antony

Two pics of the layout at the North Down Model Railway Society Exhibition last weekend. The Bell tower and garden wall are taken from Rowallane National Trust property near Saintfield. (Octavia Hill was a founding member of the Trust and I started the layout in 2012, the centenary year commemorating her death). NQG 109 hauling the two ex-Fred Graham coal wagons was also one of his clockwork model. She was converted to run on Knockmore Junction by North Star designs in 2002 and painted by Larry Goddard. She too has a Maxon motor and ABC gearbox.

After an exhilarating run, the trio are getting their tenders filled up with coal. 208 was scratchbuilt by Phil Aspinwall 206 was originally clockwork, one of Fred Graham's stud. She was rebuilt by Cherry Scale Models and painted by Kate Stokes for Harry Mulholland's Knockmore Junction line. 210 was a new build by Ian Cherry, she and 206 (and probably 208) have Maxon motors and ABC gearboxes. We initially used Wedgewood blue but later settled on BS107 (a standard colour). Fred Graham had given Harry a small pot of blue cadged from Dundalk Works, but it was far too dark for the models! I have fitted 206 and 210 with Hatton's DCR-8pin NEM 652 decoders.

I saw a paragraph in the Fermagh Observer this week which will delight all Great Northern fans! "Three of the five Great Northern Vs class 4-4-0 engines were spotted on-shed at Octavia Hill roundhouse last weekend, 206 'Liffey', 208 'Lagan' and 210 'Erne'. Despite rumours that they had all been scrapped some time ago, they continue to haul express trains on the Clonadown to Ennisdoran line in the Irish heavenland, via Poratskillen and Bunness. More to follow!