Dugort Harbour

[David Holman]

Looking good and especially like the concepts, with tracks well spaced out, as per country branches in Ireland. Like the idea of drawing up timetables too - these things all help in developing interest in how the layout can be operated, stock to acquire and so on. From such things, come the all important atmosphere of a layout.

[jhb171achill]

4 hours ago, Fiacra said:

Many years ago, I had a go at converting a Royal Scot to Maedb, but it didn't turn out anywhere near as good as this. Stunning job!

That’s one of the Studio Scale Models kits, Fiacra, professionally built - light years beyond my skill set! Very excellent job it was, as you say.

[Fiacra]

3 hours ago, jhb171achill said:

That’s one of the Studio Scale Models kits, Fiacra, professionally built - light years beyond my skill set! Very excellent job it was, as you say.

Ahhh, I see. Still, it's a beaut!

[jhb171achill]

The Christmas parcels are beginning to arrive now; three vans on the branch train today…..

.

 

 

“…… yes, it only came here last week. Only two months old. It’s one of the new ones from England. You’re better sitting in it - the lights still aren’t working in the other one…..”

 

[jhb171achill]

“….THREE wagons they’ve sent? Sure John Pat O’Sullivan was telling me last night he’ll have ten or twelve beasts himself! We need to telephone for at least two more…..is the telephone fixed?”

 

[JasonB]

43 minutes ago, jhb171achill said:

“….THREE wagons they’ve sent? Sure John Pat O’Sullivan was telling me last night he’ll have ten or twelve beasts himself! We need to telephone for at least two more…..is the telephone fixed?”

 

Love it. Looks the business. 

[jhb171achill]

It’s 1964.

Every year, the Far North Antrim Pigeon Botherers & Greyhound Worriers Club have an event which involves a special train containing “pigeon men” and their birds, down to West Cork. The birds are released and the club’s passengers have lunch in a local hotel (no alcohol is served). 
 

Here, we see the returning train with A55 up front. Crossley sludge in your eye if you open the window…. 

Here, there are four full vans of pigeon crates. Not since the All-Ireland has Dugort Harbour seen a five-coach train….

This train never runs on the “Sabbath”, of course.

Inspired by watching pigeons being loaded into CIE “tin vans” in Lisburn, some time in the early 60s…..
 

 

 

.

 

The following day, a grimy B141 shunts several wagons to the goods siding after arriving with the mid-day mixed train. A new pair of level crossing gates for the nearest crossing up the line have been delivered. That’s Tim Pat and his damn tractor again. Second gate he’s run into in the last eighteen months.

 

Edited December 12, 2021 by jhb171achill

[jhb171achill]

“….the carriage? I think they’re putting a storage heater in it like the one at Loughrea. Saves a heating van…..”

”Gimme a hand with these sacks. My back’s done in.”

 

[jhb171achill]

It’s beet season. The empty wagons have arrived, plus a van to bring the beet pulp back to the farmers.

 

[jhb171achill]

”…..ah, don’t get me wrong, the diesel’s way easier, but I’m too long in the tooth to learn them things. When it goes diesel in February I’m off to England, job in a bakery near me sister’s in Birmingham…. yeah, so this is me last beet season…”

 

Edited December 20, 2021 by jhb171achill

[GNRi1959]

Some terrific scenes there JB. I'm hoping I get to this level in time

[jhb171achill]

The weathering on the 2.4.0 is the work of “Dempsey”, of this constituency……

[murphaph]

Ah so the pulp van went empty to the factory and laden back to the loading bank? I saw several references to it in the latest book Jonathan but I wasn't exactly sure how it worked. 

[jhb171achill]

58 minutes ago, murphaph said:

Ah so the pulp van went empty to the factory and laden back to the loading bank? I saw several references to it in the latest book Jonathan but I wasn't exactly sure how it worked. 

Yes, the farmers often got beet pulp back as animal feed. Some beet trains I’ve seen pictures of in the 1960s had up to half a dozen vans.

[StevieB]

Just can’t get enough of this lovely layout.

Stephen

[J-Mo Arts]

The 2-4-0 is beautiful, with most realistic weathering, she looks brilliant at the head of that train! 

[jhb171achill]

It’s a JM Design one…. Excellent models.

[Killian Keane]

Lovely work as always, I always liked the G2s, pity one was not preserved, were they the last main line 2-4-0s in service in the British Isles?

[airfixfan]

Yes Killian

[jhb171achill]

5 hours ago, Killian Keane said:

Lovely work as always, I always liked the G2s, pity one was not preserved, were they the last main line 2-4-0s in service in the British Isles?

Yes, and all the more reason that it’s a shame none survived! There were at least two in traffic right to the end of steam.

[jhb171achill]

The steam fleet at Dugort Harbour.

2 x 00 Works J15s

1 x SSM J15 (not shown)

2 x Bachmann “Woolwich” (one shown, the other awaiting weathering)

1 x JM Design G2 2.4.0.

1 x 00 Works 472 class CBSCR 0.6.0T.

Plus a Silverfox “C” class makes an appearance…. Diesels to follow.

 

[Galteemore]

They look class. Especially the SSM/JMD ones.

[jhb171achill]

Meant to add, all weathering by "Dempsey". Now, how do I pluck up the courage to allow a coat of filthy sludge to cover the silver and green "A"s which I was fortunate enough to get!

[jhb171achill]

I should also add that weathering was done with the aid of photos of actual examples of the particular class in a typical state. I say typical - this is for the late 1950s / early 60s period - a decade earlier they would have been much cleaner, though rarely pristine. 

In this late stage some were actually a lot worse than above.

All bar the Woolwiches are actually in the grey livery - this shows how very dirty this could get. Of course, the green could also, as could black. As I've often mentioned before, you only have to look at the supposedly cherry red Donegal tanks, or the "sky blue" GNR locos in their last days when cleaners were paid off - many of these were so dirty that the red or blue was literally invisible, at least on parts.

Light grey 121s started life surrounded in places by steam locos, but even after steam had ended, light grey was not the most practical livery to keep clean. Before they were repainted in black'n'tan, some of those got into a very unkempt state too; another weathering job for the future on my grey 121!

Weathering seems best done with photos as reference, judging by the excellent efforts of others here too.

Edited December 23, 2021 by jhb171achill

[GNRi1959]

Fantastic collection of stock, looking so authentic. Lovely layout.

[GNRi1959]

What are your platforms made from JB?

[jhb171achill]

They were put there by Model Rail Baseboards - so I'm not sure exactly what's in them, as they were complete when delivered. They are surfaced, as is the ground, with real sieved earth, which certainly seems to be the most realistic finish I've seen, though it still needs a good bit of finishing in places (and buffer stops are needed!). The platform where the J15s and the Woolwich are pictured is the cattle bank, surfaced with imitation paving stones (as prototypical) marked out. The platform sides are scribed plastic, painted and weathered.

[GNRi1959]

They look great. I went back to Page 2 and found some nice close up pics of the platforms. Very authentic. I normally use Peco but yours have given me the idea that I should be modelling mine from scratch.

[Galteemore]

 

51 minutes ago, GNRi1959 said:

They look great. I went back to Page 2 and found some nice close up pics of the platforms. Very authentic. I normally use Peco but yours have given me the idea that I should be modelling mine from scratch.

Always best option, Tony. Means you can customise width and put in bays etc to your spec. Can use a card or foam board lattice or strip wood to make frame then top with card and face platform with brick/stone card or plastic veneer etc as you choose 

Edited December 23, 2021 by Galteemore

[GNRi1959]

JB, glad I visited this layout, lots of great ideas to learn from.

Edited December 23, 2021 by GNRi1959

[airfixfan]

Very impressed JHB

[Angus]

A question about the C lass livery if I may JHB?

The light green line around the body only appears on some photos of the class. Was it a later addition  added to all the class or were just a few turned out in such a manner with rest plain green? 

Love the steamers though! 

[Mike 84C]

Dempsey is to be congratulated on the weathering. The rusting on the J 15 chimney and smoke boxes is fantastic!

 

 

[johnfromoz]

10 hours ago, jhb171achill said:

Meant to add, all weathering by "Dempsey". Now, how do I pluck up the courage to allow a coat of filthy sludge to cover the silver and green "A"s which I was fortunate enough to get!

I feel your trepidation JB, contemplating getting one of the bright green As but mindful of the many many layers required to ‘dull’ down that green without obliterating it. I guess many ‘mist’ passes with frame dirt and various browns…..

[jhb171achill]

53 minutes ago, johnfromoz said:

I feel your trepidation JB, contemplating getting one of the bright green As but mindful of the many many layers required to ‘dull’ down that green without obliterating it. I guess many ‘mist’ passes with frame dirt and various browns…..

Yes, John, very much so. In the model world, bright colours almost always look toy-like; be they on locos, rolling stock, or scenery even. Hence my trepidation, given the excellence of detail of the models straight out of the  IRM box. However, reality, if wished for, demands silver locos not only to be weathered, but very heavily so!