Lambeg Man

Just out from Totem Publishing (The Transport Treasury) is a new book complied by two esteemed Irish authors, Charles Friel and Michael McMahon, entitled "RAILS AROUND IRELAND". This book is a collection of 83 black & white photographs that range from circa 1914 up to the early 1960's, none of which I have seen published before. The format is a journey from Dun Laoghaire clockwise around Ireland finishing at Larne Harbour. The captions are lengthy and very informative. From the modeler's point of view is the value that this is not a book with the usual parade of locomotive portraits, but of Irish railway SCENES. To comment on any one image would take too long. Buy it now and see for yourself. GNR, GSWR, GSR, MGWR, SLNCR, CDRJC, NCC, they are ALL there! At £13.50, the price of three coffees, it is highly recommended. Buy a copy now before stocks are exhausted. Available from the publishers or through the RPSI book sales team

Thanks lads for the supportive comments. She is doing as well as can be expected in the circumstances. Now back to trains... I am closing my input on this thread as "Lisburn North" is about to become extinct! It was a poor design. Only 30% of the actual oval was 'scenic viewing'. I tried to compensate by putting another 'scenic section' in front of the hidden sidings, but this just lead to double junctions at each of the side sections as the photo's below show. In turn, the need for a back scene would have restricted manual access to the hidden sidings themselves. The large reverse curve necessary to present the correct exit under the Belfast Road bridge takes up two feet of board. A suitable height of back scene to an additional 'scenic section' would have hindered manual access to the hidden sidings. Ten foot wide end comprising lifting section and a double junction (nothing scenic) ... Once I have finalized plans for my new project, I will start a new thread... Many thanks for watching and all the supportive comments over the last few years. LM

Mister Flanagan, Why would a Metropolitan Police 'box' be seen in Ireland (or anywhere else in Britain outside the London area)? Obviously the TARDIS. Ten points for any reader who can remember what TARDIS stands for........ By the way Colm, excellent modelling as always... LM

Provincial Wagon vans have all gone to very good homes. Now I've just got a long line of grey liveried vans that have to have CIE decals added. Little or no movement of modelling as my wife suffered a stroke at the end of May. She has been home since early September and her care consumes much of my time. However I have in mind another project... Watch this space!

Received my copy yesterday. For a 1960's ex-GNR lines man, I purely wanted the ex-GNR material. However I found this whole book extremely interesting. I was fascinated by the amount of "old" stuff that was still knocking around in sidings in the mid 1970's. There is so much material in this book that can justify "modeller's licence" for anyone planning a layout. Large diesel engines hauling a single coach or a few goods wagons. An 80 class NIR liveried set in Galway! That one was news to me. Great photographs with VERY informative captions. Personal favorite, the black & white photo of Dromin Junction... If seeking to model the CIE railway scene between 1975 and 2000, buy his book now...

Very entertaining videos Kirley, thanks for taking the time to post here.

Great work Hunslet.

Great work as always Kirley. However, surely that van at the front is a 'W 1', not a 'Y 5'? May I also ask why the last carriage appears to be oversize compared to the rest of the rake? Just interested. LM

Hi JHB, Have had a long chat with Jim Egar on this subject. The 'bubbles' were introduced in 1964 and were for 'bulk' cement. You are right, bagged cement would have still gone north in the 'cement' vans. However by 1964 the ex-GNR 'cement' vans would have been in CIE livery, not GNR. So rather than desecrate the excellent finish provided by Provincial Wagons, I have already sold them. I will purchase second hand Dapol models that the PW van was based on and paint them up in CIE livery myself. LM

Yes Pat, I see your point, but every now and then my OCD kicks in! Did for example any of the ex-GNR cement vans as opposed to the 'bubbles' make their way north after 1958? Surely post 1965 CIE would not have been moving cement to Belfast in ex-GNR vans when they had the 'bubbles' in service? You my friend are being VERY optimistic! There are ten wagons in question (all limited edition and no longer in production), all in their original boxes with the information sheets. etc. Hardly used. I think it highly unlikely they will ever be "free to a good home", do you?!? LOL

Having emptied the ALL the rolling stock out of their storage drawers and while there is much to do with the passenger stock, I have paused to reflect on the goods rolling stock. Nearly all (except the excellent models sourced by Provincial Wagons ) were repainted prior to the house move. In the 1960's goods trains through Lisburn were in two distinct periods of operation. Pre-1965 all were UTA steam hauled. Wagons were a mix of CIE and UTA (mainly ex-GNR but some ex-NCC wagons were seen. The UTA wagons were in a generally disreputably state and 'new' paint having peeled away to show the original owner's livery! An exception were the Courthaulds open wagons that were repainted from 1964 on. After 1965 all change. UTA goods wagons have all but disappeared and CIE operated fitted trains hauled by GM power have become the order of the day. When I carried out an audit of my wagon stock, which has been acquired over many years without much thought to eventual usage, I found they fell loosely into three groups. The first could be described as coming from the GNR era. Cattle vans and the Provincial Wagons GNR furniture container together with 5 of their GNR cement vans. The second group could be described as the UTA era. All are generally repaints of BR designed wagons. The third group are reckoned to pass muster as a post 1965 CIE fitted train. 9 cement 'bubbles' are on the tail. I have photographs of BR containers being carried on these trains. However with this project I envisaged having only two goods trains, one operating in each direction. The first is intended to represent a pre-1965 service through Lisburn and here certain rules then kicked in. Wagons loaded with coal would have only been in an 'up' service. Likewise empty cattle vans would only have operated in the 'up' direction. Accordingly I decided that this (UTA) train would only run in the 'up' direction through 'Lisburn North', while the second train would be a CIE fitted 'down' goods, cement 'bubble's, lots of grey liveried vans, etc. This leaves the problem of the excellent livery finish on the Provincial Wagons GNR (and UTA) stock. Do I repaint or sell on and buy second hand vans and wagons to daub grey paint all over? Hey ho!

Hi Kirley, your request has been duely noted. While the number of storage sidings has been reduced from the previous 11 to the current 9, it appears this new yard will be capable of storing all my current rolling stock. Now, on with the electrics!

Excellent work Colm. Thanks for posting the video.

Thank you Hunslet. Firstly, the front scenic section is far off at this time. When I said 'through' roads, I should have mentioned that all the roads/sidings have insulting fishplates fitted approximately at the half way mark. So roads 2 and 8 can hold TWO long trains each on either side of the insulating break. Fitting the insulators doubles the train capacity for each siding. Hope this makes sense. LM (Above) Overall view of the layout end at the rear of the garage.

May well have been JHB. It appears there is a national shortage of track underlay. PECO don't make it anymore, Gaugemaster appears to be unavailable and neither Hattons or Rails have any in stock. I got the last available roll of that 'Woodland' (made in the USA) stuff from my local model shop yesterday. I used it to finish off two 'roads' of the Hidden Sidings, the last being done with cork sheet. (Above) View of the Hidden Sidings from the back of the garage. (Above) View of the Hidden Sidings from the front of the garage. The solitary coach in No. 5 road gives an indication of the length of Hidden Sidings available. (Above) Closer view of the double crossovers between No. 3 & 4 and No. 6 & 7 roads. All the track for the Hidden Sidings has been roughly laid and apart from a few pins to retain curves, nothing has as yet been finally ‘pinned down’. The pause is due to the fact that I have yet to decide where the ‘centre’ point of my layout is and consequently run all point and track alignment from that point. In respect of track underlay, although I recovered what I could from the previous layout, moving the ‘throats’ of the Hidden Sidings further out than where they were before in relation the actual centre point of the sidings, greatly increased my need for a suitable track underlay. Say what you will about how rubbish PECO underlay was, but Jesus, Mary and Joseph (and the wee donkey), it was simplicity compared to trying to cut cork sheet to fit! The extra length of the new garage and the moving further out of the points that make up the ‘throats’ for the Hidden Sidings, has provided a slight increase in capacity as to that in the previous layout which had 11 'roads'. The 'roads' of the new Hidden Sidings are numbered 1 to 9 from the back wall. Roads 3 to 7 can be accessed from either the ‘up’ or ‘down’ running lies. No. 5 is in the centre and is intended as a reversal line for any long train switching direction. Roads 3 & 4, and Roads 6 & 7 are intended to be ‘shuttle’ reception sidings for the various Steam/Railcar local workings. Road 1 and Road 9 will probably become the home of two lengthy goods trains, leaving Roads 2 and 8 as ‘through’ running lines. As seen below, No. 1 'road' was curtailed in length by a heating pipe. However the loop provided on the other side will hold 6 coaches and is intended to act in the capacity as a refuge for any train supposedly using the non-existent 'loop' at Lisburn. (Above) Closer view of the arrangement to No. 1 & 2 roads to deal with an intrusive heating pipe. (Above) View of the point work accessing the Hidden Sidings at the back of the garage. The 10” (60’ in scale) track panels stacked in the baseboard corner are for the extra scenic section to go in front of the Hidden Sidings baseboards.

I've never seen any JHB. There was a circa 1900 postcard published by Mr. Ferris in one of his books, but that shows the 'Mills' building we are familiar with. Moria apart, remember the original GVS was an Ulster Railway building. Balmoral, Dunmurry, Lambeg, Lurgan and Porteedown were all GNR built. As Moria served a "village" and as passenger traffic developed towards Belfast rather than in the 'up' direction, the GNR probably never saw a need to provide a more modern building on the 'up' platform.

Your attention to detail is stunning. From the circle around the car number, to the "entrance only" on the doors. Superb effort. Like Kirley I can't wait to see your next project.

Do you do commissions?

That's correct Hunslet. The first picture shows the point in position under the bridge. The next two pictures illustrate the problem. In the first the Peco Setrack curves are shown in the position they would need to be placed for three tracks to be accommodated. However, if the loop (third) line was added, the two main line tracks would need to go straight for at least 8". The next picture shows where the curves would end up if this course was followed. Okay, so move the bridge back 8". The distance between to the bridges forming the end pieces of the 'scenic' section are already slightly nearer each other than before, due to the need to incorporate a reverse curve at one end to have the lines swing left under the Belfast Road bridge. I didn't need to do this with the previous effort as the lines were going left anyway. Many thanks for your supportive comments. I never knew a Railbus was deployed between Lisburn and Banbridge. Thank you Turfburner for your input about that map.

I take this back. I have looked at a Jonathan Allen photo taken from the north end of the 'up' platform (so taken further back from where the one I posted earlier was taken), showing an 'A' class hauling a cement train through the bridge. The gap between the train and the bridge abutment is actually considerably wide. Given the space available on the other side, I would say they could have got three tracks through the gap.

I have decided on a slight compromise. The 'heel' of the loop point will be just visible, but no loop will be incorporated.

Yes Jon, you were right. Have since found this 1965 picture -

Hi Jon, I attach a copy of a map that I have no memory of where it came from or what the date of it is. You will see that the turntable seen in pat141's map is now a capstan turntable at the rear of the goods shed. The actual engine turntable is shown but not the crossovers to the east of the bridge. Also shown as I now see is the pathway through the smaller arch and the 'Lodge House' at the entrance to Wallace Park.

Awesome! Thanks for posting Pat.