Galgorm Hall

[PaulC]

Thank you everyone for the kind comments. jhb, i like that story from the Kildare cabin. 

I think my next build will be either the two water towers situated at either end of the platforms or the small mess house that was located close to the engine shed.  All to be confirmed. 

Paul

[jhb171achill]

The water tower was an interesting one, with both broad and narrow gauge sides to it. Not too many of those about....Ballymena, Ballymoney...anywhere else? Ennis, possibly?

[PaulC]

I'm not sure Jhb but they are unusual and a must to model, I think. The one at the Derry end has only the single feeding arm as opposed to two arms that fed both the main and narrow gauge lines at the Belfast end. I took a look at them today and apart from that obvious difference they both would appear to be exact copies of each other, if you ignore that one is white and the other grey!  I think I need to construct both of them simultaneously to ensure I follow the same methods in the build process. 

Will take a stroll up to them later in the week to photograph.

Paul

[jhb171achill]

In UTA days they'd probably both have been galvanised silver/grey, heavily stained with coal smoke!

[David Holman]

That is one very fine signal box. Have built a few in my time and for me, they are always one of the more challenging buildings to get right & that is before you realise you have to fit the interior.

[popeye]

Stunning build, it will look great on your layout. 

[PaulC]

Scratch builds have taken a sideline as I finally got hands on the track I'd ordered from my local stockist some 3 months previously. I want to get these final stages of track down to allow me to move forward with the scenics. Track laying isn't something I particularly enjoy but a necessary evil. 

I have added a passing loop to the terminus siding to allow for simpler movements. There were no signs of this on my survey maps from the mid 60's but I understand that a siding did exist to facilitate a factory next door to the station. It would seem likely to me that a loop would be needed to allow locos to pull coaches back out of the station on its return journey and perhaps used this siding line for that purpose. 

I need to add one piece of track at the end of the far point to complete this work. 

The engine shed in Ballymena was a four road affair with additional track to the left of it including a raised coaling stage. I want to represent this as best as possible within the given space available. To that end, I have space to install a 3 road shed and two roads to serve the coaling stage. I'm short one left hand point that I intend to pick up this weekend. 

the two roads to the left in a 'V' formation will be for the coaling stage. I envisage the right hand of these roads will be for coal wagons to deposit coal to the stage with the left for locos to collect. The one completed road to the right of the stage roads is the first for the shed with the other two feeding off the right hand point. 

The short goods sidings to the left of the picture have also been installed and Ive also started work on the branch line with it veering off to the left and down the hill. Much more work to do here yet though.

Paul

[GNRi1959]

Looks great Paul, you have plenty of room to play around with. I’ll be watching your progress!

[Patrick Davey]

Nice neat trackwork there Paul, looks very realistic, love the double slip!

[PaulC]

Trackwork for the station area is now complete. With the space available I've tried to put an essence of Ballymena in to it although unless you know the track work for the area it probably means nothing to anyone else  

It has been tested with a number of different locos and having rectified a few issues, everything appears to be operating as it should. It'll be some time before I turn my attention to ballasting so plenty of time to iron out any other problems that may arise. 

In the meantime, I've turned my attention to the more fictitious end of the layout - the branch line. 

Space here is so limited I will have to add a small extension to the front of the board to accommodate the track. I've said this is fictitious but I am contemplating building a replica of Cullybackey Station to replace the Wills one sitting in the photo. I have an itch to scratch build something and this just might be the cure I need. 

Paul 

[bantree]

Nicely laid out Paul-should be a great project.