Tales From The Sketchbook

Nestor · August 2, 2023

Good evening all

One of my favourite pastimes whilst not having space for a layout is filling sketchbooks with a multitude of outlandish layout plans. Having a long term interest in Irish Railways (amongst many others) results in quite a few sketches based on Irish Prototypes.

These are plans in the loosest sense and more a way of getting down some ideas. Below I’m sharing two mirrored variations on a loft or large room layout based on the once proposed but never taken seriously route from Westport to Louisburgh in County Mayo. I’ve titled it the Clew Bay Line. The station layouts are taken from the Clifden Route in Connemara. I particularly like the long and thin terminus design. Scenery would be taking various aspects of the Clew Bay Area and combining them into sort of a “best of”. This includes an indulgence of having the cottage where my Grandfather and his wife spent the majority of my childhood in the hamlet of Devlin North way out beyond Louisburgh off the road to Silver Strand.
Highly unlikely to ever get built but still a fun idea. Maybe set sometime around 1910 to include the MGWR’s lovely green livery…

I think I prefer the second configuration. The fiddle yard is neither here nor there, just a suggestion.

If people are interested I’ll share a few more sketches.

Nestor

Flying Snail · August 2, 2023

Yes, please do continue to share your sketches!!!

Gabhal Luimnigh · August 2, 2023

Keep them coming, they look great.

the Bandon tank · August 2, 2023

They look fantastic, I have just bought a new railway shed, 6 meters x 3 meters and I am building baseboards at the moment, around the perimeter and I have not a clue what to put on it.

hat to put on it.

Nestor · August 2, 2023

5 minutes ago, the Bandon tank said:

They look fantastic, I have just bought a new railway shed, 6 meters x 3 meters and I am building baseboards at the moment, around the perimeter and I have not a clue what to put on it.

hat to put on it.

All depends on where your interests lie? The advantage of not having any space for a proper layout is that the sketchbook has no limitations. There are plans for everything from Bavarian Lokalbahn to Welsh Narrow Gauge routes and Victorian LBSCR termini… I’ll stick to the Irish in this place.

Nestor

the Bandon tank · August 2, 2023

My interest is defineitly

My interest is definitely Irish, all my stock is Irish.

Mayner · August 2, 2023

2 hours ago, Nestor said:

Good evening all

One of my favourite pastimes whilst not having space for a layout is filling sketchbooks with a multitude of outlandish layout plans. Having a long term interest in Irish Railways (amongst many others) results in quite a few sketches based on Irish Prototypes.

These are plans in the loosest sense and more a way of getting down some ideas. Below I’m sharing two mirrored variations on a loft or large room layout based on the once proposed but never taken seriously route from Westport to Louisburgh in County Mayo. I’ve titled it the Clew Bay Line. The station layouts are taken from the Clifden Route in Connemara. I particularly like the long and thin terminus design. Scenery would be taking various aspects of the Clew Bay Area and combining them into sort of a “best of”. This includes an indulgence of having the cottage where my Grandfather and his wife spent the majority of my childhood in the hamlet of Devlin North way out beyond Louisburgh off the road to Silver Strand.
Highly unlikely to ever get built but still a fun idea. Maybe set sometime around 1910 to include the MGWR’s lovely green livery…

I think I prefer the second configuration. The fiddle yard is neither here nor there, just a suggestion.

If people are interested I’ll share a few more sketches.

Nestor

Very nice sketchplans, I dreamed up several fictional schemes in my teens including a largish island off the coast of Wicklow with its own railway system (independent of CIE or BR) and a short sea crossing to mid Wales. The Island had a mining and heavy industrial base not unlike South Wales and a strong sense of identity most likely populated by people of Scandanavian and Celtic descent.

Later schemes were based mainly in real places the main themes were an independent line from Dublin to the South-East via Blessington, and down the Slaney Valley to Enniscorthy and a second main line from Tullow though New-Ross to Fethard with a 'branch" to Waterford, most of this system closed during the Todd-Andrews/1st McKinsey era apart from the Blessington line which survived as a commuter rote and to serve a cement factory at Belgard.

The other theme was a narrow gauge network in the Dublin area with 3' narrow gauge lines from the Liberties area of Dublin to Blessington and Ballymore Eustace, light railway extensions of the Dublin and Lucan to Celbridge, Clane and Sallins and "Fingal" narrow gauge system linking the narrow gauge lines to the South of the City with the GNR main line at Gormonstown winding its way through Clondalkin, Blanchardstown, Ratoath, Ashborne, Garristown and the Naul carefully avoiding Slane, Balbriggan or Drogheda!

jhb171achill · August 2, 2023

Mine was a teenage doodle - still repeated today on the back of newspapers, envelopes and odd bits of paper..... it envisages that the one-time proposal to build the Achill line to 3ft gauge was in fact carried out. From just west of Mulrany (Mallaranny to the MGWR), at Owenduff, there was a line striking north across a long stone viaduct over Bellacragher Bay (this was indeed also proposed at one time). This headed north through Ballycroy to bangor Erris, where it joined an also-proposeed line from Ballina, via Crossmolina, to Belmullet line. It also had a 3ft gauge line running parallel with the 5 fut 3 down to Westport Quay.

A large 3ft gauge system.

In my idea, it's the 1960s. CIE have transferred in a motley selection of whatever dregs were left over in Ennis and Ballinamore, where they mingle with stuff acquired from the closed CDR, and whatever was left of the indigenous "West Mayo Railway" stock, the latter giving licence for scratchbuilding.

Being the 1960s.... has anyone ever seen photos of 3ft gauge 121s, as operating in several places in places like Central America? They existed; may still do.

So, what's running on this system were the last two ex-T&D 2.6.0Ts, as there were kits available. There's also the last West Mayo loco available as a back up - a Swilly-type 4.8.0 or something like that. Maybe a 4.6.2.

The three "F" class locos and these, plus maybe three x 3ft gauge 121s share goods trains, and let's say that there is heavy turf traffic too from near Newport - again, this actually did nearly happen. Passenger services are shared by another couple of 121s hauling the West Clare railcar trailers and the rebuilt C&L coach 1L - modern stuff at the time - with perhaps a couple of old T&D coaches rescued from the C & L. Mostly, though, it will be assumed that the 4 West Clare railcars went up there in 1961, to join another 4 they already had, plus Donegal 19 & 20. There were kits avilable of these things.

All in all, had history been slightly different, and Todd Andrews emigrated to Wyoming at age 15, a quite plausible set up.

Sadly, life got in the way then, some fifty five years ago, as it still does; but the doodles keep being re-hashed on a slow day. Must do one now.

Nestor · August 2, 2023

All of my Irish schemes have either been based on said imaginary line out toward Louisburgh with some heading further to Roonagh Point to connect with Clare Island and Inishturk. The suggestion comes from one very short paragraph in the Achill Island Line book which talks about a proposal put forward by some local land owners. It was ignored by the MGWR unsurprisingly. My suggestion would be that a line would mostly skirt the coast line via Mursk at the foot of Crough Patrick before passing the road to Old Head (the basis for a small diorama some years back) and into Louisburgh.
I spent a lot of summers in this area due to my Grandfather and always thought there was scope for a lovely railway. Others have been based on the Achill Line directly or I’m sure I have one or two based on the Wee Donegal.
Will share some more tomorrow.

Nestor · August 3, 2023

Good morning

The next one I’m far less keen on. It’s based on Westport Town and Quay stations and incorporates the viaduct carrying the Achill Line.
Whilst when doing these sketches I’m not normally fussed by the dimensions but here it bothers me that it doesn’t add up. That being said, the overall idea I think still works so I may well rework it, hopefully including a more accurate representation of the Goods Yard at the Town station.

Nestor

jhb171achill · August 3, 2023

6 hours ago, Nestor said:

Good morning

The next one I’m far less keen on. It’s based on Westport Town and Quay stations and incorporates the viaduct carrying the Achill Line.
Whilst when doing these sketches I’m not normally fussed by the dimensions but here it bothers me that it doesn’t add up. That being said, the overall idea I think still works so I may well rework it, hopefully including a more accurate representation of the Goods Yard at the Town station.

Nestor

I like that!! Would make an excellent layout!

Nestor · August 3, 2023

On the subject of Westport, I have a memory of a model railway on platform two in the waiting room. Does anyone know if this a) actually existed and b) is still there?

Nestor

Nestor · August 3, 2023

Evening all

The next two are both based on locations from the County Donegal. These would be exhibition layouts with an emphasis on landscape and scenic interest over operational interest. That being said Ballyshannon has BLT appeal. Apologies for the awkward angles and shadows, I don’t have a scanner and the light has been trash today.

I like the idea of an exhibition layout with the long curved backscene to give a good immersive diorama feel. The focus here would certainly be on the country setting and the trains as part of the landscape.

Here is the immersive idea comes from the viewing side being within the curve of the terminus.

Both sketches are based on photos and plans in the excellent Last Days of the Wee Donegal.

Nestor

Nestor · August 5, 2023

Good morning

Back to highly unlikely and space consuming today with another home based idea. Ignore that I’ve called one stop Westport, this would represent Louisburgh on a route from Westport which splits at Lousiburgh with a line to Roonagh Point and another towards Silver Strand. Roonagh Point is based on Achill’s trackplan whilst Louisburgh takes inspiration from Westport. I really like the track plan at Achill but it would make for a very wide layout. It sprawls out quite dramatically for such a quiet terminus.

I have also included a scenic section that would involve a model of the famous Clapper Bridge, another staple of the childhood visits to County Mayo.

The Fiddle Yard would sit under or behind Roonagh. If under then the two lines running to it would on a gradient.

I have a few more sketches to share if the interest is still there?

Nestor

Edited August 5, 2023 by Nestor
Forgot last two paragraphs

Nestor · August 6, 2023

Last one for a bit. Another spin on the Roonagh terminus. Track layout based on Achill but buildings based on Westport as I like the stonework there.
This could be quite a nice exhibition layout and a nice demonstration of 21mm gauge track. Some wind swept scenery around the track with a hint of the ocean and Clare Island on the backscene. Traffic could be interesting with goods for the islands as well as some local passenger to connect with the ferries. Some rather liberal bending of realistic traffic levels to keep it interesting of course.

Nestor

Nestor · August 14, 2023

Happy Monday

A new sketch thrown together over the last week. Very very loosely inspired by Sligo but could be easily renamed to be anywhere vaguely West Coast on the MGWR. A large layout for a loft or similar sized space, primarily with operation in mind.

Nestor

Galteemore · August 14, 2023

Excellent- always thought Ballysodare would be a great model. MGW, WLW and SLNC traffic all passing through.

Patrick Davey · August 14, 2023

Lovely stuff!!!

jhb171achill · August 14, 2023

2 hours ago, Galteemore said:

Excellent- always thought Ballysodare would be a great model. MGW, WLW and SLNC traffic all passing through.

As well as Polloxfen's Mill siding!

Nestor · August 15, 2023

Thanks gang

I have a soft spot for taking the names and most basic of geography of a selection of lines and creating a total fiction around them. Not something I would build but certainly admire the idea.
Comes from seeing an older member of my old club’s loft layout extremely loosely based on the lines and branches around Upwey in Dorset.

Layout has been dismantled for several years now but I understand some sections have been reappropriated for another layout.

Nestor

Galteemore · August 15, 2023

Classic - style of layout I recall with affection from old ‘Railway Modeller’ magazines.

Nestor · August 15, 2023

7 minutes ago, Galteemore said:

Classic - style of layout I recall with affection from old ‘Railway Modeller’ magazines.

Very much so, a full system to operate. The layout included main line Roundy Roundy with a branch line and secondary twig of that. All the stock was either kit or scratch built, took minimum 4 people to operate.
I only ever had one visit but it’s stuck with me. Somewhat off subject but oh well…

Modelling by Doug Hill.