Lambeg Man

Hi Andy, I thought I would post this one as it was the last summer of the "Derry Road". As it is a 'Working Time Table' it shows Goods and other trains not shown in a public timetable. One point to note is that the 02.15 Dublin-Belfast 'Newspaper Train' conveyed passengers from Portadown onward. I hope this is the sort of thing you are interested in. Because of the document size I may have to do it in several posts. That is nearly the 10MB limit for this post. It will not let me continue with second post. "You are limited to 10MB". You may have to reply to this post for me to continue.

Hi Andy, I realize from what you've said above that you may not have been aware that up to 1965 the "ENTERPRISE" was a specific service of two non-stop trains (two each way daily) that was started by the GNR(I) back in 1947/1950. Operation of the non-stop "ENTERPRISE" service was continued on the GNR timings as a joint operation between CIE and UTA until 1965. The Boocock photo's you refer to were not "ENTERPRISE" trains at that time, they were semi-fasts. However post 1965 both sides applied the term "ENTERPRISE" to the four remaining Belfast-Dublin 'through' services each way that were left after 1965. This generic use of the term/name has of course continued to the present. By way of a peace offering (and an apology for any offence caused), here are extracts from some public timetables. This is from the UTA's 1961 timetable. You will see that the 'through' service was pretty miserable. Only the two semi-fasts (in each direction) changed engines at Dundalk. The remainder are possibly more your own era, NIR July 1973....... I trust this posting has been of interest to you personally. However I feel that to continue posting comments about pre-1965 former GNR section operations (especially train formations) should perhaps merit a separate thread rather than divert attention from your excellent model. Your views would be appreciated. Best Wishes, Steve

Andy, your layout and the trains you have modelled are superb. That model of the Murrays factory is an excellent backdrop. A very small point, the 2-6-4T would never have "brought the CIE Enterprise coaches up from the exchange over at Dundalk". The Enterprise sets (whether it was the UTA's 'BUT' set or CIE's loco, DE, hauled set) at the time of locomotive exchanges at Dundalk (1958 to 1965) always worked through between Belfast and Dublin, non-stop except for the down evening service which called at Dundalk to pick up only. Until the spring of 1965, each set worked one return trip only, the UTA set laying over in Dublin from 12.40 to 17.30, the CIE set resting in Belfast from 13.10 to 16.45. It was only from April 1965 that each set began doing two return trips a day. I have UTA/NIR timetables for the former GN section for various years from 1960 to 1967. If you are interested in such material, PM me. GLOVER - I would love to take up pipe smoking! Do you know where in this day and age I could buy a pipe? Furthermore, where would I get the pipe tobacco? It is easier to buy 'weed' where I live!

Thank you Pat, Kieran and Glover for the kind comments. Will keep you posted. Just in case I need to know the time of the next train.................

Yes. Apart from the two bridges giving natural scenic breaks, double main line with many and varied services, the actual track layout has not altered much to this day. One could pick any era from the 1930's on to stage a "parade". Of personal interest is that back around 1963 (aged about 8) I can remember sitting on that wall near to the Magheralave Road bridge watching train movements and being fascinated by all the clanking of the points as they changed to accommodate local trains turning about. Happy days indeed.

Tail end of the CIE train seen in the previous post Diagram of the hidden sidings View of the "front of house" in relation to the hidden sidings to the rear Further view of the BUT set seen previously

A CIE train heads south for Dublin The signals are modified (but not finished) Ratio GWR lower quadrant. The one in the second photo has two dummy arms, only the top arm works. This and the four other signals on the layout are operated by cord from a lever frame that will be placed next to the point switch bank visible on the left of the previous photo. Of the 28 switches, 22 operate the access to the 11 road storage sidings at the back, the remaining six the points at the front. These are the two crossovers and the access to the loop. The bridge has been positioned a little further back than where the real thing sits in relation to the trackwork underneath to allow the loop point to be seen. Track and points are all Peco code 100 universal to permit the running of older stock. The BUT set in the photo (in UTA 'green') is, like another 4-car BUT (NIR "Enterprise" set) and a 3-car AEC set, the product of Lima 33 of this parish dating from 1996. The sets have featured in his past threads. When the repainting programme is completed, stock will appear in GNR(I) 'mahogany', UTA 'green', UTA 'regional' (for the ex-GN section), NIR 'maroon/grey' and of course CIE 'black and orange'. Railcar sets will comprise one 4-car BUT set, one 6-car BUT set, one 3-car AEC set, one 3-car MPD set and a 7-car '70 class' set. Steam locomotives will comprise 4-4-0 GNR 'U' class (00 works), 2 x 'WT' (awaiting hacking from LMS 4P), an SG3, a 'UG' and a couple more ex-GNR 4-4-0's. Two Murphys 141 GM's are already in my possession. However I am striving to complete the layout (scenery, etc.) before spending time getting the rolling stock fleet up to scratch. The 00 Works GNR 'U' heads a train of GNR (outline!) stock north

Hello All, As a new member to this site I thought I would post a few pictures of my current project. I am modelling the Northern Irish scene in 1960's, the days of the Ulster Transport Authority (UTA) and their sucessor in 1967, Northern Ireland Railways (NIR). Dublin-Belfast services are jointly operated with CIE trains. The section of line covered is on the Belfast-Dublin main line immediately north of Lisburn station, where the line runs alongside Wallace Park. The layout is 16' x 7' and includes an 11 road fiddle yard to the rear and the section modelled to the front. It is intended primarily as a "watch the trains go by" concept, with the operational interest in Belfast-Lisburn local trains turning around at Lisburn using the crossovers seen on the layout. Scenery obviously remains to be completed. View north towards the Belfast Road bridge in the distance A 4-car BUT unit passes through the crossovers to reach the loop platform in Lisburn station (which is imagined to be the on the other side of the road bridge). Bank of point control switches on the left.

Point gracefully accepted and will be acted on.

Hello again Glover, My model is based in Mid-Late 1960's (with the odd stretch to accommodate that GNR 'U'). Photographs are a work in progress. I suppose I really should start my own thread rather than clogging your's. In the mean time, Kind Regards

Hi Glover, As I am a recent member I only now have the opportunity to comment on your efforts over the last couple of years. One word - SUPERB! I, like you, am a student of compromise. However, many of your coaches / vans look far from "compromise", they look the total part to me. It can be small details that make the difference on a 'hack' job. Like you, I also paint carriages in different liveries on either side. There can be few model layout situations where you see both sides of a train at the same time. However of late, I have gone a step further in only "treating" one side of a donor coach. It saves time (two coaches in the time it used to take one) and I find the vehicle has a greater rigidity with only one side hacked out of the original. Some time back Colm Flanagan very kindly fitted up five Mainline 57' LMS vehicles with modified (57' instead of the correct 58') GNR K 15 / L 12 side profile etches he had obtained from a supplier, for my behalf. I have had them back for some time and have yet to finish them off. With the exception of one K 15 which will have BUT corridor connections fitted, the others I have decided to split. As my layout is viewed only from the front (sort of 'exhibition' style), painting each side differently to represent different coaches means having to dive under the front boards to visit the hidden sidings and turn each coach around. Much easier thinks I to use another four 'donor' vehicles and fit a K 15 or an L 12 side to only one side of each vehicle. With me so far? On completion this exercise plans to produce 3 x K15 and 1 x L 12 in UTA 'green' livery (to make up a 1964 Belfast-Dublin "Tourist" train - with a Kitchen car). The spare sides will accordingly provide for another set of 3 x K 15 and an L 12. One K 15 will go into GNR 'mahogany' as will the L 12, the other K 15' s into CIE 'black and orange'. My other project concerns altering 60' Airfix / Dapol LMS composites into GNR classes B 10 (Buffet) C 2, D 5 and K 24, all of which were built on a 60' chassis. Will keep you posted . P.S. Loved the "First Aid" exchange between you and Kieran..........

You are more than welcome Glover. I have left some comments on your own thread (Glover's Workbench).

Sorry, duff info re. the van in CIE livery. On closer inspection the picture I referred to features Y 10 van c744N (Colour Rail ref: FIE03875), not a Y 5. In fact in October 1958 all four surviving (un-rebuilt) Y 5 vans went to the UTA, becoming their numbers: (withdrawal dates in brackets) n645 (3/1971), n646 (2/1967), n647 (8/1963) & n648 (?/1961). So at least one lasted into NIR ownership. It should also be noted that at some stage prior to 1953, the configuration of n646 (as GNR no. 766) was altered whereby the large sliding doors were moved inside the van body. See Lance King's photo on page 31 of Irish Railways in Pictures No.1 - The Great Northern (IRRS London publication). Similar vans (at least one Y 4) that also passed to the UTA got the overall UTA 'green' livery, being classed as Other Coaching Vehicles. So it is perfectly feasible that the Y 5 vans were so treated (though not to the yellow waistband!). However in the case of n645, by 1970 this would have been very faded, allowing the old GNR brown to come through.

You're very welcome Kieran. The rebuilt type (vertical matchwood bodies) would be more appropriate for the period I am modelling than this model. That said, the other day I saw a photograph of an un-rebuilt Y 5 (like your model) at Amiens Street in 1961, in full CIE 'green' livery!

Excellent model Kieran, well done. When introduced in 1912, they were built as Bread vans and each of the ten built had a set roster working from Belfast to a provincial centre. By 1924 they were no longer specifically in use as Bread vans. Your model No. 769 (No. 468 until 1924) was originally rostered for Belfast-Castlewellan bread traffic and it was withdrawn in 1953. Some others of the same type were later rebuilt and lasted until the late 1960's/early 1970's.

Hi Leslie, Many thanks for the correction. Not sure where I got the idea that they did a black 'U'. As already said, I could not bear daubing into UTA black, so she will stay in GNR 'blue'. In fact she is running tonight with no less that five 'GNR' mahogany carriages behind her. Two are Graham Farish repaints to represent two of the 1947 ex-LMS purchases and three are ex-Hornby LNER sides hacked into some old battered Hornby LMS coaches. Roof and the pannelling are acceptable if the windows and doors are not quite right. However they were done in haste and will do for now. Than you again for the correction.

Is there anyone out there who bought the black UTA liveried OO Works 'U' class 4-4-0 and would rather have got the GNR blue liveried version? I have such a blue livery version, but it is not appropriate for the period I am modelling (1965/69). I am loathe to repaint into black livery and am therefore exploring the possibility of a swap with someone who may have preferred to have the blue version.