Larne Harbour Station

[jhb171achill]

Something I knew about but never dreamed there was a picture of! Good find...............

[airfixfan]

114 sold and used also for pile driving work at Larne Harbour  from 1942 and scrapped by 1946. Was also mentioned in an FFT article on Larne many moons ago!

[Galteemore]

This is rather fabulous, not sure if you’ve seen it yet….https://digitalfilmarchive.net/media/the-boat-train-2037

[Patrick Davey]

33 minutes ago, Galteemore said:

This is rather fabulous, not sure if you’ve seen it yet….https://digitalfilmarchive.net/media/the-boat-train-2037

Enjoyed that GM, thanks for sharing - nice to hear Grenfell Morton's voice, I have some of his books.

[LARNE CABIN]

@Galteemore, David, yes, thanks for sharing. I haven't seen that film before. Very, very interesting. Some great shots of Brown Vans leaving York Road and Greenisland. Love the shots of the somersault signals at Greenisland. Disappointed there were no shots of the approach to Larne Harbour, but that clip at 4:28 going over the crossover into Platform 2 is the real deal! (I wonder how that was filmed?). Thanks again.

[Tullygrainey]

23 hours ago, Galteemore said:

This is rather fabulous, not sure if you’ve seen it yet….https://digitalfilmarchive.net/media/the-boat-train-2037

What a great little film! Absolutely full of interesting detail. Really enjoyed it. Many thanks

[Galteemore]

Cracking footage here of Larne line mails in 1976. Ignore the 450 class used as an opener!! 

 

[LARNE CABIN]

For me, modelling Larne Harbour Station in the 60's, this photo is a real gem. It was spotted by Patrick Davey and he suggested that I may be interested, I certainly was, thanks @Patrick Davey. It's taken me a long time to track down the owner, find out more about it, and get permission to post it here. 

© Posted with kind permission of the McIllhinney Family.

There is a fantastic amount of detail in this photo and it has been invaluable to me in building The Bracket Signal. This is by far the best view of this signal that I have seen, as the vast majority of photos are taken from the Olderfleet Road Bridge side of the station. There's also lots of detail of the box itself, which I still need to add and the Aluminum Factory walls and Harbour Road background. Look at the fantastic view of The Double Stacked Ground Signal, with the pulley, in the foreground. Again invaluable when I come to model this signal.

The current modelled version of the photo is posted below ...

... and a view of The Bracket Signal from the Olderfleet Road Bridge end of the station ...

 

The research into this photo has prompted me to further research the real human aspect of life at Larne Harbour Station during the period being modelled, so as well as progressing building the model, and further developing the fictitious characters that I have already introduced, I hope to occasionally post factual snippets on the real Larne Harbour Station staff of the 50's and 60's, on this thread.

I'll post the signalling aspects related to this photo, and others, on my LARNE CABIN'S LMS Upper Quadrant Semaphore Signals Workbench thread. Just click on the link at the bottom of this (or any Larne Harbour Station post) and you can follow the building of the signals at Larne Harbour Station.

The gentleman in the photo, with the pipe and tobacco pouch, is John McIllhinney. John lived at Millbrook, near Larne, was in the army and served in Hong Kong. He left the army in 1958 and worked at the harbour in a number of areas before working for the UTA. He was signalman at Larne Harbour during the late 60's and early 70's. John left the railway to work at Ballylumford Power Station, in security. During John's time at Larne Harbour the relief signalman was Barkley Linton, but a number of different accounts state that the longest serving signalman was a man called Bobby Evans, who "spent most of his working life in 'that wee box', apart from the World War II years", so I hope to discover more about Bobby Evans. It would seem from the WWII reference that Bobby 's seemingly lengthy period of service was well before John's.

John's youngest son, Brian McIllhinney, still works for Translink and has chatted about his father and his memories of spending time with his father in the signalbox, so some stories and yarns to follow later.

Also from my local research, here is a very interesting photograph from 1962. Just look at the long rake of wagons in the Harbour Road Siding and more of the same in The Down Main Harbour Sidings and in Platform 2! Any thoughts on what's happening?

© Joe Gillespie, Memories of Larne.

 

[Flying Snail]

Thats a very smart looking cabin and signal!  

[LARNE CABIN]

A little indulgence, again away from modelling, just to keep any current changes documented, with a quick fast forward to June 2023.

I used Ernie's 1960's photo as a guide for building my model of the Olderfleet Road Bridge.

... and in November 2022 I took and posted this photo...

... to show that apart from vegetation growth, the bridge had changed little from the 60's.

Just in time, fast forward to June 2023 and the blue railings have gone to be replaced by a six foot high metal screen...

A sign of the times, presumably as a deterrent to vandals throwing things over the bridge unto the line! I've noticed similar structures at a number of road bridges.

Staying with 2023, the Larne Line, like the rest of the network, apart from the Enterprise, is worked by CAF DMU Sets, usually 3 Car Sets, comfortable to travel in, but boring for the railway enthusiast. The only variation is the 17:05 ex Belfast, Great Victoria Street, arriving Larne Harbour at 18:02. This is a CAF Class 3000 DMU 6 Car Set. It arrives at Platform 2 and stables there overnight to form the 07:33 Larne Harbour to Belfast, Great Victoria Street. Other services use Larne Harbour Platform 1. The Friday 17:05 stables at Larne Harbour over the weekend to form the Monday morning 07:33. Here, on Sunday 4th June, 3008 (3408 + 3508 + 3308) coupled with 3019 (3419 + 3519 + 3319) sits in Platform 2, while 3012 (3312 + 3512 + 3412) leaves with the 16:55 Larne Harbour to Belfast, Great Victoria Street. You can just about make out 4001 (4401 + 4501 + 4301) further up Platform 1 which will form the first train out of Larne Harbour in the morning, the 06:05 to Belfast, Great Victoria Street...

... and a closer shot of 4001.

 

[LARNE CABIN]

Due to ill health, Larne Harbour Station has had to take a back seat during the last few months, but recently I have been able to work on a little kitchen table cameo. 

As part of my preparation for one of my Larne Harbour Station scenarios, where mail bags are being transferred from the GNR(I) P2 Parcels Van to a truck and hence to the steamer and onwards to Stranraer, I posted this photo on the Question and Answer Thread in November 2022 to ask for help in identifying the truck ...

... the photo is from Michael Stevenson's Steam's Last Fling (Page 92) and is credited to Joe Cassells. The truck was identified as a Douglas Tugmaster. I've searched the internet, but concluded that there is no existing model of the Douglas Tugmaster and the Scammell Scarab Flatbed model is much too basic, so l have used poetic license and after much searching decided to use the Jensen Jen-Tug as a reasonable substitute.

The orange Corona Soft Drinks livery then had to be painted into as close as possible to UTA Green and UTA crests applied to help make the scenario as authentic as possible.

I've a lot more work to do to achieve the detail I want for this scenario, but here is a work in progress ....

.... the lads are getting in some practice in transferring the mail bags to the truck...

[Galteemore]

Thought things were a bit quiet down in Laharna! Great to see you back David - lovely work.

[LARNE CABIN]

Dae oniebodie mine Rebecca, Barney's dochter? Tha last we heerd hir wus jaist daen schuil an bis wushin tae luk intae bein a vet! Hir be noo at vet college an on a wee trip hame we see hir up in tha cabin wi Hugh, tha signalman. He maun hae a guid fire burnin in tha stove!

(Just another glimpse into the characters at Larne Harbour Station, and a wee bit more Ulster-Scots! The tongue is fairly easy to read, if you try it phonetically, but for those who are puzzled, the English translation is:

Does anyone remember Rebecca, Barney's daughter? The last we heard she had just left school and was thinking about being a vet. She is now at veterinary college and on a wee trip home we see her in the cabin with Hugh, the signalman. He must have a good fire burning in the stove!).

[LARNE CABIN]

A tiny step forward. The labourers have just completed the stone wall along Harbour Road and the footpath has been laid. There will be an embankment at the corner as the road turns right towards Olderfleet Road.

Looking ahead, i wanted to start collecting a few road vehicles that would be authentic to  travel along Harbour Road in the late 60's/early 70's. Here is a ERF LV Flatbed Trailer in Northern Ireland Trailers livery.

The layout is coming together piecemeal, very slowly, but i have a vision of the ultimate goal inspired by many photos, one in particular (which i have posted before).

[Galteemore]

A place I know well and real atmosphere building here. Lovely work 

[jhb171achill]

On 17/11/2023 at 5:17 PM, LARNE CABIN said:

Dae oniebodie mine Rebecca, Barney's dochter? Tha last we heerd hir wus jaist daen schuil an bis wushin tae luk intae bein a vet! Hir be noo at vet college an on a wee trip hame we see hir up in tha cabin wi Hugh, tha signalman. He maun hae a guid fire burnin in tha stove!

(Just another glimpse into the characters at Larne Harbour Station, and a wee bit more Ulster-Scots! The tongue is fairly easy to read, if you try it phonetically, but for those who are puzzled, the English translation is:

Does anyone remember Rebecca, Barney's daughter? The last we heard she had just left school and was thinking about being a vet. She is now at veterinary college and on a wee trip home we see her in the cabin with Hugh, the signalman. He must have a good fire burning in the stove!).

Wow - that's thicker than a Kerry accent - or porridge! 

Excellent story!

In a past life, I briefly worked in Carrickfergus, Larne and Ballymena - so I've heard that accent to an extent I can follow a good half of it! I knew this little man from Glarryford (or, as he called it, "Gloorreeford"); he always swore that village was the single best place on the entire planet........ so forget your Iguassu Falls, Rocky mountains, or lakes of Killarney!

[Tullygrainey]

1 hour ago, LARNE CABIN said:

A tiny step forward. The labourers have just completed the stone wall along Harbour Road and the footpath has been laid. There will be an embankment at the corner as the road turns right towards Olderfleet Road.

Looking ahead, i wanted to start collecting a few road vehicles that would be authentic to  travel along Harbour Road in the late 60's/early 70's. Here is a ERF LV Flatbed Trailer in Northern Ireland Trailers livery.

The layout is coming together piecemeal, very slowly, but i have a vision of the ultimate goal inspired by many photos, one in particular (which i have posted before).

Lovely work. The sweep of those curves is just perfect!

[Patrick Davey]

Lovely stuff - always enjoy your updates!

[LARNE CABIN]

"Fur why be thon man aye takin picters, da?".

"He be yin o thaim thair rail fellas. He maist likelie kens tha steam ingin wull be on tha boat train. Some day his picters wull be in buiks, histrie buiks, wan this be no here onie mair".

"Whut dae you mean, da?".

"This wull al shift, Becky. Thon there diesels be takin ivver iverie thing an thon there signals wull be colour lichts, like at Greenisland, an this............".

"Al richt, da, i see, but i dinnae want thon man takin ma picter".

"Ah gae on, Becky. Micht be some day we'll bis in a buik as weel".

[Galteemore]

Great stuff. Multum in parvo exemplified. 

[Patrick Davey]

Superb!

[LARNE CABIN]

On 24/11/2023 at 4:03 PM, Galteemore said:

Great stuff. Multum in parvo exemplified. 

Hi @Galteemore, David. I've got a reasonable grasp of Ulster-Scots, from working with Barney and Rebecca, but I'm an ignoramus as far as Latin is concerned! So, I looked up the above, and I've went with ' conveying much in a few words'. Thank you!.

I did Latin at school, Portadown College, for Junior Certificate. It was a compulsory subject! The headmaster then, Mr Woodman, was a Latin scholar. He would pass you in a corridor and say something in Latin and then shake his head and walk on as you looked at him dumbfounded!

The only thing I remember about Latin, almost sixty years on, was the Latin teacher, a Miss Birch. She was mid twenties, gorgeous, with lovely auburn hair. Nearly all the boys had a crush on her.

[Northroader]

I expect Mr. Woodman was thinking “Nihil illegit carborundum”.

[LARNE CABIN]

Larne Harbour, 1961. Car (a Wolseley 1500, I think), being loaded unto ferry. Olderfleet Hotel in background and glimpses of the Lobitos storage containers in the background to the right...

... and a much earlier photo, narrow gauge still in place and no Lobitos. Area of my model, basically upper left hand quadrant.

 

[Mike 84C]

I think the car being loaded is a Humber, maybe a Super Snipe or a Hawk.  Fair bit different to ro-rof ! bet it made the car owners nervous!

[Andy Cundick]

Humber Super Snipe Mark IV introduced in 1953,plus rear end view of a Land Rover Series 2 SWB Station wagon Andy

[airfixfan]

Last photo from.the 1940s

[Tullygrainey]

What's the white convertible just visible below the Humber? is it a Ford Zephyr or Zodiac?

[leslie10646]

Hi LH,

What was the background to the aerial shot. Absolutely brilliant. Love the development of the layout.

L