Mullingar

[GSR 800]

Mullingar is one of the more unusual stations in Ireland, and offers plenty of modelling opportunity,  a junction station at the heart of the MGWR, with a large cattle bank, goods shed,  engine shed, a large gantry, the list is long to say the least.

My focus is on the Athlone side, although both sides of the station have a lot to offer, the engine shed, goods shed and cattle sidings were all on the Athlone side of the station. Progress has been slow, but it's finally starting to have a vague resemblance. 

Maedbh makes a visit to Mullingar en route to Galway. The Civil Engineer was on holiday at the time apparently.

WIP of the station building on the Dublin side of the station 

Engine shed and railway terrace under construction, slate roof is dry fitted.

Far from finished clearly! 

Edited May 20, 2020 by GSR 800

[Galteemore]

This looks great. I knew Mullingar in the 80s -busy place then. Want to see more of this ! 

[Midland Man]

WOW 

please put more up. Sure Mullingar is like my 40km down a few roads. If its going to be a 50s/60s scene you can run realistically 

U class 131 

A couple of J15s 

A LM class 0-6-0

A G2 class

D5/6s

And many more but a 800 can look nice as well. You got the engine shed spot on. Do not forget the railway houses  where the old station master was shot [ long story]. the Sligo side has a bridge that you can run trains down it like a branch line but have it loop round to the main line. [ hope you get me] Two questions

1. could i sea the track plan or what is the length?

2.  Are you building the Breathland track layer?

 

 

 

 

 

[GSR 800]

17 minutes ago, Midland Man said:

WOW 

please put more up. Sure Mullingar is like my 40km down a few roads. If its going to be a 50s/60s scene you can run realistically 

U class 131 

A couple of J15s 

A LM class 0-6-0

A G2 class

D5/6s

And many more but a 800 can look nice as well. You got the engine shed spot on. Do not forget the railway houses  where the old station master was shot [ long story]. the Sligo side has a bridge that you can run trains down it like a branch line but have it loop round to the main line. [ hope you get me] Two questions

1. could i sea the track plan or what is the length?

2.  Are you building the Breathland track layer?

 

 

 

 

 

The station is within 5k of myself so easy access.

The Sligo side won't be modeled, don't have the space for it.

G2 will hopefully arrive from NZ once international shipping is back on the regular, the idea is generally realistic running, moguls, J15s, cattle engines, G2s along with some of the D's but 800 and 402 weren't built to not be run!

I'm well aware of the murder of Thomas Anketell,  and the reasons behind it..

No plan on the track layer

Currently have two boards 10x2 foot, nothing is set in stone yet but overall idea is a somewhat simplified track plan for the yard

[jhb171achill]

2 hours ago, GSR 800 said:

 

Maedbh makes a visit to Mullingar en route to Galway. The Civil Engineer was on holiday at the time apparently.

 

I love it!!!!!   Superb!

[GSR 800]

As dusk approaches, one of the J15s, no.162, brings goods from the Galway direction through the station towards Dublin.

[Midland Man]

wow

looks good. If the Shannon bridge was never improved in 1900/1901 the Ds would have been turned at Mullingar and a smaller engine would have to go on to Galway. Would have been quite interesting operation at the station.

MM

[GSR 800]

Few more pics today, some more progress on the station building too.

Obviously there's still much to be done, the last picture shows that quite clearly!

The curved roof of the station is proving to be an...interesting...task and the rear facade for the Galway side building is non existent as I've no idea what it'd have looked like! Quite the conundrum..

What else is to be done, finishing up the engine shed and railway terrace, at least two of the three signal boxes, water tank, water tower....

 

[GSR 800]

Throughout the construction of the layout I've faced two major issues. The down side of the stations rear facade is completely overgrown, and there's no photographs to my knowledge of it that are of use. The other is the roadside facade of the railway terrace, which while more visible, is in many ways a mess of windows, porches and lots of swearing regarding said windows and porches.

The answer therefore is simple, basically flip the layout so that both of these troubling facades are facing a wall and out of view. This also opens up more room both for the station and the yard, and so I had little hesitation.

Having completed the switch I turned my attention towards the railway terraces. Plenty of photographic evidence both past and present to go off, and so far less of a headache to deal with.

The station signal box is next on the construction list, the first of three! And the only one still standing in good condition. Another stood next to the engine shed, and was likely removed in the 1960s, the last was close to the gantry and the lower half survives to this day.

For modelling in general, the Athlone line has a lot to offer, large stations like Mullingar and Athlone, to small halts such a Streamstown. Indeed there are quite impressive banks just before castletown and streamstown, along with plenty of bridges and tunnels to provide scenic breaks.

Alas I will stick to modelling one station for the timebeing....

Edited June 9, 2020 by GSR 800

[Mayner]

You have certainly captured the atmosphere of the station and the semi-circular buffet-refreshment room

[GSR 800]

36 minutes ago, Mayner said:

You have certainly captured the atmosphere of the station and the semi-circular buffet-refreshment room

I recently came across a photo of King Tutankhamen sitting just outside the refreshment room...had drawn somewhat of a crowd too!

A biscuit to anyone who knows why a pharaoh was so far from Egypt...

[David Holman]

Mayner is right, even in basic form this model has real atmosphere. Looking forward to seeing things progress.

[Midland Man]

The king came because of the Streamstown juntion incident in whitch 2 locos were damaged 1 loco that being Elephant destroyed completely.(I beleive) Funnily The shed that the IRA hid their "loot" would be on land that 10 years later my grandad would buy and rebuild the shed. The shed still stands only the design is not the same.

MM

[GSR 800]

On 6/10/2020 at 11:16 AM, Midland Man said:

The king came because of the Streamstown juntion incident in whitch 2 locos were damaged 1 loco that being Elephant destroyed completely.(I beleive) Funnily The shed that the IRA hid their "loot" would be on land that 10 years later my grandad would buy and rebuild the shed. The shed still stands only the design is not the same.

MM

We've a selection of chocolate digestives and Maryland cookies to choose between..

Signal box has been started, with a mockup dry fitted to see what she'll look like and if anything else needs to be done.

Plenty of card around, might as well use it!

The planking for the signal box is guaranteed to be an interesting ordeal..

[leslie10646]

Wow, this is great stuff and such a wonderful choice of JUNCTION station - I think I'll stop work on mine and watch yours  grow!

I've always loved that frontage of the refreshment room - I wonder is it unique - well done for including it.

Like you, I've omitted the "other line" -  to the disgust of my GNR(I) pals, I have omitted the Derry line from what should be a three line junction. The reason is simple - no room AND the family all came from up the road at Richhill, so the Armagh line had to be there!

When you have time to spare in a couple of years' time, you can do a cameo of the RPSI boys resurrecting No.184 from scrap condition to a running loco in a month for The Great Train Robbery.

[Midland Man]

Sure parts of 461 were left after they sent it up to Whitehead for restoration in the 1980s. As for 184 i would love to see it in this livery...........

MM

[GSR 800]

And now for something a bit different.

the G2 class were a regular at Mullingar and indeed some members of the class lingered on until the end of steam.

The G2 class have returned it seems, mass produced from New Zealand! Having made landfall yesterday, I set to work. Chassis is a straightforward job, fold up and make sure it's square. 

Some prefabrication greatly speeded up the construction of the body! 

Dry fitting shows what needs to be tidied and squared!

[jhb171achill]

On 6/16/2020 at 2:39 PM, Midland Man said:

Sure parts of 461 were left after they sent it up to Whitehead for restoration in the 1980s. As for 184 i would love to see it in this livery...........

MM

This was a one-off reprint for a special event, though it did briefly operate in traffic in it. Thus, it could be seen as an actual, if extremely short-lived "livery"; but they never carried it before. 

GSWR green of the 1870-1895 period was an extremely dark green, as seen on one of Fry's models or No. 90 at Downpatrick. They painted engines lined black from 1895 to about 1915-18, then grey onwards and to working steam's oblivion.

A few familiar faces in that video, most now departed......

[fishplate7]

This is a wonderful project and I am really looking forward to seeing it progress! Not sure if this will help your research of the buildings etc., on the Atholne side of the station but if you scroll to 3.25 on a video I uploaded to YouTube some years ago, it might be of assistance! Your era is older but perhaps the layout and buildings have not changed that much! And of course there is a load of stuff in JPO'Dea's collection. Keep up the good work and keep posting! Eamonn. The link is 

 

[GSR 800]

G2 has seen a good bit more work, overall easy to assemble, clear instructions and an enjoyable build, credit to JM. Everything else to be done when the likes of wheels actually arrive!

While I think the grey is overall a tad too dark, the grey was rarely clean anyway and dulled to an almost black, perhaps with the assistance of the odd oily rag.  Seems to be several shades of grey due to the lighting...

The darker colour is a bit clearer next to the J15.

[popeye]

Nice job, if you add a bit of weathering it should look great. 

[jhb171achill]

3 hours ago, GSR 800 said:

G2 has seen a good bit more work, overall easy to assemble, clear instructions and an enjoyable build, credit to JM. Everything else to be done when the likes of wheels actually arrive!

While I think the grey is overall a tad too dark, the grey was rarely clean anyway and dulled to an almost black, perhaps with the assistance of the odd oily rag.  Seems to be several shades of grey due to the lighting...

The darker colour is a bit clearer next to the J15.

Looks great. 

Weathering and general dirt - especially in later days - did darken them to the way you have, although the grey was a uniform colour when clean.

Some light weathering now would make it look “heavily” weathered very convincingly.

[Broadstone]

This is a really impressive layout! I've spent a lot of time there over the years and would also love to build a layout, but it is big with the Sligo side - you are right to leave it out. I particularly like the circular refreshment room and signal box at the junction. But also, the combined engine shed and accomodation/offices - 2 features that are unique I think. What a station, what a model!

[GSR 800]

Bit more work has been done over the Christmas break,mainly around station frontage along with small bits of hidden scenery here and there.

One may notice the yard is somewhat compressed. This is mainly down to the space available. 

Maedbh starts a train towards Galway. She won't be going very far, as the bridge hasn't been started! In reality the line curves slightly before reaching the yard. 

Mullingar was awash with water towers, two on the Galway and Dublin platform and one at the sheds. A mock up of the latter can be seen.  There was also a signal box just ahead of the siding adjacent to the shed, still debating whether it should be put in or not.

A cattle engine is a must it however!

[GSR 800]

Bit of work re scenics done at the mouth of the road bridge out to what is now the industrial estate but what was then a field, the road running along the wall back to the railway terraces. 

Rough shape cut out 

Walls plus grass added

This bridge, fraudulent in nature is nearly a mock up, but I am happy with the overall look. The wall next to the hut's rickety appearance exposes the surely relatable problem of running out of glue. 

To be finished tomorrow.

[GSR 800]

Work continues on Mullingar with the green and cream paint scheme making an appearance. 

Some scenery done just ahead of the platforms, a large frame is not prototypical.

Some progress has been done on the Galway platforms, and a comparison with the real thing 

Columns still need to be added to the Galway platforms and the signalbox has yet to advance from a mockup

Real picture is from Tom Ferris Second Glance 

At the other end of the platform the water tower and fencing has been added 

Looking across the platform reveals a hanging pillar nowhere near India..

[Patrick Davey]

Superb work.  A very interesting prototype and your work is fantastic!

[GSR 800]

Some more work done over the past week.

The goods shed is, in reality quite a wide building, and the platform canopy extends past the goods shed. There also seems to have been a small structure on the platform adjacent to the goods shed siding but I lack better photos of it.

no.309 heads a passenger working through to Dublin.

Columns have been added to the Galway platform canopy.

Seen from the Sligo platforms, J15 no. 162 shunts in the goods yard.

400 class no.402 slows to a stop at Mullingar. She will take water before continuing on to Galway.

 

[Galteemore]

This is delightful. Very convincing and as scenic development continues will nicely lend itself to black and white photos appropriate to the era! Really like your 309. Those classic 4-4-0s don’t get modelled enough, but are absolutely key to any Irish layout set before 1960.

Edited January 23, 2021 by Galteemore

[GSR 800]

2 hours ago, Galteemore said:

This is delightful. Very convincing and as scenic development continues will nicely lend itself to black and white photos appropriate to the era! Really like your 309. Those classic 4-4-0s don’t get modelled enough, but are absolutely key to any Irish layout set before 1960.

Many thanks Galteemore. Indeed 4-4-0s were commonplace during the 50s and one or two more may be on the cards in the near future. 

[GSR 800]

Work has finally restarted on the signal box.

Not very happy with the windows on the Galway side so might replace them to fit with Sligo side.

[Noel]

Very nice

[GSR 800]

Having begun work on the two chimneys on the main station building, a had noted 4 others. These can be seen in these photos from Ernies archive

 

The only aerial photos I can find are unfortunately not of the best quality, but nonetheless are better than nothing. 

https://www.cambridgeairphotos.com/themes/railway+station/

along with an excellent photo from the o'dea collection which confirms the low walls of the current courtyard were once walls of a corridor.

So that leaves us with knowledge structures once existed which no longer exist within the courtyard, it likely spanned from canopy to canopy in one form or another, along with a second building nestled between which what probably the jacks. I cannot find anymore information on it, incuding what I can currently access from the IRRS, at least for the moment. Contact with several of the Irish architectural societies brought me no closer.  There was an L shaped corridor and the jacks seemed to have been roofed also, the real question is the specifics of the roofing and the chimney position.

I could either make an educated guess for the overall design on the building based on what I currently know and build with the ability to remove at a later date should better/better access to information arise. Quite the conundrum.

[WRENNEIRE]

The tractor!
Can see one turning up on a few layouts soon

[jhb171achill]

I see you've replicated the small outlet for point rodding on the down Sligo platform.

The renewal of that little tunnel under the platform was jhb171Senior's first ever solo civil engineering job on the GSR just after he joined the team of the very august P. T. Somerville-Large in the District Engineer's office in Westland Row.....