Iriish track layouts

[dawdawes]

Hi all

My names Dave Dawes i am an avid n scale modeller and am looking at modelling an Irish Railways branch line.

Where would be the best place to get prototype track plans/layouts ?

cheers

Dave Dawes

http://www.dawdawes.com

[josefstadt]

Hi Dave. Welcome on to the site.

If you want reasonably contemporary layouts, the Quail Map Co published two editions of its book of Irish track diagrams in 1995 (1st ed) and 2004 (2nd ed).

For historic diagrams you could try the Ordnance Survey online map viewer (http://maps.osi.ie/publicviewer/#V1,599997,749998,0,10) Select the 'Historic 25"' option and then zoom in to the full extent on your desired location you will get details of the track layout at that station. I'm not sure of the exact date but it's around the late 1800s / early 1900s. For example if you follow this link http://maps.osi.ie/publicviewer/#V1,519569,763768,7,9 you will get Ballinrobe in Co Mayo.

The Irish Railway Record Society (Heuston Station, Dublin 8) has copies of signal cabin diagrams for most of the Irish stations but you would probably have to visit there to consult them. Also they only cover the parts of the stations etc worked from a cabin, not areas with hand points.

[Dave]

Welcome to the site Dave try http://www.freetrackplans.com for some ideas. They are UK layouts, but may be helpful.

[burnthebox]

Hi & welcome to the site Dave, I don't know much about Irish Branch lines, I should of course, but you'l get that info on here, lot's of help available on here, just ask,

[jhb171achill]

Dave, what type of prototype would you be thinking of? Large city, small through station, small terminus? Bear in mind as a starter that the vast majority of all irish lines were (and are) single track. Loco roundhouses were exceptionally rare - very low single figures and all (both!) on the GNR. City termini outside Dublin rarely had more than two platforms; indeed one city terminus IN Dublin just had one. Just a few thoughts.........

[dawdawes]

Not sure at the m,maybe a small termini or through stn on a branch,trying to keep the whole thing compact

[jhb171achill]

As upsets tart says, I would check out that info. Generally, small country termini would have one goods platform with separate area for loading cattle and a goods shed, and one passenger platform at which the run round loop was generally situated. Perhaps 3 or 4 sidings. Compared with GB you wouldn't have much in the way of private owner sidings, though some existed and one would make a nice addition to the layout. A small loco shed, maybe one or two roads, and a turntable would complete the picture, as would an adjacent station master's house....

[jhb171achill]

Damn!!!!!!!!!! You'll laugh at this, but this iPad turned "josefstadt" into "upsets tarts"!!!!!!! Did you see that?

[Dave]

Damn!!!!!!!!!! You'll laugh at this, but this iPad turned "josefstadt" into "upsets tarts"!!!!!!! Did you see that?

 

New nick name

[josefstadt]

Damn!!!!!!!!!! You'll laugh at this, but this iPad turned "josefstadt" into "upsets tarts"!!!!!!! Did you see that?

 

Bangs head off desk!

[Mike 84C]

Hi Dave,I recently bought copies of Oakwood Press"The Farranfore to Valencia Harbour Railway" vols 1&2 by Patrick O"Sullivan. Its a mine of information with many photographs and may provide the info you need. I rather like the station at Cahirciveen,for me its got the lot! Cattle pens, goods shed and siding, single platform & loop, single road engine shed with turntable and a village backdrop.

I also think Bantry on the C.B&S.C. fits the bill but I also like ships!

The downside of both is that large Irish locos ran on neither line but hey its your railway!

Regards Mike

[Mayner]

Dave

 

The Ordnance Survey online map viewer is a useful tool, current tracklayouts can be viewed on Street Map & post 1900 layouts on the 25" Historic.

 

Generally apart from some line and station closures track layouts & signalling remained relatively unchanged into the mid 70s, apart from the Cork and Belfast Line. Operating patterns were similar to the West Highland line in Scotland with a small number of loco hauled passenger trains and overnight goods or liner trains, apart from the main stations platform lengths tended to be short typically 4 coach length and train often over hung the platforms as train lengths increased from the 1970s onwards.

 

I suppose the choice of a through station or terminus depends on whether you prefer operation or simply watching the trains go bye, while Cahirciveen is pretty compact with a fairly extensive layout hemmed into a tight space space, a suburban station like Dalkey or Malahide where trains terminated would offer a lot more in terms of operation than a rural terminus.