County Donegal Railway

[Lochty no more]

Whilst using the superb donegalrailway.com website, researching the Londonderry & Lough Swilly Railway. I just could not resist clicking the button marked County Donegal Railway, 200 miles of 3`gauge with station layouts designed specifically for modellers. It is surprising that so few layouts are based on the CDR, another of Ireland`s undescovered little gem`s?

[de Selby]

so few layouts are based on the CDR

There have been a few, such as "Donegal" by Alan Gee which was in Railway Modeller a while ago. There was also a model of Letterkenny which was at Warley exhibition a few years back. I am sure there are others as well.

One possible reason for the scarcity is that there is less rolling stock available than (for example) for the Welsh narrow gauge.

Worsley Works and Backwoods Miniatures do produce (4mm scale) kits for Donegal & Swilly stock, however.

 

Incidentally there's an Irish Narrow Gauge group on Yahoo which might be of interest:

 

http://groups.yahoo....rish_three_foot

 

Regards,

 

Alan

[Oldddudders]

If you put "Donegal" into the search engine you will find a number of other RMWebbers enthusing about and actively modelling this railway and its trains. As far as I am concerned, it was reading in Railway Modeller about G.R.Hannan's CDR layout more than 50 years ago that got me interested in narrow-gauge, and in single unit railcars [the latter interest being a matter for some sorrow for my plastic card in recent weeks, although not in Irish prototype, admittedly]. Somewhere I have a slim paperback about the CDR, not much more than a pamphlet really, with, I think track diagrams and a few photos - the latter being a luxury in the early '60s when it was purchased by this skoolboy at an exhibition.

 

Looking a little wider, the late David Lloyd's "Augher Valley" generic Irish narrow-gauge layout, in the April 1964 Railway Modeller, was my teenage favourite among layouts. The Irish NG scene was most attractive, and the Donegal and the Swilly were among the finest examples, surely.

[R A Watson]

There is more information out there than you think!

 

seeking info on a proposed Killybegs layout I have accumulated;

 

Irish railways In Colour By Tom Ferris ISBN 1-85780-000-1

 

The Irish Narrow Gauge Vol 1 also by Tom Ferris ISBN -85780-010-9

 

Irish Railways in Colour (A second glance) another from T F ISBN1-85780-019-2

 

Narrow Gauge Rolling Stock By Desmond Coakham ISBN 978-0-7110-3149-4

 

The County Donegal Companion By Roger Crombleholme ISBN 1-85780-205-5

 

The Last Years of the Wee Donegal By Robert Robotham ISBN 1-898392-42-0

 

And last but not least

The County Donegal Railway - A Visitors Guide By the C D R Restoration Society ISBN 1-874518-04-1

 

Lots of late bedtime reading there, and pending bankruptcy if you're not careful!

[Castlefinn]

If you are modelling Killybegs,i can reccomend "Killybegs Then and Now"by Donald Martin,Published by the Author in 1998,ISBN 1 901737 06 3 Theres some really usufull photos of the staion and environs.A good source of Donegal photos is Hugh Davies , His range covers the whole of the British Isles but ahs about 100-150 phots of the Donegal reasonable price too!He can be contacted at Chalcot House,32 Charterhouse Road,Godalming,Surrey GU7 2AQ,The Lens of Sutton Association have some usufull shots but some of the captions are a bit dodgey.Killybegs is a nice station to model,i had made a start on it but got sidetracked(sorry about the pun)with Strabane as the fourth in the trilogy of Donegal layouts.The Letterkenny layout at Warley was mine i'm afraid as was the Donegal layout at the first Warley show at the NEC as well as Castlefinn which also put in an appearance at Warley before going to the great exhibition in the sky.Donegal and Letterkenny having both ended up at Donegal station,rather fitting really!More info avaliable if needed,Andy.

[R A Watson]

Books are like buses, for a long time there's none; then along they all come!

 

Many thanks for the tip on this one, insolvency is getting closer.

[DLT]

The Last Years of the Wee Donegal By Robert Robotham ISBN 1-898392-42-0

 

Theres a second volume to this book, "The Wee Donegal Revisited"

 

And highly recommended is "The Irish Narrow Gauge in Colour" by Norman Johnston, ISBN 1 904242 13 8

 

Both by Colourpoint Books.

 

Both are listed by The Titfield Thunderbolt Bookshop http://www.titfield.co.uk/

 

Colourpoint Books are at http://www.colourpointbooks.co.uk/

 

Happy searching,

Dave

[John M]

If you put "Donegal" into the search engine you will find a number of other RMWebbers enthusing about and actively modelling this railway and its trains. As far as I am concerned, it was reading in Railway Modeller about G.R.Hannan's CDR layout more than 50 years ago that got me interested in narrow-gauge, and in single unit railcars [the latter interest being a matter for some sorrow for my plastic card in recent weeks, although not in Irish prototype, admittedly].

 

 

The refrence to G R Hannan's writings takes me back, about 30 years ago, before retiring to Donegal, George Hannon operated an model and art shop in Malahide Co Dublin.

 

I sometimes visited the shop on Saturday afternoons, the model railway side of the business was fairly basic rtr, it was primarily an art shop/gallery with a selection of George's paintings of the CDR and other subjects on display.

 

Durning one of my visits to the shop George produced a very nice 4mm model of a T&D Hunslet and exhibited a very nice 009 "Rabbit" layout at one of the local exhibitions. Although small the layout at the time was quite out of the ordinary with quite realistic buildings and scenery and appropriate scratch built Welsh Narrow Gauge locos and rolling stock.

 

My first serious railway books were the Pan Paperback editions of E M Pattersons County Donegal and P J Flanningans Cavan & Leitrim. The C&L eventually won out and 40 years later I am slowly re-creating a piece of the C&L in New Zealand.

 

 

John

[Horsetan]

....Worsley Works and Backwoods Miniatures do produce (4mm scale) kits for Donegal & Swilly stock, however....

 

Also some vans / opens also available under the "NineLines" label via (I think) Parkside. Wheels are included and can be regauged to 12mm.

[Killybegs]

If you are modelling Killybegs,i can reccomend "Killybegs Then and Now"by Donald Martin,Published by the Author in 1998,ISBN 1 901737 06 3 Theres some really usufull photos of the staion and environs.A good source of Donegal photos is Hugh Davies , His range covers the whole of the British Isles but ahs about 100-150 phots of the Donegal reasonable price too!He can be contacted at Chalcot House,32 Charterhouse Road,Godalming,Surrey GU7 2AQ,The Lens of Sutton Association have some usufull shots but some of the captions are a bit dodgey.Killybegs is a nice station to model,i had made a start on it but got sidetracked(sorry about the pun)with Strabane as the fourth in the trilogy of Donegal layouts.The Letterkenny layout at Warley was mine i'm afraid as was the Donegal layout at the first Warley show at the NEC as well as Castlefinn which also put in an appearance at Warley before going to the great exhibition in the sky.Donegal and Letterkenny having both ended up at Donegal station,rather fitting really!More info avaliable if needed,Andy.

 

I did a lot of research for the model of Killybegs station that I am building for the Railway Heritage Centre in Donegal, see pic attached. I can provide copies of the drawings that I prepared prior to starting the model.

 

 

 

Andy, I am working on your Letterkenny and Donegal Town layouts for Neil Tee at the moment. Spent the last two days getting to grips with the wiring on the latter!

[Castlefinn]

Hope thewiring is fairly obvious,Strabane is progressing slowly as i'm sidetracked at the moment with the Castlederg,one loco done (No4) with No5 on the way,as is the Railcar and coaches 1 and 3 along with the 2 brakes the opens and half a dozen vans.I feel another layout coming on.Oh dear!Andy

[colmflanagan]

That's a lovely station building model and fully does justice to the "real thing" !

 

Colm

[joebegley]

Whilst using the superb donegalrailway.com website, researching the Londonderry & Lough Swilly Railway. I just could not resist clicking the button marked County Donegal Railway, 200 miles of 3`gauge with station layouts designed specifically for modellers. It is surprising that so few layouts are based on the CDR, another of Ireland`s undescovered little gem`s?

 

Hello,

 

Have only just signed up so apologies for a late response. There have been a number of models of the CDR:

Andy’s “trilogy has already been mentioned – Castlefinn, Donegal and Letterkenny – the latter two on display in the Donegal Station where you can also see Neil Tee’s Killybegs and George Hanan’s Donegal. Reference has also been made to Alan Gee’s Donegal layout (RM Sept / Oct 2006) and there’s also `John Seward’s Inver (RM Aug / Sept 1999). Hugh Dougherty has had a couple of versions of Glenties (RM May ‘78 / March ‘80) and Gorge Hanan’s Killybegs features in RM July ‘59 and March ‘63. Andy has mentioned his work in progress on Strabane and the Chester Model Railway Club have a model of Castlefinn in development.

 

Joe

[Patrick Davey]

What a beautiful station building - congratulations!!

[Colin_McLeod]

The late Sam Carse had a wonderful operations based layout of the Co. Donegal, built to 5mm to the foot scale on OO Hornby Dublo 3 rail track.

I don't know if the layout still exists but his son is very active in the RPSI.

[jhb171achill]

Sam's layout was dismantled many years ago. His sons retain the constituent parts.

[Colin_McLeod]

Thanks jhb.  Good to know that the models are still around.

[Baldwin30762]

I know it has been some time since this thread was active but I was wondering what everyone has been up to in the past year or so?

 

Colin

[Burnham-on-sea]

I am planning a layout of Glenties, and am looking for a couple of Red Wagons either kit or built. I bought the stock of Ballyfoyle from Ian Hallworth as the layout is no more but he'd kept the stock. We're in the process of downsizing so I'm hoping to do it in 8ft X 2. After 45 years in N it's strange working with bits I can see! Still keeping Burnham-on-sea so I should have the best of both worlds.    Alastair.

[Castlefinn]

Which red wagons opens or vans? Worsley do the opens ex Castledergs,Unit models did the van bodies the chassis on the prototype were various Donegal wagon chassis hence the variety of brake gear the Ninelines chassis is suitable .Andy

[Burnham-on-sea]

Thanks, Andy. I'll check those sites. I want to trail a couple of Red Vans behind my railcars, and maybe build a trailer later when I get the layout going. Regards, Alastair.

[ddoherty958]

On 25/06/2011 at 13:05, Lochty no more said:

Whilst using the superb donegalrailway.com website, researching the Londonderry & Lough Swilly Railway. I just could not resist clicking the button marked County Donegal Railway, 200 miles of 3`gauge with station layouts designed specifically for modellers. It is surprising that so few layouts are based on the CDR, another of Ireland`s undescovered little gem`s?

You were researching it too? For what, may I ask? I’m making a L&LSR layout myself!

[Burnham-on-sea]

The move eventually happened and lockdown now gives me the time to proceed with my version of Glenties. The boards are up and the track is down. Just started the control panel and then for the wiring. Should be fun. Both my outings with Burnham-on-sea for this year have been cancelled so I hope to have Glenties running earlier than anticipated. Whether it will be ready to take out next year is another matter as I've got to make suitable buildings. I've already got a couple of invites.  

[rogerfarnworth]

I have just started a thread on the Disused Railways area on the Forum about the Co. Donegal Railways. We were due a holiday which did not happen because of Covid-19 and we would have spent quite a bot of time walking on the old railways in Donegal on a self-planned holiday. It might be of interest.

 

 

[Burnham-on-sea]

Now well on with Glenties. A question:  Were fire buckets a feature of stations, signal boxes or goods sheds?  I can't find any photos of them so I assume not. Does anyone know?  Thanks,  Alastair.