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Stranorlar County Donegal Railway Station and Yard

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Colin R

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Colin R Mentor

Colin R

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Hi all

 

I appreciate that most of you guys model the old broad gauge, but I though I would give it a try anyway, I am looking for photos and details of all the buildings at the old Stranorlar Station and yard before it was turned into a school, I think I have most of the published books on the Donegal, but one of you guys might know another location for more details.

 

I have sent an email to the Donegal heritage group to see if they have anything of use, I don't have the space to build a 4mm scale layout of this station (20ft long approx x 8ft wide plus fiddle yards)at present, but I look at it like this if I have all the information to hand now it will make building it that much easier when the time comes to do it.

 

 

Colin R

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Colin R Mentor

Colin R

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I guess that is what I will end up having to do. The details I do have don't match up with some of the photos I have. They make the whole building look to long and thin for it to look right in any of the photos, I have a feeling this is going to be one of just hope it look near enough builds.

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GNRi1959 Veteran

GNRi1959

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While I can get a general size of each building from the details I have. It is so much harder to try and work out the size of such things as windows.

 

Take it from me that generally that external openings measure 2100mm from ground to lintol level. Doors and windows normally are at the same lintol level. External doors are good at 900mm wide (openings overall).

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Chris_w Contributor

Chris_w

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Thank you 👍. Hope you’ve seen my plans on Strabane and Derry-Londonderry on separate threads.

Currently working on Derry-Londonderry.  A Guide has been finished.  Plans showing the whole of City (railway parts) are finished except the earliest.  Now working on the individual stations, allowing for more detailed evolution.   This is taking a long time, hence my publishing on this site.  After that…. Return to original intention of producing plans showing the evolution of CDRJC (and constitutes).   Next will either be Donegal or Letterkenny.   Don’t hold your breath ⚠️.

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Colin R Mentor

Colin R

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I have wanted to model Derry/Londonderry for well over 20 odd years, but I have never had the space to do it justice. Also not living in the area had made it difficult to not do a survey and to get a feel for the site.

The hardest bit for me is to try and work out the various heights from water level up to the trackbed and then on up to the road level, you can only get so much detail from maps.

Colin  

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Chris_w Contributor

Chris_w

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You know the OSNI plans (1:1250 & 1:2500) have spot heights in metres.   Earlier OS (1940s) we’re probably in feet.  So, it’s possible to get a general idea of levels.

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airfixfan Veteran

airfixfan

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5 hours ago, Chris_w said:

Thank you 👍. Hope you’ve seen my plans on Strabane and Derry-Londonderry on separate threads.

Currently working on Derry-Londonderry.  A Guide has been finished.  Plans showing the whole of City (railway parts) are finished except the earliest.  Now working on the individual stations, allowing for more detailed evolution.   This is taking a long time, hence my publishing on this site.  After that…. Return to original intention of producing plans showing the evolution of CDRJC (and constitutes).   Next will either be Donegal or Letterkenny.   Don’t hold your breath ⚠️.

Suggest Letterkenny with its 2 stations?

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Chris_w Contributor

Chris_w

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I have thought about Letterkenny;  even got some extra OS plans, etc.  BUT, still got a lot to do on Derry.   Need that information from Derry Archives😥.

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Chris_w Contributor

Chris_w

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Can anyone help with questions on this attached infographic?  I’ve only found one photo of the ‘mystery’ siding.   Hard to date, but definitely before WWII.

Also found no evidence of that coach body being located by the water tank earlier than 1948.  
Any help welcomed;  especially photographs.

IMG_3792.jpeg

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Chris_w Contributor

Chris_w

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I bought 2 of the former and 1 of the latter in digital form.  Hardly anything of relevance in the bus magazine.   An unexpected side was mention of 2 ex-South Down coaches.  I do remember seeing South Down buses when I was very young in Lancing / Brighton.   The anonymous photo collection looks interesting.  I’ll email you separately about that.

Edited by Chris_w
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Chris_w Contributor

Chris_w

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On 2/4/2023 at 5:27 PM, Chris_w said:

Can anyone help with questions on this attached infographic?  I’ve only found one photo of the ‘mystery’ siding.   Hard to date, but definitely before WWII.

Also found no evidence of that coach body being located by the water tank earlier than 1948.  
Any help welcomed;  especially photographs.

IMG_3792.jpeg

Corrections:    c.1907 = photo is dated May 1921.

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Chris_w Contributor

Chris_w

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On 19/3/2023 at 2:24 PM, Colin R said:

The hardest bit for me is to try and work out the various heights from water level up to the trackbed and then on up to the road level, you can only get so much detail from maps.

I have been buying digital copies of Parliamentary plans attached to various Bills and Acts.

HL_PO_PB_3_plan1846_L65.Londonderry Railway

Contact the Parliamentary Archives with this reference if you want to obtain this plan and other documents.  They are very helpful.

I know I’m breaking copyright, but it’s only a small portion of this particular plan.  Not sure whether this was part of one of the finished schemes.   The point is it gives heights above a datum (doesn’t say what that was) and some other heights.   Almost looks like ground level;  again there just isn’t enough information on the plans.   You would probably need to obtain supporting documents with written details.  Still it might give you a starting point.   Note the gradient of the proposal is shown.

Try cross-referencing with OS spot heights on their plans.

Hope this is of some help (?)

image.jpeg

Edited by Chris_w
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David Holman Grand Master

David Holman

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A former member of the Chatham Model Railway Club was in the Royal Engineers and during the troubles found himself posted to Stranolar for a while. Back in the day, he did us a slide show, with some taken simply by holding his camera above the defences and hoping it didn't get shot at. He also went to Falkland to do reconstruction work after that war, so we got pictures from there too and even the whaling station railway on South Georgia. Seem to remember there were more penguins than trains though! 

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