GVS and Adelaide lookalike

[Hunslet 102]

Having been concentrating on rolling stock and locomotives recently,I finally managed to fit in some more work on Great Victoria Street station.The following 2 pictures show different angles of the customs hall at GVSt and the small sloping corrugated roof.The customs hall was directly behind the buffers at platform 2 and was in that bright (or vile) yellow and white panels.When the Enterprise was in platform 2,the large double yellow doors would be open for customs checks,but at any other time they remained closed and the the side gate would be used for any local trains using platform 2.On the concourse between platforms 3 and 4,the small sloping corrugated roof going back towards the entrance kiosk can be seen.The kiosk along with some station staff and passengers has been modelled just now,as most of this area will only be seen from eye level from the platforms once the overall roof is in place.

 

 

Edited July 7, 2013 by Hunslet 102

[Kirley]

Starting to re capture the feel of GtVSt. Well done.

[UP6936]

Really enjoying seeing this layout, as i am nowhere near old enough to remember the era depicted, and it is a real history lesson as well as a fabulous model! I never knew they had customs at GVS, was it the same at Connolly?

[josefstadt]

Really enjoying seeing this layout, as i am nowhere near old enough to remember the era depicted, and it is a real history lesson as well as a fabulous model! I never knew they had customs at GVS, was it the same at Connolly?

 

As far as I remember, there were customs checks at both GVS and Amiens St / Connolly for the non-stop 'Enterprise' services, while the stopping services were examined at Dundalk and Goraghwood. After Goraghwood closed in the mid-1960s I presume that the customs was moved to Portadown and then back to Newry when that station re-opened in 1984.

I travelled to and from Belfast quite often in the late 70s / early 80s. For passengers leaving Up stopping trains at Dundalk the customs officers had tables set up un the platform. The up platform was separated from the rest of the station by a fence and after clearing customs and immigration, one exited 'into the Republic' through the gate at the foot of the footbridge ramp.

However, for passengers travelling on to points further south the check, more often than not, consisted of a cursory walk through the train by one of the customs officers. Sometimes, usually around Christmas, or if someone had a lot of shopping bags, there might be a quick examination of the goods but people were adept at stashing the majorty of their dutiable purchases! I, on the other hand have no great recollection of the Northern customs. Presumably as most people travelled north to shop the were much fewer items to be checked.

[UP6936]

Thanks josefstadt, thats really interesting to know

[Hunslet 102]

Really enjoying seeing this layout, as i am nowhere near old enough to remember the era depicted, and it is a real history lesson as well as a fabulous model! I never knew they had customs at GVS, was it the same at Connolly?

 

There was also customs facilities at Central when it opened after the closure of GVSt.As josefstadt confirmed,there was customs checks at Connolly for the non stop Enterprise,again comprising of tables on the platform.Portadown was used for the stopping trains heading north,which meant no further checks were made on arrival in Belfast.All customs checks ceased at the beginning of 1993.

 

Thanks also for the comments guys on the layout.

Edited July 8, 2013 by Hunslet 102

[jhb171achill]

My late mother recalled seeing someone relieved of a pair of shoes they had put on their feet (to avoid customs) while travelling on the Bundoran branch! Their old ones were in their shopping bag....

[Hunslet 102]

While going through some old photo's I was deleting,I came across these couple of photo's taken of the layout some time ago.It is amazing how you can forget about some things,as the blue Hunslet is now one of the maroon Hunslets and the MIR 071 has now been retired.The MK3 coaches are also no longer part of the layout,as with switching to the earlier 70s era I no longer required them,so gave them away to a pal.The fertilizer wagons,to my shame,still remain as 2 complete,3 still to be finished and 2 still to be started,where does the time go.Anyway,the photo's just squeeze into the late 70s.

 

 

[Kirley]

I would love to be in your position in having 5 fertilizer wagons kits. I only have two and they look very lonely on their own.

It's nice to see where you were with the 'found photographs' compared to your more focused layout of today.

[Hunslet 102]

Just a quick update of a bit more progress with the station.The following photo shows the column supports and some roof supports for the roof over platform 2 in place.The rest of the roof supports for platform 2 are still to be finished and then a start will be made on the roof supports over platforms 3 and 4.Very time consuming and patience testing doing the roof supports,but is certainly worth the effort.

 

[UP6936]

Very nice job hunslet. What are those supports made of?

[BosKonay]

Really really coming together!

[Kirley]

Looks tedious work but already there a hint of what's to come and that makes it worthwhile. Keep at it.

[Dave]

Very nice work, looking forward to seeing it finished.

[Hunslet 102]

Thanks guys.The columns are made from wedding cake pillars that have been model bashed to the correct profile,with cut down Hornby canopy supports attached to form the supports.Evergreen I beam has been attached between each support to get the right length between each column.The work involved in that plus the roof supports was probably best described by Kieran-tedious,but hopefully will be worth it in the end.

[moogle]

Nice to see someone taking non modelling items and using ingenuity turning them into models!

Some good model architectural modelling there.

[Hunslet 102]

Nice to see someone taking non modelling items and using ingenuity turning them into models!

Some good model architectural modelling there.

 

Thanks Moogle,sometimes you have to think outside the box when modelling! When I set out to do the columns,I was amazed that there was nothing available from the railway manufactures,especially when you look at the architecture on many stations all over Britain and Ireland.

[Hunslet 102]

I have finally finished the roof over platform 2 on Great Victoria Street station,so below are a few different photo's from the build.The first photo shows an aerial shot of the overall roof.

 

 

The following photo has been taken from the end of platform 2 looking towards the custom shed.

 

 

The final photo has been taken from platform 4 and shows the NIR Hunslet Enterprise in platform 2,partly hidden by the customs fence that divided platforms 2 and 3.

 

[Dave]

Very nice work, well done:tumbsup:

[Sulzer201]

Great work.

[Kirley]

Well done with that roof, its a great job.

[heirflick]

beautiful work andy...you have a layout to be proud of! love the pic of the 'hun' in the station...i said it before and i will say it again..the maroon livery is the best - she really stands out

[Hunslet 102]

Thanks for the positive comments guys,it's much appreciated and a great encouragement.A start has been made on the roof over platforms 3 and 4 and already it is obvious it is going to be a slow build and a patience tester.

[Hunslet 102]

Finally got round to completing the roof over platforms 3 and 4 on Great Victoria Street,below are some images from different angles.The first image shows an overall shot of the 2 roofs over the platforms.

 

 

The following photo shows a view of the underside of the roof,the missing panels can be clearly seen,a common sight in the early 70s in GVSt due to bomb damage.

 

 

The next photo shows a side view from platform 4,with an 80 class sitting in platform 4,an MED railcar in platform 3 and the Hunslet Enterprise in platform 2,a common scene from the station between late 1974,when the 80 class arrived,and mid 1976,when Great Victoria Street closed.

 

 

The final image shows the same trains in the platforms,this time taken from the bottom of platforms 2/3 looking back towards the customs hall and entrance barriers.

 

[heirflick]

beautiful job andy- well done:tumbsup:

[Hunslet 102]

beautiful job andy- well done:tumbsup:

 

Thanks Seamus,now that the overall roof is complete I will try to get the weedkiller train completed!

[ttc0169]

Excellent work there Andy, well done.

[Hunslet 102]

Excellent work there Andy, well done.

 

Thanks Noel,look forward to more of your own updates with Tara Junction

[Kirley]

Andy your patience has paid off, well done with the roof.

Pictures 2 & 3 capture the feel of the old place for me.

[Hunslet 102]

Andy your patience has paid off, well done with the roof.

Pictures 2 & 3 capture the feel of the old place for me.

 

Many thanks Kieran,to hear that the model has captured the feel of the old Great Victoria Street station from someone who remembers the old station is both humbling and encouraging.

[Hunslet 102]

Quick update,or should it be backdate with a scene from the 70s.This time it is 1972,with the following photo again taken from platform 4 showing a double ended BUT railcar arriving in platform 4 with a train from Portadown.Waiting to depart from platform 3 to Lisburn is another BUT railcar,this one being the single ended version.Over in platform 2,the CIE Enterprise has recently arrived in the hands of B class loco number B165.

 

 

The following photo is from the same photographer,this time taken from the end of the platforms.

 

[jhb171achill]

I remember it well.... Creosote smell from sleepers too......

[33lima]

Looking good...love all that maroon and grey! I can practically hear those diesels idling, and feel the excitement again of a childhood day trip about to begin....!

[UP6936]

Just a pity gvs is so comparatively lifeless now. Is the layout dc or dcc?

[Hunslet 102]

Thanks Ivor and JHB for your comments,glad the layout shots brought back some memories for you.Creosote mixed with the smell from Murray's tobacco factory,GVSt was certainly a unique station.Ah the day trips Ivor,that was our holidays back then,a fortnight in the sun still had to be invented!

 

UP6936-the layout is dc operated,more than adequate for the size of the layout.