Gort Station

[NoelG]

The hot weather has slowed progress. To do, yard fences, gates, signals, trees, livestock, people, cosmetic point rodding, a little more track airbrushing in parts of the yard, some telegraph poles about the station area.

 

 

Edited July 22, 2021 by NoelG

[NoelG]

Gort ready for the next phase which is electricity poles, lighting, trees, station fencing and road weathering. And then finally servo operated signals. This will take some time.

 

ToDo

• Electricity Poles about the station area
• Lighting - inside the buildings and street lamps
• Deciduous Trees
• Station fencing
• Road weathering
• Point rodding along the loop

Layout and this scene was inspired by a photo in the wonderful book "Rails through the West" by Jonathan Beaumont and Barry Carse.

 

Gort circa 1970. Buildings scratch built using plastic card and balsa using old photos to work out the building shapes and sizes. Gort had two iconic features, its dominant goods shed and its water tower.

 

Scene based on photo from Book "Rails Through the West" upon which this layout was built. Alas the HLV in 1970 was not fresh out of the carriage paint shop at inchicore (note to self weather that soon).

 

Looking forward to the final mile. But the divil is in the detail, not gonna rush the final few furlongs.

[kirley]

I love this layout, it gets better and better.

[jhb171achil]

That ballasting looks superb, Noel - you've nailed that!

[Georgeconna]

Wonderful Noel!

[NoelG]

Started working on the lighting circuits, they are powered from the DCC bus.

 

[NoelG]

Pond life, must put some ducks in here or even a swan

 

[NoelG]

Gort had a visitor arriving from Ennis hauling a branch train from Limerick to Athenry. Super precision runner could cross points super smoothly at speed step 1 of 28, looks as good as it runs. Welcome A23r to my Black'n'Tan heaven. Thank you Richie for this master piece, ya sometimes grumpy genius. Great end result, credit and thanks to everybody involved in the final product. Now the weathering powders are scheduled to come out to play

 

[NoelG]

A23r departs hauling the 15:10 branch working to tuam while B118 waits in the goods siding to follow 15mins later bound for Claremorris yard.

 

Drone footage in 1969??  A class and C class side by side. A23 about to depart with 15:10 Tuam branch train while B188 waits in the goods yard to follow shortly afterwards once the section has been cleared by Athenry box. C class B233 waits in the loop to run light engine to Limerick shed once A23r train clears the station limits.

 

 

A23r accelerates out in to the countryside with newly weathered 6 wheel HLV behind. That day glo orange had to go.

[NoelG]

ABC - A class and C class meet, while B188 waits in the cattle dock for the road.

[NoelG]

On 04/10/2021 at 15:44, kirley said:

I love this layout, it gets better and better.

You are very kind sir.  Had some fantastic photos from a well known book to guide me.  

[NoelG]

Some recent shots while the water tower was removed for renovations

 

Drone shot

 

Gort yard

 

View East towards Athenry.  Yes I know the point is set wrong way and either driver has over run, or ignored a shunting signal, or signalman was asleep.

[kirley]

There's a great 'feel' to this layout, well done Noel for the detail you put into it.

[NoelG]

A few A class visitors to Gort

 

A55 in classic CIE Black livery early 1960s ready to depart for Athenry

 

A55 arriving from Tuam with afternoon pick up goods

 

A55 entering the main loop from Athenry bound for Limerick.

 

A55 passenger working about to depart for Claremorris via Athenry and Tuam. She runs with the precision of a swiss watch. Beautiful model.

 

A1 in its display box, beautifully presented. Nice to see the certificate signed by the four principles behind the original dream and the successful execution that borough this model to market.

 

 

Classic CIE Silver livery as delivered by Metrovic with the Crossley power plants. She needs some gentle weathering alright. Just perfect model for my era.

 

[kirley]

They both look at home on your layout Noel.

[NoelG]

A12 arrived from Ennis bound for Athenry

 

 

[NoelG]

More A class locos visit Gort

 

A46 is a beautiful model, hauling goods working from Tuam

 

Busy yard at Gort as A46 passes

 

Mixed traffic bound for Tuam

 

These IRM locos are superb. Love operating them on Gort model railway.

[NoelG]

Started trying various different tree construction methods. Lots to learn, lots to experiment with, lots to try. Having fun learning new stuff. 

 

Seafoam seems more realistic looking 

 

Woodlands scenics armatures are a bit bulky but with deflating and painting they can blend in.

 

Tomorrow going to try some seafoam on plastic armatures and then apply scatter for leaves

[NoelG]

Pleased with the latest tree (centre of photo). Mix of Seafoam structure augmenting plastic tree armature, sprinkled with scatter to look like leaves. A little finer and less clumpy than clump foliage. This is addictive.

 

 

1. Start by shaping and painting plastic tree armatures (woodland scenics) Trees aren't brown.

 

2. Add on fine branch clumps using SeaFoam and tacky glue.

 

3. Spray outer small branches with sleeper grime or dull brown (ie to remove bright bits)

 

4. Apply hairspray style glue to stick leaves on which is scatter material gently scattered onto the tacky branches.

 

5. Result of using two shades of scatter material as simulated leaves. Content with that for a first stab.

[kirley]

A messy job but worthwhile, unfortunately it takes a while before the hairspray smell dissipates.

[NoelG]

Long overdue photo update. Was playing trains on Gort the other evening.

 

Cattle dock

 

Gort Shed with the daily H-Van being processed for local retailers

 

Cattle dock before loading to Provincial Wagons cattle van

 

Pick up goods train passing from Ennis on route to Tuam

 

 

[kirley]

Looking good Noel.

[NoelG]

12:30 arrival from Athenry waits in the loop to be passed. New Silverfox CIE Laminate coaches and Tin van in formation circa 1963. Delighted with these Silverfox coaches ordered last March arrived today after a 4 week brexit customs delay due VAT+Duty due on imports to the EU from a third country. Glad I've switched to German model rail suppliers for more of my modelling needs. At least Hattons are DDP (Delivery duty paid) and vat registered in ROI, so no customer fees to add and no delays, but Hattons seem the sole UK supplier set up for this.

 

12:34 arrives from Ennis on route to Claremorris passing the Limerick bound CIE Flying snail green train in the loop

[kirley]

Good to see more pictures of Gort. I get the feeling your new stock will be getting the weathering treatment soon Noel?

[jhb171achil]

I've just the one bugbear with Silverfox stuff - the numerous errors in livery. CIE coach roofs were never grey, ever, in green liveries, yet all of SF's green coaches and also railcars - even diesel locos - have these light grey roofs.

 

I have actually pointed this out to them twice; they should be black.

 

Similarly, silver-painted vehicles had silver roofs too - though these got very dirty very quickly.

 

Another thing is that they put black lettering on silver vehicles, including locos - it should be light green, and they use white for lining and flying snails on green coaches and railcars - they should be light green. Other than that, they are a very suitable way of getting Irish outline stock on the rails quickly - I have only just recevived two coaches and two tin vans from them.