopefully be a small shed there and some vegetation.  The toilet block is based on one which I saw in a photograph of Aldergrove station.

It’s good to be approaching the end of this build, just the booking hall interior and platform canopy to go, along with some more general weathering and small details eg. posters, advertisements etc.

 

Edited November 25, 2023 by Patrick Davey

[Patrick Davey]

I had an unexpected few hours free this evening, so I started adding details to the building, including period advertisements, vegetation and weathering, and I also ‘frosted’ the lower panes of some of the windows.  I have some Irish travel posters which a friend is printing for me and I will hopefully add those tomorrow.  I’m thinking the derelict end of the building might have been over done a bit…..

[David Holman]

Lovely work, though sometimes 'less is more'. Really like the simulation of moss on the roof and ivy growing up the walls, but not sure about what is in the gutters or growing around the chimney pot and stack. Few plants of any size would grow in such positions: buddleia seems happy to grow out of brick walls, but most other things would need their roots to be in the ground.

[JasonB]

Fantastic piece of modelling. Love the finish on the roof tiles in particular.  

[Broithe]

Ballybrophy has some fine roof-garden features.

[Galteemore]

Patrick - this is looking really good. I like how this will stand as a contrast to Brookhall in terms of dereliction versus flourishing! I think that you could probably stand to lose the enamel signs, although I very much like them. The reason I say that is that by the late 60s-70s such items were already attractive to souvenir hunters and dealers. I spent much of my youth soaking up the atmosphere of semi-derelict stations, hence my enthusiasm for your project. All that generally remained was either utiltarian, financially valueless, or too costly to uproot. On an unstaffed station (and Clogherhead, I suspect, would have slumbered much of the week) the local gurriers would quickly have had these signs and other ‘portable property’ away. Same goes for the posters, which may not have had much attention or renewal since the line’s partial abandonment. What you could do, and quite authentically, is have a damaged poster or two visible through the windows. I was looking wistfully through my own small collection  of 7mm Irish posters and desperately feeling the desire to use them so I do understand your motives! 

Edited November 26, 2023 by Galteemore

[Patrick Davey]

2 hours ago, David Holman said:

Lovely work, though sometimes 'less is more'. Really like the simulation of moss on the roof and ivy growing up the walls, but not sure about what is in the gutters or growing around the chimney pot and stack. Few plants of any size would grow in such positions: buddleia seems happy to grow out of brick walls, but most other things would need their roots to be in the ground.

Spot on David - I knew there was something I wasn’t quite happy with and that’s exactly it, those clumps shall be removed and repositioned to ground level once the building is permanently fixed. Thanks!

[Patrick Davey]

1 hour ago, Galteemore said:

Patrick - this is looking really good. I like how this will stand as a contrast to Brookhall in terms of dereliction versus flourishing! I think that you could probably stand to lose the enamel signs, although I very much like them. The reason I say that is that by the late 60s-70s such items were already attractive to souvenir hunters and dealers. I spent much of my youth soaking up the atmosphere of semi-derelict stations, hence my enthusiasm for your project. All that generally remained was either utiltarian, financially valueless, or too costly to uproot. On an unstaffed station (and Clogherhead, I suspect, would have slumbered much of the week) the local gurriers would quickly have had these signs and other ‘portable property’ away. Same goes for the posters, which may not have had much attention or renewal since the line’s partial abandonment. What you could do, and quite authentically, is have a damaged poster or two visible through the windows. I was looking wistfully through my own small collection  of 7mm Irish posters and desperately feeling the desire to use them so I do understand your motives! 

More excellent advice, thanks, GM!  Clogherhead is intended to be something of an anomaly though with a basic passenger service through the week, and the remnants of holiday traffic at weekends, and also excursions, so the idea will be that the station would be manned during the day, even during the week, (anything to justify the frequent appearances of those MM & IRM diesels )

The booking hall interior will be fully detailed, so that’s a great idea about putting posters in there, and yes I think I’ll take down some of the external enamel ones as well.  Thanks  

[Galteemore]

That’s great Patrick - hadn’t realised the passengers were still on - sorry! I had Ardee or Castleisland in mind as they were up till 75 - freight only with occasional passenger specials. 

[Patrick Davey]

Couldn't resist!

 

And another:

 

Edited May 3 by Patrick Davey

[Tullygrainey]

[David Holman]

Great fun, but also brings the layout to life. And before you remove thereof foliage entirely, Broithe's photos of Ballybrophy are food for thought!

Edited November 26, 2023 by David Holman

[Patrick Davey]

Booking hall interior detail added, just some seating to be built - too late on Sunday evening now though  

[Galteemore]

Now that’s looking good. Know what you mean about time - always goes too fast when a projects’ going well! 

[David Holman]

Now that interior really is rather splendid.

[Mayner]

21 hours ago, Patrick Davey said:

More excellent advice, thanks, GM!  Clogherhead is intended to be something of an anomaly though with a basic passenger service through the week, and the remnants of holiday traffic at weekends, and also excursions, so the idea will be that the station would be manned during the day, even during the week, (anything to justify the frequent appearances of those MM & IRM diesels )

The booking hall interior will be fully detailed, so that’s a great idea about putting posters in there, and yes I think I’ll take down some of the external enamel ones as well.  Thanks  

Clogherhead seems to be a reasonably important fishing port, possibly a 4w or bogie luggage van on the 'early morning" Dublin commuter train with fresh fish for the Dublin Fish Market, the N1 Road north from Dublin was pretty horrendous until upgraded to motorway standards during the 1990s.

Cheap land and a commuter connection to Dublin would have been attractive to house builders during the 70s and 80s, companies that built in North Dublin in the 60s started buying relatively cheap building land in the Drogheda area during the 70s.

I am a bit conflicted by the neglect and dereliction of Clogherhead, quite different to my memories of stations on CIE branch and secondary lines during the 70s which tended to be maintained to a reasonable standard. CIE only seem to have cut back on building maintenance from the late 70s onwards, stations on lines that lost their regular passenger traffic during the 1960s were often fitted with 'modern' electric platform lighting and buildings painted in the 1960s corporate grey and white colour scheme.

 I guess the local CIE Area Manager decided the money was better spent on maintaining mainline stations than a branch line.

 

[Patrick Davey]

Interesting recollections thanks John @Mayner

My earliest recollections of railway travels are from around 1975 when my primary school class went on a school trip to Dublin from Great Victoria Street then family trips to Butlins etc. I also remember the excitement around Central Station opening but I was only 6 so can’t recall the finer details.

 

[Patrick Davey]

Wooden benches have been fitted to the booking hall, they don’t look particularly comfortable though

[Galteemore]

Can just imagine that room packed with soaked and miserable trippers on their way home  looks great 

[Patrick Davey]

A few views from around the station this evening, I am starting to get a sense of how it is going to look once the building has been fixed in position.  The nameboard & boat feature will be sunk into the platform surface rather than sitting on top like it is at the moment.  I have decided I don’t like the red brick platform walls, these will be replaced with dressed stone from Wills sheets - I’m still experimenting with painting these to get the desired effect.

 

[Patrick Davey]

A familiar face has turned up at Clogherhead…..

[Tullygrainey]

24 minutes ago, Patrick Davey said:

A familiar face has turned up at Clogherhead…..

Still needs a new suit I see

[Patrick Davey]

Spot the difference!

Before:

After:

Much better I think.

Edited December 1, 2023 by Patrick Davey

[Galteemore]

Are you fishing for compliments? Does look better. How did you paint the stone so well ?