RIP the Derry Road

[Galteemore]

Doubtless yesterday @leslie10646hoisted his flag to half mast and spent the day poring over his logs. For it marked 60 years since the last wheel turned on the Derry Road in normal service. The following pic is offered in mute tribute to those GNRI staff who made the line what it was - I almost felt I knew the whole thing vicariously via my dad’s memories, although I never knew what it was to hear a Big D barking out of Pomeroy. 

[leslie10646]

Alas, David, I didn't give it a thought! My granddaughter's birthday.

Although, to be honest, I was continuing my fight with Plastkard, embossed brick, window material etc in my attempts to produce something vaguely like the buildings on Platform 4 at Portadown. William Redpath will laugh when he sees it after his magnificent effort.

Anyway, "In Honour of the Day" as Mrs Crachett said when asked to drink Scrooge's health (like asking us to drink Henry Benson's health?):

I can't give you a "Big D" but its smaller cousin in the form of UTA No.38  - formerly GNR(I) Class SG2 No. 16 setting off from Portadown with a freight for the Derry Road after the July Holidays in 1964.

Photo by the late Lance King                                                                     Copyright the Irish Railway Record Society

Staying in the Dickensian mode, Tiny Tim might have uttered: "God Bless GEORGE GLOVER everyone"?

Edited Sunday at 19:25 by leslie10646

[Galteemore]

Both worthy activities Leslie!  Is the loco sporting an NCC smokebox wheel? Needs a new capuchon too….but what a lovely photo 

[leslie10646]

Oh, all right then. You might as well have the whole NCC loco!

Class W No. 91 shunting the yard at Pomeroy. 22 August 1964.

Photo by the late Lance King                                                                  Copyright the Irish Railway Record Society

To save me endlessly appeasing you - a GNR locomotive climbing Carrickmore! UTA No. 40 ex GNR(I) Class SG2 No. 18 on a goods for Derry the same day.

Photo by the late Lance King                                                                  Copyright the Irish Railway Record Society

 

Edited Sunday at 19:54 by leslie10646

[Mol_PMB]

Super and inspiring photos! Interesting to see three block trains of goods vans - no opens, flats, containers, cattle etc.

 

[airfixfan]

Last trains were February 14 1965. Doing a talk about this and my Strabane book launch in Donegal Heritage Railway Museum next Sunday

[Galteemore]

Of course, thanks Jim. BUT 134 worked back to Belfast after midnight on 14th but was not carrying anyone. Officially anyway…

[jhb171achill]

2 hours ago, Galteemore said:

Doubtless yesterday @leslie10646hoisted his flag to half mast and spent the day poring over his logs. For it marked 60 years since the last wheel turned on the Derry Road in normal service. The following pic is offered in mute tribute to those GNRI staff who made the line what it was - I almost felt I knew the whole thing vicariously via my dad’s memories, although I never knew what it was to hear a Big D barking out of Pomeroy. 

I join in your commemoration!

[leslie10646]

I mentioned why my mind was elsewhere. Here's why - no laughing (Patrick, I am NOT!!!) ...

.

It's meant to be the semi-hidden water tower behind the wall of Platform 4 at Portadown. There are only the vaguest photos of it - the one I used was taken from the other end of the Bann Bridge. When you look at this thing, from the same point it'll look OK. 

Just off to order laser cut quoins for the other corners! The door is Wills, but the rest is scratch.

 

 

Edited Sunday at 23:03 by leslie10646

[Patrick Davey]

2 hours ago, leslie10646 said:

I mentioned why my mind was elsewhere. Here's why - no laughing (Patrick, I am NOT!!!) ...

.

It's meant to be the semi-hidden water tower behind the wall of Platform 4 at Portadown. There are only the vaguest photos of it - the one I used was taken from the other end of the Bann Bridge. When you look at this thing, from the same point it'll look OK. 

Just off to order laser cut quoins for the other corners! The door is Wills, but the rest is scratch.

 

 

Leslie that’s very nice sir!  Unusual prototype but really looks the part!  Keep going!

[David Holman]

Looks good to me Leslie!

 An article in the latest MRJ shows that there were significant scaffolding type structures inside water tanks - all to do with the enormous weight pressing on the sides of the tanks. Fairly sure not many of us, me included, put such things in our models.

 Probably boils down to not seeing into the tanks from ground level, though where our models are concerned, the view is reversed as we are mostly looking down on them.

[leslie10646]

David, you're right to point that out. Having (once) been in 186's tender, I was amazed at the framework (I was nineteen at the time).

Also, I was castigated by Richard McLachlan for not putting struts inside my GNR Coal wagons (but I did, correctly, in my beet wagons).

Where this tank is going to be, even I won't see it -  and having tried to put a semblance of water in it - I think that I will cheat, which my lack of skill usually dictates!

[Galteemore]

Looks a great bit of work Leslie - always more satisfying to make it yourself ! 

[Markleman]

Leslie

As part of his brief Benson was expected to recommend shutting the entire NI system down, but he rejected total closure. He proposed retaining a suburban service run using "austere but clean and not uncomfortable" trains (which is what almost happened). He also proposed reopening the Central Line which had been unlawfully severed, new rolling stock, and increased frequencies.

The 1961 "Blue Book" had envisaged closing the entire NI system within ten years. Benson, only two years later, said that some should be kept.

He says that he was assured that "by 1966 the roads from Belfast to Londonderry with be almost entirely good trunk road or motorways", which is not true in 2025 and looks like taking many years yet to achieve.

The UTA was quite capable of closing railway lines without asking anyone (other than a rubber stamp from the Transport Tribunal). By asking Benson they accidentally spoiled their plans to shut the whole thing.

I am not about to drink a toast to his health (which is rather a moot point in 2025) but without him there would have been no NIR at all, no RPSI, and no railway North of the Border.

[Markleman]

Actually, he was assured "by 1966 the roads from Belfast to Londonderry via Portadown will be almost entirely good trunk road or motorways". He was also told of the soon to be built Belfast urban motorway connecting the motorways from Bangor and Carryduff.