Brookhall Mill - A GNR(I) Micro Layout

[jhb171achill]

3 hours ago, Galteemore said:

Sorry Patrick - thread creep!! What would Mr Weaver say? 

 

Well, threads are his business….

[Galteemore]

That’s a pretty warped view of things

[Patrick Davey]

So the 'open day' at Brookhall Mill last Sunday was a great event, and one of the many nice things to come out of it was to have my OO Works UG locomotive fixed!!!  It had been showing a tendency to jerk and stall around turnouts and it took the keen eye of Mr. Gareth Brennan to spot that this was simply due to the rear coupling hanging too low and fouling the rails at the turnouts!!!  Quickly fixed by Gareth and now the locomotive runs like a dream - here she is in a short shunting video to celebrate her restoration to full working order!

 

 

 

[Galteemore]

Great stuff Patrick. Always a relief when the wheels turn properly again! Might you consider swapping out the red water bag for a dun-coloured one? The rest of the scene is so nicely muted that such a small change might help it blend in even more.

[Patrick Davey]

Quite often during the early 1970s, CIÉ would send newly-outshopped locos up to Brookhall for an official photoshoot.  Three arrived on this particular occasion……
 

Edited March 2, 2023 by Patrick Davey

[the Bandon tank]

Really like those three GN linen vans. They look really well. nice line up of CIE locos.

[Patrick Davey]

2 hours ago, the Bandon tank said:

Really like those three GN linen vans. They look really well. nice line up of CIE locos.

Thanks tBt - thankfully Leslie approved of the fantasy colour scheme I applied to the vans!!  I'm looking at upgrading the decals though to red lettering with black shading:

A little project for this year!

 

On 22/2/2023 at 7:46 AM, Galteemore said:

Great stuff Patrick. Always a relief when the wheels turn properly again! Might you consider swapping out the red water bag for a dun-coloured one? The rest of the scene is so nicely muted that such a small change might help it blend in even more.

Yes 100% - that's on my snag list 

[Galteemore]

Excellent- shades of how the old GN butter vans were turned out? 

[Patrick Davey]

7 minutes ago, Galteemore said:

Excellent- shades of how the old GN butter vans were turned out? 

Spot on!  Inspired by the Alphagraphix butter van!!  But don't spread that......

[Galteemore]

I’ll keep a lid on it. 

[Patrick Davey]

A SPECIAL VISITOR TO THE MILL TODAY

Mr. Weaver famously doesn't like diesels..... however a little chap came to visit him at Brookhall Mill today and I think Mr. Weaver has been smitten......!

With grateful thanks to Alan (Tullygrainey) for making the trip to the mill today and for bringing his exceptional locomotive and beautiful BCDR covered van too.

 

 

 

[Galteemore]

Lovely. Perhaps Mr Weaver realises that this is also a fine local product like his linen. This does, incidentally, reflect the real life ‘Brookhall Mill’ - Andrews of Comber, who had a BCDR  siding into their mill.

Edited March 4, 2023 by Galteemore

[Patrick Davey]

[Tullygrainey]

There was relief on the footplate when Mr Weaver relented and allowed a non-steam interloper to call at the mill. What may have swayed him was the order from the Slieve Donard Hotel for a significant quantity of the finest Brookhall Mill damask which we'd come to collect. 

Many thanks Patrick for the invitation to visit this exceptional location on the GNR(I) network. We had a grand day out. Looking forward to welcoming your UG, or one of those fine diesels, to Loughan Quay soon.

Alan

[Patrick Davey]

Those of us lucky enough to own a Murphy Models baby GM will know how capable a model they are, with their reliability, their smooth slow speed running and much more, but I wonder did anyone know that they can travel through time as well........

 

[Patrick Davey]

Some 121 action at Brookhall this evening. These are stunning models with superb performance. 
 

 

[Patrick Davey]

Here's a little video I've been working on this week - it takes the form of a 'walk' around Brookhall Mill plus a journey through time from the 1940s to the 1970s, showing the different rolling stock that will run on the layout. There is no music on this video, but do turn your volume up - I'm not digital yet but I couldn't resist adding some appropriate sound effects just this once.......!! Many thanks to Paul Chapman and Eamonn Redmond for their help!

* Apologies, the video is high quality so might take a while to load.......

 

Edited March 9, 2023 by Patrick Davey

[Gabhal Luimnigh]

That's a great video Patrick, really catching the moods. Well done you.

[Billycan]

Excellent soundtrack too.

[Flying Snail]

Its a wonderfully atmospheric video!

[Signal Post]

That's a wonderful layout Patrick, I've watched quite a few model railway videos over the years and yours of Brookhall Mill are amongst the best, many others have equally stunning buildings and landscape etc, but your videos take things to a new level largely because of the wonderful music that fits in so well with the video photography. I was a little disappointed when I read your introduction to this video that there would be none of your fine music to accompany it, until I watched and listened to it.....wow, what a masterpiece from the first sounds of the river onwards....This has now gone to the top of my list of favourite model railway videos. Very well done and keep up the good work!

[LARNE CABIN]

Excellent video, Patrick, and great sound effects. 

[Patrick Davey]

4 hours ago, Gabhal Luimnigh said:

That's a great video Patrick, really catching the moods. Well done you.

Thanks GL - a lot of fun putting it together

3 hours ago, Billycan said:

Excellent soundtrack too.

Cheers Billycan!

3 hours ago, Flying Snail said:

Its a wonderfully atmospheric video!

Thank you  glad you enjoyed it!

2 hours ago, Signal Post said:

That's a wonderful layout Patrick, I've watched quite a few model railway videos over the years and yours of Brookhall Mill are amongst the best, many others have equally stunning buildings and landscape etc, but your videos take things to a new level largely because of the wonderful music that fits in so well with the video photography. I was a little disappointed when I read your introduction to this video that there would be none of your fine music to accompany it, until I watched and listened to it.....wow, what a masterpiece from the first sounds of the river onwards....This has now gone to the top of my list of favourite model railway videos. Very well done and keep up the good work!

Wow that's a bit overwhelming SP, thank you very much!!  Am delighted you enjoyed it, it was enjoyable working on it!!  Thank you for those very kind words 

2 hours ago, LARNE CABIN said:

Excellent video, Patrick, and great sound effects. 

Very much appreciated thank you John!  Loving your own progress too - hope it's going well.

[Tullygrainey]

Nice one Patrick. The soundtrack is spot-on and really adds atmosphere to all the images. You've woven a totally convincing story around Brookhall Mill. So much so, I'm resisting the temptation to start looking for it on the OS map!  

Cheers, Alan

[Patrick Davey]

23 minutes ago, Tullygrainey said:

Nice one Patrick. The soundtrack is spot-on and really adds atmosphere to all the images. You've woven a totally convincing story around Brookhall Mill. So much so, I'm resisting the temptation to start looking for it on the OS map!  

Cheers, Alan

Something like this perhaps Alan? 

 

[Patrick Davey]

My favourite CIE livery.

And just to counterbalance the above sensible post….. 

Mr. Weaver’s grandson is having his 10th birthday party at the mill and Mr. W has arranged for suitable play equipment to be installed in front of his house for the occasion.

Edited March 11, 2023 by Patrick Davey

[Galteemore]

Clearly the young lad is cut from the same cloth as Mr W…..

Totally agree with the livery. Just recalls that immediate post steam era when the railway was still run with proper goods trains, semaphore signals, and little byways such as Ardee and Loughrea still saw trains. And you could get a decent meal on the Sligo Mail….

Edited March 11, 2023 by Galteemore

[Patrick Davey]

The fiddle yard is quite congested this afternoon….. wonder what’s going on……

 

[jhb171achill]

It's 1965. Left to right, first track. Courtaulds coal wagon and ex-NCC loco now used to shuttle between Lisburn and Brookhall Mill. The 121 came as far as Lisburn with the Derry goods, as the "Derry Road" closed a few weeks ago, whereupon that train was taken over by a "Jeep" to go up the NCC. B125 will return light to Dundalk, but has been told to come into the mill en route to collect two linen vans to go eventually to Dugort Harbour via the North Wall and the Tralee goods. The GNR van is also being used to carry linen products out of the mill - it must be the last still not in UTA green.

A46 has two old coaches on an IRRS "outing" (visions of men in white coats when the IRRS talks about "outings"!). It did a farewell run into Newry (Edward St) this morning, this also having closed a couple of weeks ago, and then for the track bashers into Brookhall Mill before proceeding to Bangor via the soon closed Belfast Central line.

The GNR 4.4.0 remains in store, having been withdrawn by the UTA five months ago. It will be destined to remain there for some months longer while the RPSI consider whether they can afford to buy it from the UTA. Sadly, despite being cleaned up in anticipation, this will not come to pass as the UTA requires a price of £800, well beyond the RPSI's ability to raise; besides, it needs two new boiler tubes.

The Woolwich was towed north three days ago by a dirty grey and yellow B130, as the Belfast Transport Museum is interested in it. Like the GN loco, it's been cleaned up too - unfortunately it will end up being scrapped as Witham St. has no room for it. Various wagons are in the background, being loaded or unloaded off the Portadown - Grosvenor Road goods, the B141 from which idels in the background.

Mr Weaver ponders over his cup of tea. "I wonder", he thinks, "would there be ANY mileage in me purchasing one of those old steam engines as some sort of an exhibit here?"................

Edited March 13, 2023 by jhb171achill

[Patrick Davey]

You should write a novel JB!

[David Holman]

His historical non fiction is very good!

[Patrick Davey]

46 minutes ago, David Holman said:

His historical non fiction is very good!

Cannot disagree!

[Patrick Davey]

Which is your favourite IRM A class loco........?

I know which is mine!

I recently took my Irish Railway Models A class loco A46 out for a spin on the layout and I realised that I had forgotten just how stunning she looked in her dark green livery, so of course I had to make a video of her shunting at the mill, to a soundtrack of some appropriately 'green' music!! There'll be more from this beautiful loco shortly......

So here's four minutes of glorious green gorgeousness, in glorious HD!

Enjoy!!! 

[Patrick Davey]

The A Team are at Brookhall Mill.

 

Edited March 15, 2023 by Patrick Davey

[Patrick Davey]

16 hours ago, Patrick Davey said:

Which is your favourite IRM A class loco........?

I know which is mine!

I recently took my Irish Railway Models A class loco A46 out for a spin on the layout and I realised that I had forgotten just how stunning she looked in her dark green livery, so of course I had to make a video of her shunting at the mill, to a soundtrack of some appropriately 'green' music!! There'll be more from this beautiful loco shortly......

So here's four minutes of glorious green gorgeousness, in glorious HD!

Enjoy!!! 

A shout out to @Mayner for the fabulous CIÉ brake van which also features in this video, as well as @leslie10646 whose excellent Provincial Wagons CIÉ vans also feature!