The Sligo to Larass branch of the MGWR (with a bit of help from the SLNCR)

[Mayner]

7 hours ago, Angus said:

Hi Colin, 

I can't remember who said it, but it is a truism that  on a good model you should be able to tell the period and the operating company without any rolling stock present.

It is easy to get this wrong, for example in my enthusiasm above I've noted the view of the Cahirciveen shed area stating I was just going to swap the corrugated shed for a stone MGWR one.

The problem is that the majority of MGWR termini that had engine facilities had two road sheds. The exception being Ballaghaderreen and Kingscourt. The later looks to house two engines in a long single road shed rather use two roads; so if I want to create an MGWR atmosphere I should use a two road shed.

As there is also a lovely drawing of the attractive corrugated station building at Cahirciveen in the Valcencia Harbour book. It is tempting to use that, however the MGWR seems to have been quite generous in bestowing stone station structures onto its branch lines. So an alternative will be needed.

This has led me to ponder the buildings. For the small station I am thinking of using SLNCR structures for the station building and goods shed, partly because I've got a part built good shed for Dromahair and there is card kit that can be photo copied down for Florencecourt. For the larger I need to source some MGWR structures. I notice the is an MGWR architectural drawing set available from the IRRS. Does anyone know the contents? It is quite steep at £70 for the set (although does contain 80 drawings).

I've sourced some etches for the turntable deck based on a 50' Cowans Sheldon unit as installed at Carstairs in Scotland. It is bit bigger than I wanted but scale turntables are hard to come by in 2mm scale, and far better than the commercial alternative (the smallest I can find at 150mm would be a 75' unit!).

I'll need to build this first as without a reliable turntable the whole plan doesn't work. The engine release on the run round loop needs the turntable operational, so definitely not a nice to have!

The MGWR built few branch lines (Edenderry, Clara, Killeshandara) after it completed its trunk routes from Dublin to Galway and Sligo.

The majority of MGWR Branch and secondary Main Lines were promoted and built by locally owned companies and worked by the Midland.

The "worked" lines were built to MGWR standards in terms of civil engineering, buildings and structures, trackwork and signalling with stone station buildings, standard MGWR 2 road engine sheds and coal stages rather than the more economic construction favored by other companies.

Interestingly Killeshandra had a small single road shed with integral water tower at the rear of the building, like a reversed version of Tetbury but with the water tower on one side of the roof.

I think a Strandhill branch was more likely to be based by a loco based at Sligo, even the Midland would have been pushing it to demand a 2  road loco shed for a station only 5 miles from a major Loco Depot, but a shed for a single loco might have been justified in the days when locomotive crews were allocated to specific locos which more or less became part of the family

Its likely a Sligo-Strandhill railway would have been financed and built by local interests in the 1870s and later taken over by the Midland in a similar manner to the Ballaghadereen Branch when the Strandhill company ran out of money/went bankrupt.

There would have better chance of success for a Strandhill Railway from the 1880s onwards Baronial Guarantees on capital and potential Government Grants made it easier to raise capital to finance and build a railway.

The presence of the SLNCR, WLWR/SLNCR in Sligo would have made negotiating a favorable operating agreement a lot easier, the MGWR was likely to be less insistent on imposing its standards with actual competition in the market.

Modest cut stone buildings such as Ballaghadereen or Killeshandra would fit in for a branch line worked by the Midland before the arrival of the SLNCR or WLWR on the scene who would have been less fussed about station architecture and large loco depots. Westport Quay is a bit of an oddball in terms of MGWR terminal stations with a very humble plastered or possibly whitewashed station building and no goods shed. The Great Northern and Western (Athlone-Westport Quay and Ballina) station buildings became increasingly spartan as the line progressed Westwards, plain rectangular single storey cut stone buildings (originally without a platform canopy) at all stations from Castlerea to Westport Quay and Ballina in place of the ornate Gothic station buildings at Roscommon, Donamon and Ballymoe

The WLWR developed its own distinct style for smaller stations on the Limerick Sligo line with 'Cottage Style" station building with stones quoins and plastered walls, stone goods sheds water towers and other structures. Tubbercurry appears to have had a single road loco shed in WLWR days but appears to have been demolished long before closure.

On the other hand the GSWR and SLNCR would have no qualms with steep grades or corrugated iron buildings, so Cahirciveen could be literally lifted from Cahirciveen to County Sligo!

 

Edited March 16, 2022 by Mayner

[Angus]

Hi Mayner,

I think the justification for the two road shed will be to handle the expected excursion traffic without the need to travel up to to Sligo and back.

I am going to try and keep to the MGWR house style as far as it exists with the excuse the SLNCR funded the intermediate station. 

As a wider appeal, I'm struggling to find much information on MGWR signalling. Ernie Shepherd's history is quiet on the subject and I can't find any reference in JHB's Achill or Clifden line histories. The Baronial Lines of the MGWR book for covering the Loughrea and Ballinrobe branches refers to the signalling equipment being supplied by the Railway Signalling Company, was this the MGWR standard does anyone know?

The turntable etch looks fun! obviously the parts provided are just for the deck support but should be sufficient to allow a suitably detailed model. There a couple of successful builds.

I've found some details of the MGWR's turntables in the November 2001 Irish lines:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/i5fc04qa6q56fx0/New Irish Lines - Vol. 2 No. 6 - 2001 November.pdf

It appears form the article that 50' turntables where relatively common.

[jhb171achill]

1 hour ago, Angus said:

 

As a wider appeal, I'm struggling to find much information on MGWR signalling. Ernie Shepherd's history is quiet on the subject and I can't find any reference in JHB's Achill or Clifden line histories. The Baronial Lines of the MGWR book for covering the Loughrea and Ballinrobe branches refers to the signalling equipment being supplied by the Railway Signalling Company, was this the MGWR standard does anyone know?

Hi Angus

It seems that the Midland's signalling equipment was mostly fairly standard stuff, although some lines (Loughrea, Ballinrobe and Ballaghadereen as some) certainly had some oddball stuff, like antiquated "slot post" signals, and the well-known double-sided one at Island Road station.

The only references I came across while researching Clifden and Achill were in the boardroom minute books of the Midland, where mention was made of ordering material from the likes of the Railway Signal Company. 

Padraig's baronial book provides some interesting detail about signalling on the Loughrea and Ballinrobe branches, but also leaves a number of questions unanswered. I am currently interested in researching this further. I tend to include something if I can access reliable first-hand "chapter and verse" on it, but not so much otherwise, as I personally dislike reading "half a story" about something when I'm reading any book myself!

If I come across anything definitive at any stage I will post it here, but apart from headcodes, whistle codes and the like, which are covered in half a dozen MGWR working timetables I have before GSR days, I have no information regarding the actual equipment - beyond what was pretty standard.

I think the late Padraig took the same view as me, as when I discussed several other plans we both had with him, he mentioned a few bits and pieces (though not regarding signalling) which he had heard of, or half suspected - but could not verify; so he left it out (of the baronial book).

He and I considered doing a joint job on the Killala branch, but so little ever happened there, and it was open such a short time, and had such sparse service, and only one station - that we both concluded that an article in the IRRS journal would be as far as that could go. Sadly, he passed away within six months of that conversation, and I haven't even begun to get around to that one yet..............

 

[Angus]

Thanks JHB re-reading my text I realise I may have come across a bit critical, which was not my intent.

Since the last post I've done some nosing around t'interweb. Most searches brought me back to this site, which makes you realise what a fantastic resource it is.

it seems the MGWR's later lines used the Railway Signalling Company's equipment. However this company didn't come into being until 1885. Prior to that it seems to be McKenzie and Holland signalling equipment that was favoured. Helpfully this fits my time line and an etch of McKenzie and Holland signal arms is available in 2mms scale from Wizard Models.

 

Edited March 17, 2022 by Angus

[jhb171achill]

9 minutes ago, Angus said:

Thanks JHB re-reading my text I realise I may have come across a bit critical, which was not my intent.

Since the last post I've done some nosing around t'interweb. Most searches brought me back to this site, which makes you realise what a fantastic resource it is.

it seems the MGWR's later lines used the Railway Signalling Company's equipment. However this company didn't come into being until 1885. Prior to that it seems to be McKenzie and Holland signalling equipment that was favoured. Helpfully this fits my time line and an etch of McKenzie and Holland signal arms is available in 2mms scale from Wizard Models.

 

No criticism taken, Angus; you raise an interesting issue. And if anything significant in relation to it does ever come my way I’ll post it here….

[Northroader]

It might be worth remembering that the Armagh disaster brought about the Regulation of Railways Act in 1889 requiring continuous brakes, block signalling, and interlocking. It would seem that such things were in minimal use before then, certainly the GNRI were found lacking, so it could be that the MGWR didn’t make much use of McK & H gear in any case, say away from main junctions. The creation of the RSCo was good timing for supply of gear, and study of old photos show their signals are preponderant, and it looks the same for the GS&WR.

Then there’s the somewhat delicate issue of signal cabins. I made what I thought was a MGWR cabin, with a low pitched roof and the levers to the back of the cabin, but later I gathered this pattern was a replacement for an earlier cabin, a RSCo type with steeper pitch roof and levers to the front. During the Civil War, remote country signal boxes were a prime target for arson attacks.

[Angus]

1 hour ago, Northroader said:

It might be worth remembering that the Armagh disaster brought about the Regulation of Railways Act in 1889

Ah! very true Northroader and it complete slipped my mind the timescales we were talking about.

You make a very good point!

[Angus]

On 18/3/2022 at 5:16 PM, Northroader said:

Then there’s the somewhat delicate issue of signal cabins.

On 16/3/2022 at 1:35 AM, Mayner said:

Modest cut stone buildings such as Ballaghadereen or Killeshandra would fit in for a branch line

Hi Northroader and Mayner

A while back I waded through all the back issues available in the Irish Lines archive 

https://newirishlines.org/archive/

Whilst doing so  I made a note of the relevant drawings that maybe of some use. My computer crashed near the end when I was getting into the early editions and I had forgotten to revisit them. Whilst searching for the turntable article I realised I had missed a series of drawings of the buildings at Loughrea that includes the engine shed and the small signal cabin, both will get a place at Larass. The engine shed is that standard stone with brick reveals just like the Athboy photos.

Coincidentally, it appears I'm not the first to go down the Cahirciveen route in 10.5mm 2mm finescale. There is an article in the March 1996 Irish Lines magazine:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/2o1goyh98mmv2nd/Irish Lines - Issue 13 - 1996 March.pdf

Does anyone know if Mr O'Sullivan ever built his model?

Edited March 21, 2022 by Angus

[Angus]

Woke on Tuesday feeling grotty and tested positive for Covid, so I've spent the past few days in days bed. Feeling better now but using the time off (I'm too knackered to do anything!) to do some more planning for Larass.

First up is the signalling.

It is a fairly simple diagram, my only uncertainty is whether there should be anything protecting the platform road from the turntable release?

 

There was no signal/trap protection in the Ballinrobe layout which had a turntable after the platform release albeit the turntable did not form the release, it does feel like there should be something though.

I'm assuming the distant has been converted into a fixed signal (not modelled) so has released a lever to spare. All facing point locks on both crossovers are presumed to be economical so moved of the same lever as the points, again this seems to be the case at both Ballinrobe and Loughrea.

This means I need seven levers so the small 11 lever box at Loughrea is ideal, the Ballinrobe box was bigger with 14 levers but that just meant more spares. 

As I've drawings for the Loughrea box the dimensions will be based of that, I am however going to turn the roof around so the ridge runs perpendicular to the track as at Ballinrobe. It just looks better to my eyes and doesn't look as toy-townish. 

Edited March 26, 2022 by Angus

[Angus]

Always good to answer your own question!

I was just noodling through some bookmarked websites and came across this:

https://athboy100.com/2016/05/17/the-athboy-railway-station/

Mid-way down there is a great photo of the turntable release at Athboy (if you open image in a new tab it opens up bigger), including what looks to me to be a ground signal, no sign of any trap though.

[Northroader]

Looking at the photo, I think the lever is working a locking bolt in the turntable, so that when the t/t is lined up with the main line and bolted, the signal ground disc attached is cleared. Once I did a model ending with a sector table, but I found with shunting, it was always best to line the table up with whichever road you’d set to at the other end of the loop, or you’d end up with something down in the pit.

[Angus]

47 minutes ago, Northroader said:

I think the lever is working a locking bolt in the turntable

Thanks Northroader,

That's useful information. I was wondering about the level and figured is must be something to do with the release.

 

[Paul 34F]

Looking at an enlarged version of the turntable, you can make out the Lock Latch at the end of the table. Also, there is point rodding running back from the lever frame along the platform wall in the direction of the Signalbox.  I suspect the Lever also interlocked with the Signalling to confirm the table was in the correct position prior to clearing the Home Signal for an arriving passenger train.  
 

Paul

[Angus]

Still doodling on with the track plan.

Overnight a couple of things struck me. Firstly the access to the goods yard is a bit odd for a terminus arrangement. The loco would need to pull into the platform road, run around, then draw back passed the crossover and shunt into the goods yard, presumably it would have to clear one of the roads first. It could then shunt as required without fouling the station by using the headshunt but all trains would need to be made up in the yard. This would necessitate a lot of additional shunting and restrict the yard capacity. 

If the crossover were reversed, once run around at the platform, the loco could simply haul the train into the headshunt then shunt at will isolated from the mainline. Once the shunting is completed and the outgoing train assembled the loco can propel the train back into the platform road ready for departure. I my head at least this sounds more rational.

This also removes another concern. I added a second station because I rather like multiple location layouts where you follow a train (very much the American approach as demonstrated by Mayner in the currently active "Irish model Railway Track Plans" thread https://irishrailwaymodeller.com/uploads/monthly_2022_03/1835103048_NorthKerryNScale2022Version.thumb.jpg.a5ddd83c78636aa8c181ab49836d3550.jpg). Apart form adding the interest of another station it also creates a feel of "journey", however, to be successful it does need adequate space between stations. In previous endeavours I've worked on the principle of three train lengths between station to give adequate open running. Obviously this wasn't going to work in the space constrains here so I've relaxed this rule down to two train lengths. I'm planning a view breaker at the end of the head shunt so the Larass station scene is separated visually from the smaller station and open running section. With the original crossover, the train would have to break through this visual barrier to draw forward far enough to access the goods yard. This would destroy any illusion created. With the crossover reversed the illusion can be maintained.

The only down side to this revision is that I've had to trim 30mm from my imposed minimum radius of 500mm on the headshunt to fit on the boards. There are no reverse curves in this section so hopefully this won't be an issue.

I also took the opportunity to extend the approach curve through the station at Larass, I always think gentle curves look more realistic on a model that straight lines, even if the real thing is usually straight. It also give more room for the shed scene and allows slightly longer sidings in the goods yard.

I've reworked the small station compressing it slightly. This helps maintain the open space between the stations and hopefully reinforces the minor nature of this station (Culleenamore). I've altered the layout slightly to add to the shunting interest. There is an annual horse race (according to Wikipedia) held on the sands at Culleenamore, so I am presuming a small horse bay is provided. The short spur being inspired by the layout at Killala, seen here at around 1.00 minutes in.

So all that remained was to alter the signal diagram as appropriate (note distance signals have been excluded hence the missing numbers.).

In my head the SLNCR contribution to the line is to provide the intermediate stations which give me an excuse to vary the architecture (and recycle the buildings I've started for my Dromahair module) whereas Larass will be pure MGWR.

 Well enough procrastinating, I really should get on with some modelling.....

I think the plan is complete now, barring minor tweaking. I need to print off the Larass station end and ensure it all works with the turntable and intended structures.

[StevieB]

What a fascinating YouTube video, albeit the sad process of track lifting. There is more information here about Killala station than I have seen anywhere before.

Stephen

Edited March 27, 2022 by StevieB
Misspelling

[David Holman]

Always interesting to see the thought process behind any layout. If Richard Chown had modelled on 2mm scale, suspect Castle Rackrent might have been similar. The headshunt makes eminently good sense in avoiding blocking the main line when shunting and seems like a lot of Irish stations had one.

 Both stations have that all important feeling of space and even without the place names, buildings, etc, if you saw them in isolation, would say 'Ireland and MGWR'.

 Looks a great project and the Killala photos are fantastic.

Edited March 28, 2022 by David Holman

[Angus]

11 hours ago, David Holman said:

Always interesting to see the thought process behind any layout. If Richard Chown had modelled on 2mm scale, suspect Castle Rackrent might have been similar. The headshunt makes eminently good sense in avoiding blocking the main line when shunting and seems like a lot of Irish stations had one.

 Both stations have that all important feeling of space and even without the place names, buildings, etc, if you saw them in isolation, would say 'Ireland and MGWR'.

 Looks a great project and the Killala photos are fantastic.

Thanks David,

High praise indeed!w if I can deliver a final layout anywhere approaching the standard of Castle Rackrent I'll be a happy man!

I am pondering the split between the two layout halves, practicality would suggest splitting it into to separately viewable section with a hard divide. This would preserve the integrity of each scene. However, if I conjure up a view breaker with a hill side and short tunnel it should assist the feeling of spaciousness you mention. I'd like to avoid an road overbridge, it doesn't strike me that there would be many of those around. Any existent road or track wouldn't be busy enough to justify the expense of a bridge. Also on the S curve between the two stations I'm hopeful of being able to conjure up a scene harking to the picture on the front of JHB's Rails to Achill book.

This would need the extended view into the Larass section. Then again I might be pushing the expectation of my creative skills a bit too much!

 

[David Holman]

That little book has  so much inspiration in it for modelling the North West of Ireland!

 As for view breakers, that is a challenge, though the Achill line did have a tunnel of course. Being near to the sea, a short tunnel through a headland would look ok, while the headshunt means locos would not be shuffling in and out during shunting. Large buildings are thin on the ground, not that many trees in that part of the world either. a clump of Scots lines perhaps? Maybe arranging a low hill at the front edge could work? Wouldn't need to be very high to hide a 2mm train and would look fine rising up from the water's edge.

 Another thought is simply framing the two stations as two separate pictures, with a short, 5-10cm frame in between. Being at right angles to each other, viewing both stations at once is not easy anyway and is a dodge I've seen used effectively a few times at shows. Larass is pretty complete/discreet as a scene, while the run into/out of Cullenamore should work well with that section.

[Angus]

9 minutes ago, David Holman said:

a short tunnel through a headland

Hi David,

that is very much my current thinking, there are a few examples of very short tunnels on the Valencia line, always accepting the Sligo is not Kerry! combined with some hillside and the odd tree clump it should work.

 

12 minutes ago, David Holman said:

Another thought is simply framing the two stations as two separate pictures

That's what I was meaning by "splitting it into to separately viewable section with a hard divide". It would restrict the expansiveness of the view though. Whilst this enable easier "Cameo" style framing and enable the layout to be built in two halves, I am concerned about losing the sense of journey I am trying to create.

Ultimately the split between sections would be conveniently situated on the board joint so could be retrospectively installed if the view breaker tunnel and headland didn't work. 

[Angus]

As a final check on the design I've been giving some thought to train length.

When I drew up the plan I was working on an 18" 450mm length, but in all honesty hadn't tested this. I know 12" was too short and 24" would more than comfortable so simply pumped for mid-way.

It should be noted that I find as you decrease in scale size compression of train length becomes less visually acceptable. In 7mm a tender engine four goods wagons and brake van looks an acceptable train, however, it just looks odd in 2mm (Unless of course the real train length you are modelling was this long).

Now in 2mm, the following approximate lengths apply:

101 Class (J15) ~ 100mm

Covered van ~ 35mm

brake van ~ 45mm

6w carriage ~ 70mm

Bogie Coach ~ 130mm

So a 450mm train length will allow:

Loco+8x wagons  + brake

Loco + 5x 6w carriages

Loco + 2x 6w + 3x wagons + brake

Loco + 2x bogies carriages + 6w carriage

These feel just a little short for a maximum train length.

Adding 50mm to extend train lengths to 500mm ( 20") gives a bit more breathing space.

This allows two more wagons in the goods (now 10x wagons + brake) and mixed trains (now 2x 6w + 5 wagons + brake)and allows three bogie carriages or an additional 6w carriage to be added to the bogie rake which would be more representative of excursion traffic.

Fortunately this still fits on the plans prepared without squashing the run around clearance to the minimum (which always looks a bit odd in small scales).

 

[Galteemore]

Excellent Angus. Scale is vital here as you say. In 7mm it’s hard for the eye to take in the whole train at once, so you can get away with less stock (I’m hoping so anyway for my 0630 ex Sligo goods!). Less so in 2mm where you can take in whole train in an eye blink. The big selling point of 2mm is that it allows just that placing of a correct train length in a significant piece of landscape. 

Edited April 3, 2022 by Galteemore

[David Holman]

Iain Rice's formula is that a train should be able to traverse a scene three times its own length to look 'right'. Seems to work & is something I've stuck to over the years. Have also always felt that odd numbers of vehicles, especially bogie vehicles, looks better somehow than even ones. Got no explanation for this whatsoever!

 One of the joys of 2mm scale is to have decent length trains set within the landscape and 10 wagons or equivalent sounds good to me - would that I had the space in 7mm scale!

 

[Northroader]

My wife always insists with any flower arranging that an odd number of flowers are placed in the vase, never an even number.

[Broithe]

Almost all cartoon characters have three fingers and a thumb, where they have hands at all. Four just looks 'too many'.

A friend of mine had the ring finger on her left hand removed due to cancer, but it is almost unnoticeable, even if you know. I suspect that few people who don't know ever spot it.

[jhb171achill]

42 minutes ago, Northroader said:

My wife always insists with any flower arranging that an odd number of flowers are placed in the vase, never an even number.

 

22 minutes ago, Broithe said:

Almost all cartoon characters have three fingers and a thumb, where they have hands at all. Four just looks 'too many'.

A friend of mine had the ring finger on her left hand removed due to cancer, but it is almost unnoticeable, even if you know. I suspect that few people who don't know ever spot it.

Odd, isn’t it!

[David Holman]

Then of course there's Mr Spok, from Star Trek, who has three ears: left ear, right ear and final frontier...

Sorry!

[2996 Victor]

15 minutes ago, David Holman said:

Then of course there's Mr Spok, from Star Trek, who has three ears: left ear, right ear and final frontier...

Sorry!

"Groan!"

Edited April 3, 2022 by 2996 Victor

[Angus]

On 3/4/2022 at 6:25 PM, David Holman said:

Then of course there's Mr Spok, from Star Trek, who has three ears: left ear, right ear and final frontier...

Sorry!

yes..........moving on......

probably about time I did some modelling as opposed to planning.

I've already noted that the Ratio carriage shed looked a good approximation for an Irish structure so I bought the kit and settled in for some anticipated "shake the box" kit building fun.

As ever though it isn't that simple. If I had looked closer I would have realised only the the roof of the kit is corrugated sheet, the ends and the sides are timber planking. Now, no self respecting Irish company would squander precious money on such frivolities when crinkly tin will do the job more cheaply and just a well.

No matter, a few minutes had some new ends cut out some spare plastic corrugated sheet I had.  

I took the opportunity to square off the ends as seen on the real sheds at Cariciveen and Achill.

The kit as supplied is two separate structures to be glued together to make one long one. This looks slightly odd though as you have two ends and associated legs in the middle of the structure, so I also adapted that by removing a small section with the legs from one end.

I then overlaid the sides with more corrugated sheet. I was concerned about the thickness if I simply glued the corrugated sheet on top of the kit's timber side so spent 40 minutes diligently sanding down both the timber side and the corrugated sheet on one side before deciding it made little to no difference to the overall look so just glued the second side directly on. I used the surplus timber end pieces, suitable trimmed, as intermediate roof supports to give the structure more rigidity.

Its coming along nicely.

Posed above with a MGWR brake third that is awaiting the return of some patience (is that ever worth the wait?) to attack the z style MGWR grab rails. Having carefully bent up three handrails from 0.2mm wire only to see them ping off into the nevertobeseenagain distance as I tried to fit them I've given up for a while.....

Edited April 5, 2022 by Angus

[2996 Victor]

Lovely work, @Angus, and well worth the making of the new ends! I'm definitely following this closely

As for the grab rails: maddening, but the carpet monster must be kept fed.....

Cheers,

Mark

[Galteemore]

51 minutes ago, 2996 Victor said:

 

As for the grab rails: maddening, but the carpet monster must be kept fed.....

Cheers,

Mark

Excellent work Angus. As for the carpet monster, I have realised that sometimes you have to work on its terms. Last night I was fitting crank pins and nuts on a chassis and felt the best course was just to get down at floor level with a plastic tray and do it there…..nothing was lost this time….

It’s amazing how far and invisibly tiny items bounce when dropped from desk height ! 

Edited April 5, 2022 by Galteemore

[Colin R]

Angus

Sorry about the delay but if you want more info about Signalling try these guys here

https://signalbox.org/

I am not sure if they are related but I was advised to get a book called the 'The Signal Box' by the Signalling study group, I am sure they will be able to give you chapter and versus about your signalling requirements 

 https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/archivehistory.php

 

Regards

Colin

[jhb171achill]

23 hours ago, 2996 Victor said:

 

As for the grab rails: maddening, but the carpet monster must be kept fed.....

 

It's eaten several wagon axlebox bearings of mine in recent times...........

[Angus]

On 21/3/2022 at 9:53 PM, Angus said:

Hi Northroader and Mayner

A while back I waded through all the back issues available in the Irish Lines archive 

https://newirishlines.org/archive/

Whilst doing so  I made a note of the relevant drawings that maybe of some use. My computer crashed near the end when I was getting into the early editions and I had forgotten to revisit them. Whilst searching for the turntable article I realised I had missed a series of drawings of the buildings at Loughrea that includes the engine shed and the small signal cabin, both will get a place at Larass. The engine shed is that standard stone with brick reveals just like the Athboy photos.

Coincidentally, it appears I'm not the first to go down the Cahirciveen route in 10.5mm 2mm finescale. There is an article in the March 1996 Irish Lines magazine:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/2o1goyh98mmv2nd/Irish Lines - Issue 13 - 1996 March.pdf

Does anyone know if Mr O'Sullivan ever built his model?

I never made the link but I am reliable informed the Patrick O'Sullivan in question is the very same that authored to two books on Farranfore to Valencia line published by Oakwood Press. He also arranged for the shot down J15 etches in 2mm scale I have, so I've a lot to thank him for!

It turns out he is still a member of the 2mm scale association so if the niceties of data protection allow I am hoping to make contact.

[airfixfan]

On 6/4/2022 at 8:00 PM, Colin R said:

Angus

Sorry about the delay but if you want more info about Signalling try these guys here

https://signalbox.org/

I am not sure if they are related but I was advised to get a book called the 'The Signal Box' by the Signalling study group, I am sure they will be able to give you chapter and versus about your signalling requirements 

 https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/archivehistory.php

 

Regards

Colin

It is a very good book with many rare photos

[Galteemore]

Agreed - very glad to have discovered it.