Banbridge

[Mullafernaghan]

Hello everyone!

 

I seem to have been a box collector for many years but at last I am about to start building a layout. I had considered designing a fictitious layout but couldn't settle on anything. Then I realised that the station I should attempt to build was Banbridge. Most of my family is from there and they used the railway to commute to Lisburn and Belfast and go on day trips and their annual holiday to Newcastle. It was quite an interesting station as it was a junction with lines to Scarva, Newcastle and Knockmore Junction. It had a double slip and two diamond crossings, and signal boxes at the north and south ends. My dad's primary school was beside the Banbridge South box and the loco crews used to wave at the children.

 

I have found quite a few good photographs taken from the platforms showing the track layout and buildings. However I haven't come across any of the fronts of the station buildings. I purchased this photograph from the Banbridge Chronicle.

 

 

Would any of you know where I could find photographs of the other sides of these two buildings, particularly the one on the left? I would like to build the station viewed from the left hand side as the turntable, goods shed, sidings and River Bann are on that side.

 

I would appreciate any pointers!

[enniscorthyman]

Have you tried The Irish Railway Record

Society?.

[GNRi1959]

Theres one photograph here, though not very good in the collection of the National Library Ireland.

 

http://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000304686

[Mullafernaghan]

Hi Tony,

 

That is an equally sad photograph of the station after the track has been lifted! The footbridge is still in place in this photograph and it shows the metalwork in good detail, although it has lost its roof etc.

 

However, I had a look at the "Signal box, Banbridge South, Co. Down" photograph, and when I zoomed in it shows the front of the station building in which I am particularly interested! This is the first time that I have seen it from this side. It has a simple canopy. (My dad's primary school's playground was just behind the signal cabin.)

 

Thank you very much Tony, this photo will help me considerably.

 

Best regards,

Ian

 

 

Theres one photograph here, though not very good in the collection of the National Library Ireland.

 

http://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000304686

[Mullafernaghan]

No I hadn't thought of that. However I have been contacted by PM by someone who will try to find something there for me.

Best regards,

Ian

Have you tried The Irish Railway Record

Society?.

[enniscorthyman]

No I hadn't thought of that. However I have been contacted by PM by someone who will try to find something there for me.

Best regards,

Ian

Keep us posted on how you get on.

[Mullafernaghan]

It has been some years since I have had a model railway, but I have now managed to declutter enough to have a railway room. It's not big, approximately 4m x 3m, but at least I don't have to climb up a ladder into the roofspace like I once did. (The old floorboards have been replaced!)

 

 

 

I decided that I would have baseboards about 90cm wide right round the room with a lifting section at the door – to save my back! There would be a helix extending into the alcove beside the chimney breast descending to a storage level underneath the board along the chimney. Not having great carpentry skills and remembering my previous efforts I thought it best to have the boards professionally made. I liked the look of the MDF baseboards that I had viewed on the internet.

 

I happened to be travelling down through Yorkshire, and as I was making good time I diverted into Bedale to see White Rose Modelworks. They had an excellent workshop with a couple of really nice layouts under construction, and the builders were very friendly and helpful. However when I returned home I thought that they were probably a bit too far away across the Irish Sea and that I should possibly try someone nearer to home.

[WRENNEIRE]

Where are you based man, have you not tried Model Rail Baseboards of this parish?

[Dave]

Where are you based man, have you not tried Model Rail Baseboards of this parish?

 

I'm already on it Dave! Nearly finished them.

[Noel]

It has been some years since I have had a model railway, but I have now managed to declutter enough to have a railway room. It's not big, approximately 4m x 3m, but at least I don't have to climb up a ladder into the roofspace like I once did. . .

 

. . . I thought that they were probably a bit too far away across the Irish Sea and that I should possibly try someone nearer to home.

 

That's a good sized room. Best of luck with the project. Look forward to watching it evolve.

 

Where are you based man, have you not tried Model Rail Baseboards of this parish?

 

Model Rail Baseboards may be closer to you. http://www.modelrailbaseboards.com

[Kirley]

There is a couple of pictures on Ernie's Site of Banbridge in 1955, see

 

[GNRi1959]

I have just received the following from the Public Records Office in Belfast

 

PRONI Ref – A&G 31050 RL

Date – 19/05/2017

Subject – Banbridge Railway Buildings

 

Dear Tony,

 

Thanks for your email received on the 19/04/2017 and apologies for the delayed reply.

 

In response to your email, I’ve had a look on the PRONI Online eCatalogue and picked out a few references relating to Banbridge Junction Railway you might want to look at further. These references are:

UTA/18

UTA/19

UTA/23

 

The below instruction will direct you to the PRONI Online eCatalogue which will allow you to narrow your search further to specific references of interest.

 

Catalogue Searching Instructions

1. Click the below link – PRONI eCatalogue

PRONI eCatalogue - http://apps.proni.gov.uk/DCAL_PRONI_eCatNI_IE/SearchPage.aspx

2. Click ‘Browse’ on top right corner of page

3. Type in one of the above PRONI references – Example UTA/18

4. If you then filter your search until you get the lowest possible breakdown. For example – UTA/18/A/1 - Banbridge Junction Railway Minute book covering 1852-1862,

 

Once you’ve narrowed our search to a specific item/items I can then provide a quote for having them searched & copied on your behalf.

 

I hope the above information is useful in some way and if you have any further queries please do not hesitate to contact me. Please remember to quote the PRONI reference number in any future communications.

 

Many thanks

 

Richard

PRONI

Enquiries Unit

2 Titanic Boulevard

Belfast

BT3 9HQ

Telephone 028 90 534 800The

[Mullafernaghan]

There is a couple of pictures on Ernie's Site of Banbridge in 1955, see

 

 

Thank you Kirley. I particularly like the one with the railcar on a damp day. Very atmospheric, but sad!

 

A couple of IRRS chaps will be sending me some photographs they have found in the archive.

 

Kind regards,

Ian

[Mullafernaghan]

I have just received the following from the Public Records Office in Belfast

 

PRONI Ref – A&G 31050 RL

Date – 19/05/2017

Subject – Banbridge Railway Buildings

 

Dear Tony,

 

Thanks for your email received on the 19/04/2017 and apologies for the delayed reply.

 

In response to your email, I’ve had a look on the PRONI Online eCatalogue and picked out a few references relating to Banbridge Junction Railway you might want to look at further. These references are:

UTA/18

UTA/19

UTA/23

 

The below instruction will direct you to the PRONI Online eCatalogue which will allow you to narrow your search further to specific references of interest.

 

Catalogue Searching Instructions

1. Click the below link – PRONI eCatalogue

PRONI eCatalogue - http://apps.proni.gov.uk/DCAL_PRONI_eCatNI_IE/SearchPage.aspx

2. Click ‘Browse’ on top right corner of page

3. Type in one of the above PRONI references – Example UTA/18

4. If you then filter your search until you get the lowest possible breakdown. For example – UTA/18/A/1 - Banbridge Junction Railway Minute book covering 1852-1862,

 

Once you’ve narrowed our search to a specific item/items I can then provide a quote for having them searched & copied on your behalf.

 

I hope the above information is useful in some way and if you have any further queries please do not hesitate to contact me. Please remember to quote the PRONI reference number in any future communications.

 

Many thanks

 

Richard

PRONI

Enquiries Unit

2 Titanic Boulevard

Belfast

BT3 9HQ

Telephone 028 90 534 800The

 

Hi Tony,

 

Thank you very much for going to all that bother for me. It is greatly appreciated. Believe it or not I was in PRONI about 10 days ago on another matter and I did not think to do a search! I must go along when I next get the chance. It is such a great bright and airy place to do research compared to the old Balmoral Avenue site!

 

Thank you once again,

Ian

[Mullafernaghan]

The helix is to be located to the right of the baseboard with the underneath storage.

 

The lifting section is nearest the camera. The helix will fill in the gap at the far corner - in my room it extends into an alcove.

[Noel]

Hi Ian. The baseboards are looking really good. Do you have a track diagram? Noel

[Colin R]

Hello everyone!

 

I seem to have been a box collector for many years but at last I am about to start building a layout. I had considered designing a fictitious layout but couldn't settle on anything. Then I realised that the station I should attempt to build was Banbridge. Most of my family is from there and they used the railway to commute to Lisburn and Belfast and go on day trips and their annual holiday to Newcastle. It was quite an interesting station as it was a junction with lines to Scarva, Newcastle and Knockmore Junction. It had a double slip and two diamond crossings, and signal boxes at the north and south ends. My dad's primary school was beside the Banbridge South box and the loco crews used to wave at the children.

 

I have found quite a few good photographs taken from the platforms showing the track layout and buildings. However I haven't come across any of the fronts of the station buildings. I purchased this photograph from the Banbridge Chronicle.

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]27563[/ATTACH]

 

Would any of you know where I could find photographs of the other sides of these two buildings, particularly the one on the left? I would like to build the station viewed from the left hand side as the turntable, goods shed, sidings and River Bann are on that side.

 

I would appreciate any pointers!

 

 

Hi you might like to try and find a copy of RM Arnold's book the golden years of the GNR(I) part 1 I don't have a copy at the moment but I recall there was something in it about Banbridge, a good choice for a model

 

Colin

[Mullafernaghan]

Hi you might like to try and find a copy of RM Arnold's book the golden years of the GNR(I) part 1 I don't have a copy at the moment but I recall there was something in it about Banbridge, a good choice for a model

 

Colin

 

Hi Colin & Noel,

 

Yes I do have that book. I bought it way back when I was a student, so that will give you some idea of my age! I have used the track diagram and the various photographs I have downloaded to build up a picture in my mind of what the station looked like. From a photograph I have, the Banbridge South signal box is on the opposite side of the track to where it is shown in the book. My dad went to Dunbar School which was just separated from the box by a wall. The school building and wall are still there, but the signal box and railway are gone!

 

I bought the high resolution version of this aerial photograph taken in 1923.

 

http://www.britainfromabove.org.uk/image/xpw008439?search=banbridge&ref=8http://www.britainfromabove.org.uk/image/xpw008439?search=banbridge&ref=8

 

It gives a great view of the station and its environs. My parents and grandparents worked in Ferguson's linen mill. My mum was born in one of the mill houses on the right, and my dad went to Banbridge Academy at the top of the photo.

 

Kind regards,

Ian

[Mullafernaghan]

I have only recently started to work on my railway having had a summer of disruption due to much needed house renovations, and it's time for an update.  The baseboards were delivered and installed in early June 2017.

It took about six hours to unload the van and assemble the baseboards.  They are nicely made and fitted together perfectly, coping well with my uneven floorboards and walls!

I didn't have the skill to build such nice boards, but the downside to getting someone else to make them was the length of time I had to wait.  I discussed the build at the NDMRS Exhibition in Bangor (April 2016!) and later that week I paid a deposit to secure a production slot.  A second payment for materials was made in August 2016, with the boards due to be ready in September 2016.  The boards with the exception of the helix were built by the end of November 2016.  They were eventually delivered in June 2017.  They're a nice job, but at 14 months it was too long a wait, especially when seeing on Facebook and the website that other boards were being shipped.

Anyway, track laying has begun at Banbridge and I'll show you that tomorrow ...

[GNRi1959]

Ian, looks great so far - I presume thats a hinged section next the door on the left! It must be an exciting time for you, I just haven't got to baseboard building yet. I've got the luxury of the skills to do this myself including access to all the machinery but I just need to nail down a layout design that pleases me first. On this happy note, I wish you many happy track-laying hours and fun ahead.

[Patrick Davey]

Looking forward to watching the progress on this, best of luck!