The end of the line?

[Mayner]

The C&L closed at the end of March 1959, the final train was a double header with most of the available coaches that were just about fit for service.

 

 

Not to be outdone a double header was run over the Keadue branch with Dingle engines 3T & 6T and a train made up of Cavan & Leitrim, Tralee and Dingle and Clogher Valley stock.

 

 

Shortly afterwards the road was broken where the line crossed the L2 to the North West of town and track lifted back through the cutting towards the station.

 

 

Looking back from the L2 Sligo-Blackbull cross secondary road.

 

I decided to re-lay and ease the curve when the layout was out in the workshop as one of the C&L 4-4-0Ts used to stick on the curve. I thought it was worth taking the pictures as the imprint of the sleepers in the ballast looked like a recently lifted line. Luckily enough it was easy to remove the pva/ballast mix without damaging the foam rubber track underlay.

 

 

The Council finally paved the street in front of the background buildings though its barely wide enough for a mini.

 

 

The carriage shed received a coat of dark brown enamel and now needs to be painted/weathered so that it looks like it did not receive a lick of paint in 30 years.

 

 

I used the same brown enamel to give the turntable a rusty weathered look, the Peco HOm turntable has a steel rather than timber decking though I thought I would leave well enough alone. In real life a turntable would not have been allowed so close to a running line or tight up against the wall of a cutting, but it was a must have and there was no more space to fit it in.

 

A fault has opened at the back of the loco shed, revealing that Drumlins are actually made f expanded polystyrene and the Arigna Mountans and sky of 6mm MDF.

 

I have in filled the tracks in the loco shed with filler, then cleared out the flangeways with a sharp knife and the point of a small screwdriver, the area needs covering with fine scatter to represent 60 odd years accumulation of muck and ash.

Edited July 2, 2014 by Mayner

[Dave]

Lovely work John, I love the way you have the loose sleepers before the point.

[heirflick]

excelent.. a story with pictures - superb! love the shot where the the trackbed is all that remains of a little railway (..which in reality left communities devistated all over the country in the days) well done sir=D

[Mayner]

Like the Clonakilty branch in the 50s the rumours of lifting the Arigna-Sligo section appear at least a bit premature. The reserved section from the loco shed to the roadside section was quickly re-laid and trains are again running.

 

 

 

 

8L had the honours of taking the 1st westbound train with an urgent consignment from McArdles & PJ Carroll for Sligo with traffic diverted over the Belturbet Branch and C&L following the September 57 closure of the GNR lines through Enniskillen & the SLNCR main line.

 

 

On the day the line through Keadue seems to have been fierce busy with 3T preparing to work the daily mixed to Sligo and 6T working a goods.

 

[video=youtube;Lp-cfwBas1I]

 

 

 

Meaning I have finally sorted out the control system for the yard using a combination of hand held analogue controllers, with switching between sections controlled by Blue Point point actuators and a few fascia mounted section switches.

 

 

Edited July 20, 2014 by Mayner

[heirflick]

 

...my favourite clip - a timeless scene, worthy of a place in any exhibition=D

[Mayner]

Quite a sense of deja vu about this post!

Despite the re-lay the curved section between the loco shed and roadside section continued to give trouble, the C&L 4-4-0T locos would not operate reliably around the curve, while the Tillig points in the fiddle yard were a regular source of de-railments. 

I used Bemo (Shinohara) track and points on most of the layout with Tillig points and plain track in the fiddle yard as I was unable to source enough Bemo track to complete the layout. The  Bemo flexible track is quite fragile and a problem recently developed with 4w wagons dropping down between the rails on one (fairly inaccessible)section of the curve possibly as a result of gauge spread.

In the end drastic action was required and ended up relaying the main line from the loco shed to the fiddle yard with Tillig flexible track that I had in stock with Peco HOm points in the fiddle yard.

The original track was on a dense foam underlay, with the track glued in place with a water based glue  (possibly office or school glue)and ballast sprinkled on top.

I managed to lift the existing track without doing too much damage to the underlay and removed excess glue/ballast with a woodworking chisel before replacing the track.

Transition to the newly re-laid section. The track was laid across the baseboard joint, soldering the rails to copper clad sleepers on either side of the joint, before cutting through the rails with a razor saw.

Transition from reserve to roadside section. 

The C&L 4-4-0T tended to de-rail or physically stick on the curved section immediately to the right of the bridge and more recently wagons started to de-rail on this section.

I re-laid the track working round the curve from the loco shed testing with one of the 4-4-0s pinning the track in place once the loco operated reliably with the loco facing in each direction. Sometimes a loco would operate reliably when facing in one direction but de-rail when turned.

The track was originally laid with one length from the joint at the engine shed to a joint with the next section on the level crossing. In this case the curve was laid in a single length of flexible track to avoid a joint on the curve, with a shorter section to connect to the layout near the loco shed.

Again I tested the fiddle yard points with a loco before pinning the track in place. The Caboose Industries point levers have to go!

Replacing the Tilling points has freed up some space in this area possibly room for a semi-low relief C&L style halt/crossing keepers house to disguise the fiddle yard.

No 8 waits by the coal stage, before working a mixed to Boyle or possibly Sligo

Ready to depart No 8s livery/weathering is based on a photo of the loco in "Irish Railways in Colour" a Second Glance Tom Middlemass 1995

The station building is based on Drumshanbo before a second storey was added.

No 8 successfully hauled her train through to the fiddle yard shortly after the photo was taken & 6T arrived with an empty coal train.

I need to look at the C&L coach it tends to derail in one direction on the curve, but no problems with No8 or the Dingle 2-6-0Ts which are the mainstay of operation on this section of the C&L

[David Holman]

Fantastic! Reeks of atmosphere and feel sure Pat Whitehouse must be lurking somewhere.

[NIR]

4 hours ago, Mayner said:

Again I tested the fiddle yard points with a loco before pinning the track in place.

I'm growing to like the liminality of a scenic fiddle yard.

[Mayner]

It actually works!  Interestingly 8L has swapped a C&L brake composite for a pair of exT&D coaches on the return working.

Its possible Pat Whitehouse, Ivo Peters, Robin Clements & P J Flannigan have been chasing trains on the roadside section

 

[patrick]

I presume that's Ivory Peter's Bently in the third clip. Glad to see you got the running sorted out. Reliable running is a great initiative to continue working on a layout.

[jhb171achill]

13 hours ago, Mayner said:

Quite a sense of deja vu about this post!

Despite the re-lay the curved section between the loco shed and roadside section continued to give trouble, the C&L 4-4-0T locos would not operate reliably around the curve, while the Tillig points in the fiddle yard were a regular source of de-railments. 

I used Bemo (Shinohara) track and points on most of the layout with Tillig points and plain track in the fiddle yard as I was unable to source enough Bemo track to complete the layout. The  Bemo flexible track is quite fragile and a problem recently developed with 4w wagons dropping down between the rails on one (fairly inaccessible)section of the curve possibly as a result of gauge spread.

In the end drastic action was required and ended up relaying the main line from the loco shed to the fiddle yard with Tillig flexible track that I had in stock with Peco HOm points in the fiddle yard.

The original track was on a dense foam underlay, with the track glued in place with a water based glue  (possibly office or school glue)and ballast sprinkled on top.

I managed to lift the existing track without doing too much damage to the underlay and removed excess glue/ballast with a woodworking chisel before replacing the track.

Transition to the newly re-laid section. The track was laid across the baseboard joint, soldering the rails to copper clad sleepers on either side of the joint, before cutting through the rails with a razor saw.

Transition from reserve to roadside section. 

The C&L 4-4-0T tended to de-rail or physically stick on the curved section immediately to the right of the bridge and more recently wagons started to de-rail on this section.

I re-laid the track working round the curve from the loco shed testing with one of the 4-4-0s pinning the track in place once the loco operated reliably with the loco facing in each direction. Sometimes a loco would operate reliably when facing in one direction but de-rail when turned.

The track was originally laid with one length from the joint at the engine shed to a joint with the next section on the level crossing. In this case the curve was laid in a single length of flexible track to avoid a joint on the curve, with a shorter section to connect to the layout near the loco shed.

Again I tested the fiddle yard points with a loco before pinning the track in place. The Caboose Industries point levers have to go!

Replacing the Tilling points has freed up some space in this area possibly room for a semi-low relief C&L style halt/crossing keepers house to disguise the fiddle yard.

No 8 waits by the coal stage, before working a mixed to Boyle or possibly Sligo

Ready to depart No 8s livery/weathering is based on a photo of the loco in "Irish Railways in Colour" a Second Glance Tom Middlemass 1995

The station building is based on Drumshanbo before a second storey was added.

No 8 successfully hauled her train through to the fiddle yard shortly after the photo was taken & 6T arrived with an empty coal train.

I need to look at the C&L coach it tends to derail in one direction on the curve, but no problems with No8 or the Dingle 2-6-0Ts which are the mainstay of operation on this section of the C&L

Amazingly realistic weathering on the loco....

[Mayner]

1 hour ago, patrick said:

I presume that's Ivory Peter's Bently in the third clip. Glad to see you got the running sorted out. Reliable running is a great initiative to continue working on a layout.

I staged a shot once with a line up of photographers at the bridge, but they fell over in shock when the train swept around the curve.

I'll have to add a Bently at some stage, fuchsia hedging on the roadside section &  cattle wagons to go with the T&D engines for a Dingle fair special.

The next job is to adjust the couplers on the stock, return 2L to service before sorting out the scenics.

[jhb171achill]

2 hours ago, Mayner said:

It actually works!  Interestingly 8L has swapped a C&L brake composite for a pair of exT&D coaches on the return working.

Its possible Pat Whitehouse, Ivo Peters, Robin Clements & P J Flannigan have been chasing trains on the roadside section

 

I think I saw Sam Carse, James Boyd and Cyril Fry taking pics too - the latter two being kept well away from each other by the former!

If jhb171Senior was watching, he'd watch the train go past, have a flask of tea in his car, and go home.... without bringing his camera!

SUPERB scenes, John.

[Mayner]

Just to prove that an ex-T&D 2-6-0T will run round the curves on the tramway section.

6T with a short goods. 

The loco was the last of the "Kerrymen" to be transferred to the C&L arriving in 1957 to assist with the final upsurge in coal traffic, the loco is again based on a photo in "Irish Railways in Colour" black with patched side tanks and hand painted number on the buffer beam.

One of two T&D Hunslets assembled from Branchlines kits during the late 90s and identical mechanically 6T has always been noisier and less free running than her sister 3T but is starting to improve as her gears bed in while 3T starts to shake herself to pieces.

I must do something about that squeaky tripod!

Edited January 12, 2021 by Mayner

[StevieB]

Quite delightful.

Stephen

[Mayner]

A bit of a mix and match with Keadue & my Workbench repair shop topics. 

I am focusing on finishing a long list of incomplete projects before starting any new builds, the last two weekends (being holiday weekends in NZ)were a good opportunity to put my New Year resolutions to the test completing and upgrading existing models.

Having successfully assembled and tested 52 Class/D17 No 98, the next job on the list was to complete the small Midland tank 553, overhaul 2L and repair the loco-tender plug & socket on the MGWR 2-4-0 Arrow.

I painted and assembled 533 earlier in the year but had not fitted power pick ups, which are wiper pick ups using phosphor bronze wire soldered to a piece on copper clad board. Not having tested the loco before under power I had to open up the holes in the coupling road with a tapered broach to achieve smooth running. The loco still has to be fitted with couplings which will be the 4mm version of the B&B coupling which were originally designed for 2mm scale, these couplings are similar in principal to the NEM or Rivarossi  hook and loop coupling used by a number of European manufacturers and can be set up for magnetic uncoupling with delayed action and are a lot less intrusive than Tension Lock or Kadees.

I used an in-line plug and socket connector between loco and tender on the MGWR 2-4-0 as the loco uses the "American" power pick up system picking up on the loco and tender on opposite sides, the loco is DC and I have no plans to fit a decoder to convert to DCC. The in-line connector was the smallest I could get although one of the UK Loco kit/part manufacturers produced a very neat reliable in line connector during the 80s and 90s which I had used as standard on tender locos.

I connector as originally fitted was unreliable as I had left insufficient slack in the lead to the tender socket which lead to un-reliable running

2L was a more significant challenge 

The loco was originally supplied by Backwoods Miniatures in 1993-4 as a complete kit with wheels, 2 stage gearbox and motor.

The model is based on a colour photo of 2L taken in the late 50s, the loco seemed to be in better cosmetic condition than the other remaining C&L 4-4-0s possibly because the photo was taken in rainy or overcast conditions or possibly not worked as hard as her surviving sisters 3, 4 & 8

The loco ran reasonably smoothly but had a relatively high top speed and did not like going round sharp curves.

While the loco was fitted with a high quality Mashima motor, the modified Graham Farish (N gauge) gears used resulted in a relatively high top speed, while the prototypical bogie pivot design with side control springs limited the loco to relatively large radius curves.

I replaced the Backwoods Miniatures gearbox on 8L with a Branchlines slimline gearbox and replaced the bogie pivot with a swing-link arrangement having damaged the Farish worm gear and loco while assembling no 8L during the late 90s and I though it was time to give 2L a similar upgrade in order to have 4 usable narrow gauge locos.

2L with replacement gearbox, motor and flywheel, original gearbox and bogie pivot with side control springs above.

The replacement gearbox is second hand originally fitted to a TMD J15 from a job lot of TMD/SSM kits I bought at a UK exhibition about 20 years ago, the J15 is due to be rebuilt with a High Level Load Haulier gearbox as part of another un-finished project.

Overhauling 2L turned out to be one of those two steps forward and one backwards situations, although the Slimline gearbox fitted without a problem to 8L, it took at least 3 attempts to successfullly fit the gearbox.

It was necessary to dismantle the gearbox and open out the bearing holes for the gears and thin down the bearings to fit between the loco frames, disaster hit during final assembly when I melted one the brush housing on the original motor while wiring up the loco, by some miracle I had a suitable replacement motor in stock (the last of my stock!)

Fitting the swing-link was fairly straightforward in contrast, fabricated from a piece of scrap fret

The flywheel should give the loco some momentum smoother stopping and starting and improved running on less than clean track. 

Initially the loco was quite stiff and hesitant when test run, but improved significantly while on trial, I am not sure of the gear reduction but 2L has a lower top speed than 8L

Main issue at this stage is that 2Ls training bogie wheels shorts on the back of the crosshead while working an inbound train towards Arigna or Ballinamore hence 6T working the empty coal train. Other issues to be sorted out including fitting HOn3 couplers and findings suitable figures for my fleet of Irish narrow gauge locos.

 

Edited February 9, 2021 by Mayner

[Noel]

Very interesting reading how micro mechanical issues are dealt with on these superb models. Fab running videos on a really atmospheric layout. 

[Mayner]

A couple of photos of the empty coal train at the "town" end of the layout taken with an iPhone. Photos are usually taken in the opposite direction looking towards the engine shed. I was pretty amazed with the depth of field with this simple point and click camera compared with a Canon DSLR I usually use for model photos.

6T passing the station building. The corrugated shed and station building are based on Drumshanbo on the C&L all modelled in Wills material sheets the stone work painted in Floquil "Concrete" with the mortar courses picked out in an off white. The station is based on Drumshanbo in its original state before the addition of a second storey in 1917, the water tower and the cottage in the background are Wills kits the whole scene is only a foot wide from fascia to backscene.

6T was my second T&D Hunslet 2-6-0T assembled from a Branchlines kit during a Christmas holidays in the mid-1990s

The level crossing, its planned to extend the layout on to a second fiddle yard beyond the hole in the backscene so the coal trains can run through to Arigna and mixed trains from opposite ends of the line terminate in Keadue as a double ended terminus in a similar manner to Fivemiletown on the CVR.

There once was a curved stone wall with a gate pillar at one end between the level crossing gate and the Leyland Comet but disappeared under the furniture when Beeze our tabby set up shop at this end of the layout. 

The level crossing gates are again Wills and pivoted to open using a brass pin drilled into the gate and a brass tube into the baseboard. One of the gates was accidentally damaged but repaired with micro strip and plastic weld, the damage is virtually invisible from the viewing side.

No 6T is always facing eastbound at the moment, as she does not look to pretty from the other side having lost a cylinder cover which I have been unable to find about 6 months ago.

View towards Arigna this shot is almost impossible to take in daylight hours because of sunlight coming in through the window.

The open and 62L are on the loading or cattle bank road, the loading bank surface modeled with Woodland Scenic scatter on pva glue on 6mm mdf, the crane is a Wills Scenics kit.

I was pleased with the depth of field in the photo with the area between the water tower and end of the goods shed in clear focus. The signal and wagon lettering is by SSM. The goods shed based on Belturbet on the C&L again scratchbuilt from Wills material sheets although its lost its office chimney, background buildings are scratchbuilt in plasticard with  Wills windows and doors. 

The two storey building with small window panes is based on "Gilligans" farmhouse and bar at Ballywillan on the Cavan Branch a survivor of a layout started in the late 80s, the buildings nearer the level crossing are based on photos of buildings in Strokestown and Keadue including an archway through the building typical of vernacular architecture in County Roscommon

 I enjoy the challenge of building locos, rolling stock, buildings and structures from kits and scratch, I had ambitions to become a railway mechanical engineer before entering a career in construction management and technology which involved similar technical and managerial challenges and sense of achievement in successfully solving a problem or completing a project.

[David Holman]

Good to get some background info on this lovely layout. Oozes atmosphere.