Belmullet

[David Holman]

Mixed Fish

 When I started the J19 back at the end of May, it was always with the aim of giving it a train to haul. Hence, the addition of the MGWR 'hearse' van [for fish] and the glasshouse brake to offer limited passenger accommodation. The ensemble will be completed with three 'semis', which are the next project, but for now train is made up with a couple of Sligo and one GNRI van.

 At the moment, while the J19 has a Dingham hook coupling, the other vehicles have three links. Ideally, would like use Dinghams on the rest, but have yet to sort out how to make the sequence work. The problem is that Dinghams are handed, with a hook at one end and a loop at the other. Because the whole train is turned in the fiddle yard and the loco is turned on the turntable, am not sure if Dinghams are possible - hence three links for now.

[Galteemore]

The last picture also shows how well Arigna has transitioned to the coast. Wouldn’t know it was the same layout ! 

[David Holman]

This weekend, Belmullet was due to make its exhibition debut at the Uckfield Show, however that is now not happening, like so many others. Hence thought I'd try and post a few pictures and some video footage over the next few days.

 Video is a first for me. This short film is done using my cheap Nikon Coolpix camera, on which I do all my other modelling pictures. Must admit that trying to follow a train with the camera, while also driving it at the same time is not easy! Hadn't realised it was such a long process uploading to Youtube either.  

 Anyway, here is Railcar B arriving at the station. Suggest you turn the sound down [or off] as the model definitely doesn't make that noise in reality and is actually very quiet too - especially in exhibition conditions.

[David Holman]

And here's railcar 2b departing...

[murrayec]

6 minutes ago, David Holman said:

And here's railcar 2b departing...

Stunning model David,

That's the first time I've seen it moving!

Eoin

[StevieB]

David

Very enjoyable, many thanks.

Stephen

[jhb171achill]

That is just SUPERB! A real treat to see it in motion!

[Paul 34F]

Nice to see the Railcars on the move.

I last saw them at the Doncaster Show.

Here’s to more video’s

Paul

[David Holman]

Here you are, though I used lower resolution video, so its a bit grainy.

 Hazlewood was my first SLNCR loco, made from a North Star kt, still available from Studio Scale Models. The wagons are all scratch built.

[Galteemore]

This is wonderful. One hates to be greedy but Sir Henry on the 7:20 would be a lovely sequel ...

[David Holman]

 Not quite the 7.20 from Enniskillen, as it would have been very dark by the time it got to Belmullet. However, will try to show Sir Henry with SLNCR bogie brake number nine and a couple of wagons. First though, while I was cleaning Henry's wheels, took the opportunity to show the inside motion in action. It is a kit of castings from Laurie Griffin. Not cheap [nearly £100!], but a joy to put together and certainly fills the space below what is quite a high pitched boiler.

Not sure I can add more than one video at a time, or indeed edit them together, hence others to follow.

DSCN3851.aviDSCN3851.avi

[David Holman]

So, here is Sir Henry and as you've probably noticed, the film is in monochrome, to match the photographs of the day.

 Everything is scratch built. Sir Henry a near 200 hour labour of love in nickel silver. The coach is plasticard on cut down Slater's bogies and the wagons likewise plastic and micro strip.

Next we see Henry running to the turntable

[David Holman]

The turntable is hand cranked, exhibition visitors are never sure whether the squeak is from the mechanism or my arm. I tell kids it is hamster powered.

And finally, for now, Sir Henry departs with the mixed train. The incoming one was of course a goods, as the coach was at the rear, behind unfitted wagons.

[Galteemore]

Thanks David - just wonderful. Pure Sligo Leitrim atmosphere ! Two hundred hours well spent. When you say cut down bogies, I’m keen to know a little more, as to how you did that. I have looked at the Slaters ones and wondered just how one could set about it......

Edited October 17, 2020 by Galteemore

[Edo]

Brilliant David - just fantastic

[KMCE]

The photos were superb - this brings it to a whole new level. 

Fantastic!

[David Holman]

Three more short videos, this time the turf train. The J26 brings the two turf vans, plus an H and a GSWR brake, while the G [Deutz] shunter collects them and takes them down the harbour siding to the distillery.

 

[David Holman]

Many thanks everyone. That's it for my film making for now. Not only does each clip take a long time to set up, but then (for whatever reason), it needs an average half an hour or more to upload 30 seconds of video to YouTube, so it's back to the work bench for me.

 However, may do something on Fintonagh at some point in the future.

 

[Irishswissernie]

I just upload Glengarriff video direct from the PC to IRM, its only slightly longer than uploading a photo. I combine the clips on the 'Photos' thing on Windows 10 but don't upgrade the 'export' to high.

Its 4K video to start with so massive files so you need to keep the final film length to only 3 or 4 minutes

[David Holman]

Interesting. My 30 second videos are around 200mb and when I try uploading them direct to IRM, firstly it is much slower than photos, probably because the latter are less than 1MB, but then after a few minutes, I get a 'cannot be done' message. Hence have gone along the YouTube route, which is really slow.

 I've got fibre broadband, though only copper wire to the house, so get around 10-15MBps download speeds and only around 2-3MBps uploads.

[Galteemore]

Prototypical to the last, Mr H. Even your uploads run at SLNC line speed!

[Irishswissernie]

My download speed is 71 MBps so uploading will be correspondingly a bit faster than yours , the last video I uploaded to Glengarriff was 322mb for 4 mins 28 secs so my file frame (or whatever you call it) size is a bit smaller. Its still only copper wire to the house though.

[David Holman]

Back to the 1900s

 Recent work on the GSWR Brake 3rd, plus new wheels for WL&WR 0-6-0 Shannon have all been about moving Belmullet backwards about 50 years to the early 1900s. A few liberties are being taken, because my 101 0-6-0, being a later Coey engine, wasn't built until 1903, while the WL&WR had already been taken over/absorbed by the GSWR by then. However, it always took time for locos and stock to be repainted, so hopefully what I'm doing isn't too outrageous, although a railway to Belmullet never existed anyway of course.

 Anyway, Shannon now has its new wheels and the bodywork has been given a further bit of TLC, touching up paint chips here and there, plus a bit more work with T-cut to freshen up the rest. Still needs balance weights to be added to the wheels, while have just noticed one of the handrails need straightening - is any model ever really finished? However, was keen to pose and operate the two new trains to herald the move back in time.

 Shannon's train is very much a nod to creator Richard Chown, being what he called a 'Mail Goods'. This featured on his Castle Rackrent system and as well as Shannon, I also have his two Dublin and Meath brake vans. Quite why he built even one of these is anybody's guess, but he was often drawn to obscure prototypes and with their salmon pink ends, these vans are certainly that. The rest of the train comprises my own scratchbuilt models of a WL&WR full brake, plus a carriage truck from the same company. On Castle Rackrent, photos show a carriage truck on the Mail Goods, sporting what looks like a horse drawn pantechnicon - there's a word for you! These days we call it a removal van. My fiddle yard is 43 inches long, but Shannon's train is only 39 inches - hence not enough room for another wagon. The WL&WR did have a couple of six wheel carriage trucks, but at just over 9 inches long, there is not enough room for one of these. At the moment anyway!

 The 101's train has previously been described as a private excursion, though with a six wheel first, brake third and two horse boxes, probably works as an ordinary service train too. However, 101 0-6-0s rarely ventured this far north or west, so a 'special' probably makes more sense.

 The two trains are shown with Shannon waiting in the bay, ready to depart east, then south for Limerick with mail and parcels, while the 101 leaves first for [eventually] Dublin or Cork. Suspect the coaches will be added to another train somewhere further on.

[Mike 84C]

What a lovely sequence of photo's The red and white lining on the J15 looks rather fine and very different. I wonder when we shall see Belmullet in the flesh?  Begone!! dull covid!

[DLTaylor]

Wow, another gem David!  Although I was sad to discover that Arigna Town is "no longer with us".

All the best, Dave.T

[Broadstone]

Hi David, you have made my evening! It is a long time since I've dipped into Irish Railway Modelling and I had no idea that you were building a new Broad Gauge layout! It is, as are all your layouts, absolutely superb. You have a great ability to capture the atmosphere of your subject, both railway and scenery. And Belmullet is no exception and is an absolute inspiration.

After the demise of Kilbrandon I have been getting the NER Rosedale Branch out of my system with my model of Blakey Junction. And I have just finished converting my garage into a railway room. So with all that out of the way thoughts are turning to my next layout and it is going to be another Irish Broad Gauge model in S Scale.

Having mainly concentrated on the GSWR, I have over the past few years become absolutely fascinated by the MGWR; in hindsight I should have modelled the Midland from the start - my Wife's family live about 10 minutes walk from Liffey Junction in Dublin and one of my favourite walks when I'm there is along the canal  from Phibsborough to Broombridge alongside the MGWR! So my next layout will be some sort of link, junction or joint station between the Midland and GSWR - difficult because they were at loggerheads most of the time. I'm thinking about a change to railway history around Athlone or perhaps Collooney. 

But David, I can't wait until the virus recedes, exhibitions resume and I can see you and Belmullet at a show!

Best wishes,

Paul Greene 

 

 

[David Holman]

Good to hear from you Paul and great news that you are returning to the fold - not that you ever left, of course. Kilbrandon was certainly one of my favourites, while if I was starting again, then S gauge would be a strong favourite. Apart from anything else, the simple notion of a track gauge of 63/64ths of an inch has a curious appeal too.

 Will certainly look forward to developments.

 

[Broadstone]

I can also confirm David, Mayners earlier comment about double slips in running lines at Killorglin. And somewhere I've seen a photo of said Killorglin double slip, which I was very happy to replicate on Kilbrandon as a great space saver!

[jhb171achill]

Double slips could turn up at all sorts of oddball places, even small country stations where there wasn't much room.

Here's a thing, though; I am almost certain that there were none on the narrow gauge. Anyone know of any?

[David Holman]

 Not sure even Iain Rice has drawn a double slip on a narrow gauge layout, though to be fair, he prefers singles!

[jhb171achill]

On ‎18‎/‎10‎/‎2020 at 6:15 PM, David Holman said:

Three more short videos, this time the turf train. The J26 brings the two turf vans, plus an H and a GSWR brake, while the G [Deutz] shunter collects them and takes them down the harbour siding to the distillery.

 

Those clips just scream out to have a credit at the end "Copyright IRRS (J. St. Leger Collection)" added to it!

The old turf vehicles are superb, down to the ancient GSR class markings "3" on the doors. The ends with the bottom bits sheeting over the rotten parts - those carriages must have looked fascinatingly shabby in real life....

The GSR maroon would be faded to an insipid dirty, salmony pink - with unpainted planks all over them too!

But the black and white adds to the atmosphere. The still photos even, could have "H C Casserley" under them!

Superb stuff.

[Broadstone]

On 13/11/2020 at 11:18 AM, Broadstone said:

I can also confirm David, Mayners earlier comment about double slips in running lines at Killorglin. And somewhere I've seen a photo of said Killorglin double slip, which I was very happy to replicate on Kilbrandon as a great space saver!

Great work David with the mail train for Belmullet! The reasons I am posting here is:

1. Double slips on Irish Railways - please see the sad photo below of the lifting of Killorglin station in the 1960s. There clearly, is the double slip  on the mainline at the end of the main running loop to give access to the goods yard and another slip, single I think. I replicated this on my Kilbrandon S Scale layout and a great flexible space saver it was! So, all power to your arm. 
2. How do you join your backscene boards so that there is no join showing? I can't see the join and need to learn from the master!

 

Paul

[jhb171achill]

All of that stuff above, and all those layouts, are just staggeringly brilliant; masterpiece from the Master!

Keep it coming! Superb stuff.

[David Holman]

Good to know there were slips, Paul. As for the backscene joins, nothing fancy here, I just hide them behind trees or buildings. Another trick on a painted backscene is include a church spire or similar, with the join between two angles coinciding with the baseboard join.

 Easy on a made up layout, where you can choose where to put things, but less so if copying a prototype, where there may be no convenient view blocker to use. That said, the backscene doesn't have to line up with the baseboard joint, while following the likes of Gorden Gravett, one could always use roller blind material to make a full length backscene. Bit of a faff to set up at shows though.

 Check out my Fintonagh thread where I've used many of these tricks to hide the join.

Edited January 11, 2021 by David Holman

[Broadstone]

On 11/1/2021 at 9:07 AM, David Holman said:

Good to know there were slips, Paul. As for the backscene joins, nothing fancy here, I just hide them behind trees or buildings. Another trick on a painted backscene is include a church spire or similar, with the join between two angles coinciding with the baseboard join.

 Easy on a made up layout, where you can choose where to put things, but less so if copying a prototype, where there may be no convenient view blocker to use. That said, the backscene doesn't have to line up with the baseboard joint, while following the likes of Gorden Gravett, one could always use roller blind material to make a full length backscene. Bit of a faff to set up at shows though.

 Check out my Fintonagh thread where I've used many of these tricks to hide the join.

Thanks David, just had a look at the Fintonagh thread and it is very useful - also liked the tips about avoiding geological faultlines across baseboards!