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Lisburn North - An 00 gauge layout


Lambeg Man
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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.

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View north towards the Belfast Road bridge in the distance

 

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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.

 

 

 

 

Edited by Lambeg Man
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This is a bit good!

So many points of interest already: the signals, the BUT set and that lever frame.

Tell us more.

 

The setting and time period also allow for a great variety of stock, including CIE freight. I also now understand how your 'one-sided' coaches will work out.

 

Cheers,

Glover

Edited by Glover
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DSC00096_(2).JPG.ed3703faa2314ad7e31e719bc49420bf.JPG

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.

 

2073051130_DSC00092(4).JPG.9d4c74569c25416c136c21efdf18afa0.JPG

 

   The 00 Works GNR 'U' heads a train of GNR (outline!) stock north

 

 

Edited by Lambeg Man
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1566058956_DSC00102(2).JPG.be298e548ad18ac4fa690b7b0041e061.JPG

 

Tail end of the CIE train seen in the previous post

 

943666889_DSC00103(2).JPG.47ce6fb39ef8c566ee62d62a98944af0.JPG

 

Diagram of the hidden sidings

 

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View of the "front of house" in relation to the hidden sidings to the rear741321259_DSC00109(3).JPG.ae10c669168ece1837a9e3ac51d5df78.JPG

 

Further view of the BUT set seen previously

 

 

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Thanks for all that info Lambeg.

I had a look at the location on Google Earth last night; it certainly does provide a stage for a passing parade of interesting stock.

 

Cheers,

Glover

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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.   

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Welcome to the Site Steve, knowing of your extensive knowledge of the era your modelling I’m really looking forward to seeing the layout developing with the accuracy I know you will bring to it.

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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.................

 

DSC00100_(1).JPG.ebabfd073c9cb291a12414c17a5765b2.JPG

 

Edited by Lambeg Man
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Hello everyone,

 

Some photo's of very recent progress.

 

image.png.95a6e6b46ac0463f1cb78c4346c8396e.png 

 

Close up of the '900' car of the 1967/69 NIR Enterprise set

 

image.png.f8ec7646c1437e89071377bf768c151c.png

 

Irish goods train, no two wagons the same.

 

image.png.e592643497b4b4c567f80323aec29ed9.png

 

Ditto

 

image.png.2ba2b91881b710c7f46d3839971ba1ff.png

 

The 1967-69 NIR 4-car BUT "Enterprise" set

 

 

Edited by Lambeg Man
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One for Hunslet....... A 4-car BUT set early 1968 heading a Portadown local.... A '900' power car still in UTA green, the spare Brake/First (began life as an F 16 composite) just out of the paint shop in NIR livery, an F 16 former composite 'reduced' to an All Second, still in UTA green and lastly the first '700' to gain the NIR livery....

 

image.png.9332ed8915cbf57b63e175273f5ae7e5.png

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I love those railcars! Brings me right back..... many early memories in Lisburn, including 0.6.0 No. 47 shunting, and AEC sets in GNR navy & cream, UTA green, the short-lived UTA mid-blue and cream, and NIR maroon & grey.

 

I’ve notes somewhere of the makeup of the goods, which was typically hauled by a single 141, but occasionally a single 121 in the 1960s.

 

“Bubbles” (grey, of course) were beginning to appear, but the bulk of the traffic was CIE “H” vans. The odd flat (I remember one with a brand new tractor on it) or open wagon completed the scene. Ballast & PW was exclusively “Jeeps”.

 

This looks like a superb project in the making!

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On 12/05/2019 at 23:29, Lambeg Man said:

One for Hunslet....... A 4-car BUT set early 1968 heading a Portadown local.... A '900' power car still in UTA green, the spare Brake/First (began life as an F 16 composite) just out of the paint shop in NIR livery, an F 16 former composite 'reduced' to an All Second, still in UTA green and lastly the first '700' to gain the NIR livery....

 

image.png.9332ed8915cbf57b63e175273f5ae7e5.png

Great looking railcar set, always had a soft spot for railcars, especially the various types NIR had!

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6 hours ago, jhb171achil said:

 

 

I’ve notes somewhere of the makeup of the goods, which was typically hauled by a single 141, but occasionally a single 121 in the 1960s.

 

 

JHB, were these goods trains to Lisburn or to Grosvenor?

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Thank you both to Hunslet and JHB for your kind comments.

 

At present the three Railcar sets provided so well 22 years ago by Lima 33 are in dire need need of a "refurbishment".

 

1. 4-car 'BUT' NIR maroon/grey liveried "Enterprise" set - needs seating and glazing repairs

2. 4-car 'BUT' UTA 'green' liveried set needs seating and running repairs (the power bogie hates code 100 points)

3. 3-car UTA liveried AEC set needs several major repairs

 

After remedial work on the above my plan is to add the following carriages to their respective "pools".

 

BUT pool - A K 15 open Second in UTA 'green' on one side and UTA 'blue/cream' on the other. Two more dummy '700' cars, UTA 'blue cream' on one side of the two, UTA 'green' and NIR livery on the other side.

 

AEC pool - An L 12 Brake/Second open, in UTA 'green' on one side and UTA 'blue/cream' on the other.

 

As trains are only viewed from one side on my layout, the respective "pools" should allow a gentle mix of Railcars and trailers to make the eventual "parade" more interesting.

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Some photo's of recent progress with the scenery. Next bit is to get the signals working. Lots more trees needed to finish off the back scene.

 

image.png.4de97f91a41e4d8c5423e3c6b1f78a1d.png

 

 

Two car AEC set, power car in UTA 'blue/cream' livery pushing a "mule" leaves for Belfast while a 3-car BUT set for Portadown approaches.

 

 

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View west from from the Belfast Road bridge. PW department have recently done a bit of work on the down line.

 

By the way Hunslet, post 1965 the only goods services running on THIS actual section of line were from Dundalk to the Grosvenor Road depot and back. In late 1967 arrivals at the latter were at 06.15 and 21.15, departures were at 13.35 and 22.10. The Dundalk-Derry night freights reversed in Lisburn station. There were also a couple of 'Q' paths for overloads.

 

 

Edited by Lambeg Man
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Another couple..........

 

image.png.0a1f203ec5254ebe977be56d78aa53e9.png

 

I only remember seeing a 2-car AEC set once on a summer evening local service and the Driving Trailer was definitely facing Belfast. The power car was obviously not one with a train heating boiler, but as it was summer this would not have mattered. The UTA got both of the GNR(B) built AEC Driving Trailers and the one that faced away from Belfast was by 1967 in the 'blue/cream' livery - see Richard Whitford's photo's in the IRRS Journal.  

 

image.png.75047b0c1dddf3c63a89edf1f39e604e.png

 

Thanks Andy, quite pleased with the progress. With hindsight I wish I had left the base boards 2' wide instead of narrowing them to 15". I think the right hand side in the above photo (which is the front of the layout) would benefit from being another 3" wider and the extra depth would have given Wallace Park a better back vista.

 

I remember years ago at an exhibition with a friend. We were admiring a large GWR layout that was basically a double line junction (no station) set in the countryside. The boards were about 3' wide and the amount of non-railway scenery was massive. When I mentioned how effective the sheer quantity of landscape was, my friend countered "We could all do something like that, but first we would have to get over the urge to cover every square foot of baseboard with track."

 

With this layout I have made the reverse mistake in thinking "Oh the track will hardly take up any room"........    

 

Edited by Lambeg Man
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On 17/05/2019 at 22:40, Hunslet 102 said:

JHB, were these goods trains to Lisburn or to Grosvenor?

There was the Dundalk - Belfast which went to Grosvenor Road (later Adelaide).

 

There was also Dundalk - Derry, which reversed at Lisburn and went up the Antrim branch.

 

In the era you’re modelling, the “Derry goods” was hauled from Lisburn by three or four MPD power cars.

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Errrrrr...............

 

Posted May 23rd:

"By the way Hunslet, post 1965 the only goods services running on THIS actual section of line were from Dundalk to the Grosvenor Road depot and back. In late 1967 arrivals at the latter were at 06.15 and 21.15, departures were at 13.35 and 22.10. The Dundalk-Derry night freights reversed in Lisburn station. There were also a couple of 'Q' paths for overloads."

 

Wakey, wakey John!

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