Dromahair

[Broithe]

10 minutes ago, Angus said:

Hi Brothie, 

I did wonder if that might be the case but hoppers look higher than the front of the porch. It might just be an optical illusion in the photo mind.

I'll have to spend some time looking at the historical photos.

Yeah, it certainly isn't much of a fall, and if there isn't one, then that's not the answer.

[Angus]

Puzzle sorted.

In this extract from the video slideshow on the Dromahair Heritage site (https://dromahairheritage.wordpress.com/2018/04/27/s-l-n-c-r-and-dromahair-station/#comments) the detail can just be seen.

There is a better quality picture in Neil Spinks's SL&NCR Pictorial book.

The gutter falls toward the porch then drop down in a series of two bends into the hopper.

I bet they were a bugger to keep clear of leaf fall!

Edited November 10, 2019 by Angus

[Galteemore]

Fantastic ! I land back in the UK to find that the mystery of Dromahair’s downpipes has been sorted as I crossed the channel! The link is one I really like, not so much for the pictures as the text. It’s the best account I have ever read of the typical freight flow through a small Irish station. Looking at the site, one of the other recent stories on the blog describes the country school near Dromahair that my mother attended!

Edited November 10, 2019 by Galteemore

[murrayec]

It's like David says

The porch roof looks like a lead or copper sheeted roof, the up-stands along the front eaves- is the detail one uses to join the sheets! the roof falls to the rear against the station building wall which would have a gutter or flat surface laid at a fall towards the rain water pipe, this gutter discharges into a hopper just below the roof covering and fixed to the fascia then through the double bends and down to ground. The rain water pipe from the roof above discharges onto the porch roof and carried from there into the hopper.

To do this detail correctly one should carry the roof finish- ie; a lead flashing , up the station wall approx 150mm scale height above the porch roof to weather the station wall and form the back of the porch roof gutter.

Eoin

 

Edited November 11, 2019 by murrayec

[Angus]

Following on from a trial scribing the foam to represent rough cut stone I've done the first wall.

This is just scribed foam covered in a black wash. I need to dry brush some lighter greys and browns to introduce more subtly to the colouring. The top surface in particular needs considerably lighting.

None the less I am pleased with the effect so far.

[popeye]

Looks great, i would tone down the white bits a bit and very little else. 

[David Holman]

Certainly looks good in the photo, while at normal viewing distances, can't see the hat one needs any more.

[Angus]

Thanks both.

The black wash was just to exaggerate the scribing prior to painting.

I was surprised how effective it looked although in reality it does look a little stark and in need of some tone and more colour.

[Angus]

More stone scribing over the weekend has got all the platform faces complete and the rear platform wall.

There's still the wall at the back of the Goods loading bay but I'm going to wait until the goods shed is done so I can get the tie-in position right.

I've then been over the stones with some washes of paint, particularly the platform edging which shows up lighter than the platform surface in most photos.

To try and tone down the starkness I added some sienna yellow in at the end to give a bit of warmth.

  

The stones are a bit over-scale when compared to photo s but these are the smallest I can physically scribe.

I've also printed the station signboard and backed on some 10 thou plastic.

 

I've only found one decent photo of the sign, which I would guess dates form the 30s, 

 

Next up I need to paint the sleepers and install the point rodding in prior to ballasting.

Rather surprisingly for the SLNCR, the photos do seem to indicate the presence of ballast at Dromahair"

 

Edited November 17, 2019 by Angus

[Galteemore]

Lovely Angus - coming on well! 

[David Holman]

That will learn you - scribing stones in 2mm scale...

 Taking shape nicely!

[David Holman]

Another thought - is scribing really necessary? Even in 7mm scale, it is arguable that brickwork is best represented by printed, rather than embossed, paper, let alone scribing DAS clay. If mortar lines are around 2mm deep, then when reduced by 1/43rd, that equates to around 0.05mm, so in 2mmFS, that will be barely 0.01mm, or 10 microns!

 However, it is also arguable that sometimes we need to exaggerate certain features, in order to make them appear more realistic - artistic licence, as it were.

 Overall though, for quite a few aspects, across the scales, it is worth considering whether they are better represented by a printed sheet, rather than scribing lots of fine lines - it can save quite a bit of time and still look just as effective from the normal viewing distance of 60-100cm away.

 Having said all that, I will still be scribing stones and bricks when I build my new coal stage, but there are times when I find myself thinking 'do I really need to go to all that trouble, or is there a quicker, simpler way?'

[Angus]

Hi David,

It's an interesting point you raise. I'm not a big fan of brick paper. It looks great in photos but always looks too flat when viewed with naked eye.

That said, having used embossed plastic in the past , this doesn't give a good representation either. In future I'm intending to switch to brick paper as it allows more variety of coursing.

For stonework the texture is more important. For well dress stone brick paper would suffice, for any other stone then I feel the texture is more important than absolute scale courses.

As with all things it comes down to personal preference and balance.

[Galteemore]

I think balance is the crucial word here. As long as the approach to the entire layout and scene is balanced it works. Planting a resin made building next to a card kit will almost always jar - consistency is key. As long as the same genre of materials and styles is used throughout, the scene is more likely to blend 

[jhb171achill]

Out of curiosity when I was a teenager (many, many, many moons ago, when the world was black'n'tan and steam was just about dying) I gathered some very small stone gravel from a beach, with the intention of putting it through Senior's old sand sieve, to extract the smallest pieces. The intention was to select small stones to build a stone wall on my (first) layout out of the natural materials.

As you will guess, it was an exceptionally tedious and lengthy process, and matching up the right-looking tiny little bits would have tried the patience of ten saints. However, while I never progressed further than the scale equivalent of a ten-foot-long length of wall, it looked well, and no artificial thing can come close. But it certainly knocked my next proposed projects straight on the head, which would have been to build a small stone cottage to put in a field at the corner of the layout. I'd still be at it......

I have been thinking more about that lately, perhaps to make a derelict stone gable wall of something like an old famine ruin in one of the fields near "Dugort Harbour". Maybe, if I've nothing better to do some winter.

There used to be some firm who made little plastic bricks and coping stones and stuff like that - is this still about, does anyone know?

[Irishswissernie]

It was a firm called Linka, basically you cast your own parts in a mould using some powdery stuff mixed with water. This is the company who seem to have taken over from the original firm.

https://www.scalecast.co.uk/linka-moulds.html#/

I experimented with the idea but adapting the bits/castings produced with a bit of scratch building. Below is one I made earlier (well some 39 years earlier!) I think I sold it many years ago. 4mm scale

Edited November 19, 2019 by Irishswissernie

[Georgeconna]

ooh I loved Linlka back in the day, Nice building there too.

[Edo]

Linka - now there is a blast from the past....i think the moulds are still somewhere in my folks attic...

[David Holman]

Very nice. There was an article years ago about how to 'tinker with Linka...'

[Angus]

A bit more progress at Dromahair.

The yard has ballast down although I do need to add some static grass which should add a dash of much needed colour, and Mrs Hamilton's chickens are obligatory!

Thge sleepers have all been painted a light tan/grey colour to represent aged wood although I think a couple of washes with some dark grey is needed to tone down the effect.

I've also got the signal box stonework done. No masochistic scribing this time just Ration embossed sheets. 

I still need to add the quoin stones, this will completed using thin plastic.

[Galteemore]

Nice work Angus. Track looks the business 

[Angus]

Having just invested in a ratio signal box interior the question has to be asked, how many levers at the Dromahair box?

 

Counting the signals on the Enniskillen side we have four signals visible in this photo from Ernie's Railway archive

The signal on the horizon having two arms (as seen in the photo below from the John J Smith collection held by the Bluebell Railway)

http://www.bluebell-railway-museum.co.uk/archive/photos/jjs/b06/6-92-8.htm

The strangely painted lower arm provided the signal to the driver that the crossing has been set for the goods yard when a train was to be set back into the yard to clear the mainline for another train.

At the Sligo end there are two signals as seen in another photo from the JJS collection

http://www.bluebell-railway-museum.co.uk/archive/photos/jjs/b06/6-93-6.htm

So that's six levers so far.

The crossover for the entry into the goods yard appears to be worked from a single run of point rodding so would account for another lever (the crank is behind the annoying placed gentleman in the above photo from Ernie's).  I also think there two runs of rodding running east so I'm guessing a facing point lock operated by a separate lever (or did the SL&NCR use economical FPLs?).

So we are now up to eight levers.

There is another run of rodding running west just visible in this photo from the transport of delight website

 

In truth I am not sure what this is for, it seems to run to the level crossing gates.

As there was a crossing keeper at Dromahair responsible for the gates I am presuming these weren't operated from the box. So I am presuming this is a locking lever for the gates?

Finally the JJS collection gives a view of a distant signal at Dromahair, presumably there would be one of these in each direction?

http://www.bluebell-railway-museum.co.uk/archive/photos/jjs/b01/1-57-3.htm

This brings the tally of levers to eleven, so say twelve with one spare.

Finally I am presuming that the lever colours would follow standard  UK practice (although I suspect anything is possible with the SL&NCR) of red for a stop signal, yellow for a distance signal, blue for a facing point lock, brown for the crossing gates lock and black for points?

[jhb171achill]

3 hours ago, Angus said:

Finally I am presuming that the lever colours would follow standard  UK practice (although I suspect anything is possible with the SL&NCR) of red for a stop signal, yellow for a distance signal, blue for a facing point lock, brown for the crossing gates lock and black for points?

 

 

This was indeed standard in Ireland, or possibly “standard”!

I’m unaware of any exceptions though I won’t swear there weren’t any!

[Galteemore]

Interesting stuff Angus. And thanks for the link to JJ Smith’s stuff. I had seen some of his post-closure shots before but not these!

[Angus]

There has been little progress at Dromahair as I've been focusing my modelling time on getting my other layout ready for the Macclesfield Model Railway Exhibition in mid March.

These have just arrived in the post and are tempting me to drop everything and dig out the soldering iron:-

The are the etches for JM Design's (Mayner on this forum) MGWR horse box and refrigerator van kits reduced to 2mm.

John hasn't merely  reduced the size by 50% but also re-worked the W irons to work with standard 2mm scale association components.

I'm looking forward to getting started on these but I must contain my enthusiasm until the end of March!

[Galteemore]

Looks great Angus! Was reading Michael Hamilton’s account of freight flows through Dromahair only this morning - fascinating insight into what would actually have travelled over your sidings! 

[David Holman]

What we need is a few more 7mm scale modellers to make worthwhile for Mayner to do some of his excellent kits in the larger scale. There's a certain 4-4-0 I could covert!

[Galteemore]

there’s a few of Mayner’s little gems that I’d like to see put through the expanding ray!

Edited February 20, 2020 by Galteemore

[Angus]

Unfortunately I'm  hoping to get him to use a shrink ray......

Both his G2s and the D17 impostor could happily be found a place.

[Angus]

I don't normally go for railwayana much, I find it expensive and ultimately takes up valuable modelling room!

However, I spotted this on Ebay a wee while ago and as it was not much more than a few quid bought it:-

Dated January 1957 it was written in the last year of the Railway's operation, the steam operated workings are a matter of record in the timetable and elsewhere.

What I thought was unusual was the reference to passengers being permitted to travel in the guards van on goods workings. I would have thought that counter to Board of Trade rules prior to independence and enforce once across the border into Fermanagh?

I thought it was a nice document to sit with my copy of the 1936 service timetable.

Edited February 27, 2020 by Angus

[minister_for_hardship]

G.F. Egan the last engineer and deputy manager was noted for being accommodating to visiting enthusiasts, I guess if the writing was on the wall anyhow no-one would care too much about a few guests in the guards van, especially in those far off pre compo culture days.

[Galteemore]

How wonderful! Minister is correct - Mr Egan was very kind to enthusiasts, an assistance he continued even after the closure. I suspect the indemnity form is on a par with the contemporary footplate passes issued by CIE which presumably absolved them of any responsibility! HC Casserley certainly travelled by brake van on the SLNC  at least once and some of his pics of that are available online - I think on IrishSwissErnie’s site. 

Edited February 27, 2020 by Galteemore

[Angus]

With the current lockdown it's no surprise that the June 2mm  Scale Association Jubilee event has been postponed.

This means less of a panic to finish Dromahair as I have another year.

I am debating whether to move straight onto a full model of the station and abandon the entry though.

One task I have been looking forward to was building one of Mayner's MGWR horseboxes.

He reduced the etches down to 2mm scale for me a few months ago and I've been itching to get started ever since receiving them.

I just hope I can justify his work!

I promised it would be my Easter holiday build as I have the next week off.

So the etch was cut for the first time this evening and an hour or so was spent soldering on the overlays on the ends and one side.

Only the second side to complete.

[jhb171achill]

On ‎2‎/‎27‎/‎2020 at 9:01 PM, Angus said:

I don't normally go for railwayana much, I find it expensive and ultimately takes up valuable modelling room!

However, I spotted this on Ebay a wee while ago and as it was not much more than a few quid bought it:-

Dated January 1957 it was written in the last year of the Railway's operation, the steam operated workings are a matter of record in the timetable and elsewhere.

What I thought was unusual was the reference to passengers being permitted to travel in the guards van on goods workings. I would have thought that counter to Board of Trade rules prior to independence and enforce once across the border into Fermanagh?

I thought it was a nice document to sit with my copy of the 1936 service timetable.

Things were a lot more informal then as common sense was taken more seriously, and the "claim culture" we have now didn't exist.

In the 1970s I wandered into Inchicore, Heuston Goods Yard, Cork Goods yard, places like that, without asking for, or being asked for, any authorisation. It would have been obvious to all I was a "gricer". Occasionally railwaymen nodded at me or stopped to talk. Not once was I treated with suspicion, let alone told to clear off.

Many a time I hitched a lift in the cab of a loco, never mind a guard's van. It made for memorable occasions - in the cab of a 141 Cork - Cobh and Claremorris - Ballina, 121s on the Sligo road, 141s and 071s on the GN main line, 071s between Carlow and Dublin, etc etc...and once, a "C" on a ballast from Clonsilla to North Wall. I was on the Mayo road too... 141s, I think....also the Kerry road in a 141 and Dublin - Cork Goods in an "A".

Naturally, the world is a very different place now, and different precautions are necessary for a whole range of reasons.

My point is - twenty years before I was doing MY wanderings about, it would have been even more casual.

Edited April 4, 2020 by jhb171achill

[Galteemore]

Interesting comment JHB, on which I have been reflecting. In truth, I’m not sure that things were casual (it was in many ways a more formal and stratified world ) so much as built on a greater level of implied and unspoken trust. Drivers let you in the cab believing that you were who you said you were - and trusting that you would make no spurious claims for liability in return! The word of officials was taken at face value and generally followed - if grudgingly. We live now in an era of much less public trust and the consequences can be sad to see ....I was shocked yesterday to receive a parcel of tools and sheet metal for which I had not yet paid - the vendor trusts me to pay on receipt (which I did!). My surprise was because this is no longer a way businesses customarily trade with private individuals. It was a nice and unfamiliar example of old values...

Edited April 5, 2020 by Galteemore