rjhowie

Long time since I have been on here but leaving a message for two of you! 33lima ddoherty958 Have a gap of scenery to catch up on south of Dundalk and a few miles north of Drogheda but if anyone wants what done for the NIR please get back to me please. A wee while ago a man from just outside Belfast was taken aback by someone doing the whole of the NIR and he has got a copy! Indeed wants to treat me to a meal when I get over to Belfast from Glasgow!!

Been trying to get back to this ambitious large effort across the Irish Sea. and groaning at the gap I have in part of the thing north of Drogheda and south of Dundalk. Now I know that firstly the Portrush branch station has been modernised and not before time for a resort! Far better than before so I am musing on re-doing my Portrush station and need to have a reviewed look at having to change all my previous tracks used and unused into that terminal. Will search about to find something to be in keeping with the new station building. The other groan is that Londonderry has changed stations for the second time(!). Years ago whilst with being in charge of a boys camp I took to Ulster I recall the old Victorian building then in due course the replaced island platform 2 platform matter.Now the old station has been brought back and my prob here is nothing in Trainz that will be a help to that. Haven't been over in NI for a while and so that might be an encouragement to be over for few days visit both Portrush and Londonderry to take notes and/or pictures. Some folk getting ambitious on rail sim building can actually get put off finishing a thing but I do not want to fall into that as what I have been doing is the largest effort for over there. Maybe a wee rail break over there even in the winter might be a goo encouragement getting me away from my too long a break. At least one Belfast man has a copy of my effort.

Had some health delays again but now slowly trying to catch up on that gap that irritates I said was needing filled on the IR between prt of Dundalk to Drogheda. Wish I had just tuck to the NIR but like Caesar let ambition slide in - wish had just tuck to my original NIR plan then a second version pretending a couple of lines brought back! I had got niggled a wee bit when got to Newry and the crossover beyond the station as well as it being the end of a board. There is a Belfast Trainz fan wh has been in touch personally and we exhanged emails and phone calls. A while back he wasn't bothered with the extension south so i sent him a copy of the project as initially he had got a surprise that I did what i did because it was the whole of the NIR not just a part.. That Belfast man is keen to meet me as I said I would like to get round to a trip over to Belfast soon. Used to be a regular visitor over the water and for years took uniformed boys organisation camps to Castlerock. Just a pit we cannot be in touch privately 33lima as you might have got a meal while I am there!!

I am top-toeing back in here as it has been so dashed long! Like many who attempt something large it is easy to give up Only one person outside of myself has this route (!) and I am sure that Belfast man is happy with that situation. Have been trying to set my mind back on my extension south of the Border. Have all the track all the way to Dublin (Connolly) as thought it would be good to be able to run the Enterprise Express betwixt Belfast and Dublin. Mny months ago I had great parts of the scenery in and in an odd way even for a distant Glasgow bloke. Have scenery from Newry over the Border down to Dundalk and all the scenery from Drogheda to Dublin including the DART branch to Howth but have miles of scenery a few miles north of Drogheda and to Dundalk still empty. With so much it has been putting me off. There is of course a branch line at Drogheda running across country to a town but passneger trains stopped years ago and freight only but haven't planed to take it on as have enough re the space between Dundalk-and Drogheda My original plan was just for the NIR as it is the worst of the 4 parts of the UK for rail closire. My thinking was that once done would have a second version and pretend a couple of lines had been brought back. The only niggle was that stopping just beyond Newry at a crossover kept tempting me. Took boys camps over to NI for years and occasional trips myself but I really must try getting the oomph to complete this rather big project which is the largest ever attempted for over the Irish Sea. Think must get back over to Ulster for a wee break from my home city for a few days and the Belfast man whom I sent a copy of my NIR effort is keen for us to meet and maybe have a meal as well. Scenery is complete on the Howth branch and south around Dublin Connolly and just the inside of the station that has gaps! Would be nice to meet a couple of you folks across there.

PICTURES OF MY NI RAILWAYS PROJECT Can I just remind as it was suggested I put pics up on the forum that I listed my site at my first intro. Would be tempting to follow the request but as I have separate slideshows for each Ulster route including the presently suspended and a lot of effort for someone living in Glasgow (!) visiting my site has greater advantages. Slideshows for Belfast-Newry + Belfast-Bangor +Belfast-Londonerry + Belfast - Larne + Coleraine - Portrush + Lisburn - Antrim via Crumlin. There are literally dozens of pictures so if you have not folks visited my site will repeat the link below. In hindsight wish I had stopped at Newry as would then have spent all that time going into the IR to a second version pretending that the NIR had brought a couple of lines back! One of them would have been Portadown to Armagh for a start!! That was a former line that got thousands doing a petition for a brining back. Ulster is the worst of the 4 parts of GB for rail closures from what it had to barely 25% - shocking. Anyway here is a reminder of my link folks and what the man from Glasgow has done. www.northernirelandrailwaysim.moonfruit.com

Firstly just in passing i groaned when I heard the new name for Belfast Central which makes me sigh but of course not a problem changing name boards. As for the station it was niggling when I first got some form of Belfast Central and whether I will footer about again I will see! I am smiling as you surprisingly also touched oddly on putting up the N. Ireland Railway without waiting for that dashed work on the IR and wish I had just stayed with the NIR as the route would have been available ages ago. Having had a great many trips to Ulster over the years and also taking the boys camps for over a decade to Castlerock were always enjoyable. My late mother did have some distant relations in Lurgan and another place holidayed in as a boy. Had always felt annoyed at the shocking massacre of rail in the Province and was the worst of the GB for that to happen collapsing from over 800 miles to less than a quarter of that. Didn't happen in England, Scotland or Wales. Was a part reason for me wanting to attempt doing the NIR and stop it being kind of overlooked in Trainz. Will muse over whether to put up my project as the NIR and obviously in the future the second thing with the Enterprise Express route later. Wondered if I would ever get the whole thing done and was very fortunate a while back re the presently "temporay" mothballed Drumlin branch. n NIR staff member gave me a contact with a person who did pictures but through him got a link with a retired staffer from Queen's Uni who had got permission before the passenger mothballing to film in a cab along that line. Got eventually into a good chat and he agreed to send me a cd copy of the run as long as it was not for commercial purposes which I assured him of. Doing the longest run to Londonderry I wondered if I was being too ambitious but there again my ancestors were Covenanters and they were stubborn! Reason I didn't put pictures up here was there are literally dozens of them and thought giving my site address gave folk an overall picture of every route. There cannot be many Trainzers like me who flew somewhere as part of their build? Now must have a look at my nice hotel just off May Street which is a pleasure and think of flights to a place that gave me many happy times including a Belfast lass as a girlfriend yonks ago!! Now must muse on a revised site for now.so folk can get driving around an overdue project on Trainz....the NIR!

Hi 33lima, It's a while as anyone coming on here after so long (!). Been away from my Trainz Ulster prject and partly due to some health issues, etc. Now slowly crawling back but have to say that if I had stuck just to my original plan of just the NIR this would have been uploaded ages ago. Just felt the area was much left out of train sim things and have had a long time visiting the place and was determined to get the NIR done. Originally I had planned just to finish the track beyond Newry at the crossover and then once up there would have been a second edition where I would have pretended some parts had miraculously got long gone lines back! Discovered that well over 10,000 people signed a petition to get the line brought back from Portadown to Armagh City and maybe an odd other place. But it niggled me with track stopped at the Border and gave into my temptation and slowly built all the way to Dublin Connolly and that Howth branch. There is scenery missing for miles between Dundalk-Drogheda and making me groan but wil lsee what happens. A Belfast man has my route sent over hope to meet him when I get over there for a few days hopefully in the not too distant future. So slowly attempting that gap between those two towns on the IRail south and see how long that takes me. To help i have placed set hill scenery slightly inwards so don't have to spend so much time on extensive scenery.. Been aiming to fly over and stuff my health I want to see to that!

Well it took me ages to build those lines of the NIR and wondered if would ever manage it. There cannot be many people who travel as I did over there to see to my aims. Was fortunate to discover a former staff member from Queen's Uni in Belfast who got permission to film in the cab of an NIR train on the presently suspended Crumlin Line. Got a copy of his film on the understanding it wasn't for commercial purposes. Haven't been back on my project recently due to health issues butnow aiming to get to that again. Have a large part of the Irish Rail line between south of Dundalk and a couple of miles north of Drogheda. A wee bit of stuff to do on the Connolly station at Du8blin. My initial discovery of train sims was Microsoft an did in time buy the two discs for the Enterprise route between Belfast and Dublin although the scenery didn't appeal much nor did the actual clunky style programme! Too difficult for some of us to build using that lot bu then came across Auran Trainz by sheer chance when it was still under it's initial company. Came to realise that I could in fact more easily build with that simulator and been a fan ever since. Initially I started on the former Glasgow Tramway system closed in 1962 and over two years off an on built every single line (12o odd miles and every former terminus. Still to upload that large thing (Glasgow had the largest tramway outside London and over 1,100 trams). Felt that N.Ireland was the worst of the 4 British Isles for rail closures and time it got noted on rail sims hence the project. Had intended just to conclude things just past Newry but that niggled me hence my long extension south into IR territory and adding one of the two branches of it to Howth. Have not decided yet whether to add the branch off Drogheda Junction to the west as passenger services shut and only used for occasional freight trains. If I can just try and stick to filling the scenery between Drogheda and Dundalk that will be a slow challenge! Having been aiming to get back over to Belfast for a short break and my excellent hotel off May street so here's hoping.......

Me again Horsefan (!!). Tell you what....I will later do something just for you seeing that station is important for you I will keep that in mind when i fish the gap north of Drogheda. With warm assurance from the centre of the universe (Glasgow).

Well Horsefan with so much scenery on the enterprise route actually done and part of that line to "your" station (!) i will keep your wish in mind . The bulk of the Enterprise route is done except for this slow chunk between north of Drogheda and south of Dundalk. My project has been of course a big one and had only originally planned the NIR due to long associations and holidays in it's corner however as my added ambition is a big one will try and keep you in mind.. If I forget please do not send me to Edinburgh as that is a groaning punishment for a Glasgow man....... Now back to Duleek.

Well Horsefan, I have done a part of the line from Dublin Connolly to Pearse then went back to the long crawl doing the Enterprise express route. Scenery-wise the largest empty bit is from Dundalk to a mile or so north of Drogheda and everything south including the Howth branch done as you would see on my site. The other route that branch off the enterprise line to Navan I am not decided on as so much to do re the main line and the inside of Connolly. Never thought I would complete the NIR and then got a bit ambitious crawling south but will see if can hang on regarding you wish!

Thought I would intimate that I have a very reasonably large rail sim project still underway. It inititally was Northern ireland railways and the following routes... (1) Belfast-Bangor. (2) Belfast-Newry. (3) Belfast-Larne. (4) Belfast-Londonderry. (5) Coleraine-Portrush. (6) Lisburn/Crumlin/Antrom. .....ad now cross border These are all present day system (or what is left of it!) and I know the Crumlin route is at present suspended but being kept. I Live in Glasgow but apart from Google Earth I have flown over to Ulster and wanted to make sure of a decent build as had many happy family holidays there as a boy then my own and taking boys campos there. Felt saddened that a once extensive system had been badly treated many decades ago. Had intended after a long slow build to leavethings at Newry but then argued with myself and got more ambitious an extended the line south to Dublin. Scenery is done from Dublin to Drogheda then a gap to be filled in and then scenery continues from just south of Dundalk orth to the Border and Newry. The branch just north of Dublin to Howth is complete. It will take time to crawl filling in the big gap between Drogheda and Dundalk but you will see why it is taking so long. Anyway taking ages at the attempts re my scenery. It is a different railway simulator (Trainz12) but worth a look I hope for what I have been doing for across the Irish Sea elsewhere! Visit here.... www.northernirelandrailwaysim.moonfruit.com BVobby From the centre i=of the universe (Glasgow) .

Well good of you to say what you did! As I indicated I have had a long kind of link with over there from those early family stays in Lurgan then in my twenties a hostelling time. For years after took camps to a lovely camp centre a minute's walk from Castlerock station and bang next the wonderful beach. Later had camps in buildings at Donaghadee and near Millisle and my lads always enjoyed travelling over there like I have. Always encouraged the boys to travel to Coleraine or especially Portrush by train (of course!). Although I have finisheed the NIR a while ago I was just passingly frustrated by that wee bit at Yorkgate. My large effort was a long temptation and wondered if I would ever actually do all of it and maybe being ambitious. However so far as also indicated only one man has a copy of my project and that in actual practice the fact that much still to fill in re the Enterprise route he was happy just to get his hands on the NIR. Everywhere else is as done as can be and I tried to get it as near as the actual in my efforts. You can see that in particular places. Hope to see him as it is too long a gap since I re-visited Ulster and I hope him and I will meet for lunch. He was surprised to discover what I had actually built and the efforts I made. Sometimes when Trainzers get very ambitious on a project they come to a standstill and also give it u as they are done in! However after a break I was determined that you folk were going to see the NIR complete on Trainz. I spent a lot of time to get a reasonable stance on your system as is. Going to all the extra and time taking effort to see if I could include the Crumlin Line against the odds was something else! Not sure whether it will function on earlier Trainz versions. However mine was being built on an earlier one and got it to 12 without any bother. Just a pity cannot contact more personally if you know what I mean like elsewhere as would have a copy sent over then I would plod on with that big gap on the IRail thing I delayed things with. Bobby ps. Did you know there are modern NIR trains on the Trainz Download station. The only difference is the builder induced different destination screens.

Hello Ivor, Good to hear from you. I built this in an earlier version of Trainz but moved it a long time back to TRS12.. In hindsight i should have just stuck to finishing just beond the crossover beyond Newry station. It took me some effort to build all those lines and there cannot be many people who fly over to somewhere to do what I did. Although I am still crawling south on the IR addition I should have maybe stuck to my earlier intention to (once put it up for use) to have a second version pretending a couple of lines like Armagh and elsewhere had been brought back! One man actually has a copy of my NIR effort when he sent me a wee dongle to put it on for him. What I also need to do is put in markers at stations so people can plan train stops while they are driving elsewhere. I felt that the area at the NIR depot just beyond Yorkgate statio was left bit missing scnery wise on that sie as couldn't use Google Earth to look properly at scenery. The nearest I might get is when i get over to the Province is maybe to walk up along that motorway and see if can be sussed out. A while ago a Trainzer did livery for modern NIR trains and that was a help although I still use a previous style as well. Wasn't all easy and doing the Crumlin line was a challenge even getting off and on buses as the station beyond Ballinderry was blocked off by a giant fence at the end of a lane! It was an NIR worker who helped get me in touch with a former Queen's Uni staff member who did that video in the cab over the whole route away back think it was in 2001 and I did assure him that it was not for commercial purposes and he kindly sent it to me. It is tempting to have it put up on the Trainz Download Station but the niggle is that I have that big lot of missing scenery in S. Ireland in-between north of Drogheda and south of Dundalks so a bit of a groan. Adding all that stuff to Connolly as well as the DART branch to Howth was slow. The branch leading off Drogheda I have not decided on wehter to bother as no longer does as I said any passenger trains just freight. I am glad that i attempted what is left of Ulster's rail and think it a crying shame it was so heavily killed and reduced to about a quarter.One argument had been that at nationalising most of the controlling staff at the intial UTA were bus people and i say that on my web site. So only that Belfast man who is looking forward to meeting me when I get over there from Glasgow. Since I sent him that I had came across some rail faults north of Belfast which I sorted before going back to the Enterprise Express bit. And on that a Trainzer is now going to build a modern train for that service. We should keep in touchand it is good to know you would love to get it! What I am doing is the largest and most modern project for across the Irish Sea but I want to emphaise the NIR was the main thrust. Now must plan to get over again....... From the centre of the universe (Glasgow of course!) Bobby

I am a Trainz railway simulator owner and having been to Ulster many times on holiday and taking boys camps there decided to have a crack at building the whole of NIRailways. Have completed ... (1) Belfast-Bangor. (2) Belfast-Newry. (3) Belfast-Larne. (4) Belfast-Londonderry. (5) Coleraine-Portursh. (6) Lisburn-Crumlin-Antrim junction. Hardest was the Crumlin branch presently mothballed. Went over from Glasgowtook train to Lisburn then waited for a bus to the first station on that route. Took pictures then a wait for a bus to each of the next stations so took a while. Then through a railway contact discoverd someone had a film taken in the cab on that line before it waqs suspended and he sent me a cd. Now I have laid track south of Newry all the way to Dublin. Started scenery from Connolly station and that is compete as far as Drogheda. A couple of miles north of there have a lot of scenery to do to just south of Dundalk. The branch north of Dublin to Howth is complete with scenery. Haven't decided whether to include the Drogheda-Navan branch as no longer passenger and just freight. However when finished my project will be amongst the larger ones for the island. Originally had thought of a second project just on the NIR and bringing back a couple of closed lines but thought more practical with present railways and means eventually Enterprise Expresses can be run between Belfast and Dublin. Trainz Sim is great and you do not need to be a tech wizard to build. One can programme trains and/or hop from driving one to driving just one and so on. The reason I decided to attempt the NIR is because I felt the Province was the worst part of GB for rail closures and was nearly theree-quarters and a shame. You can visit my site listed below but a word first. I tend to use the Opera system on my pc and why it happened I don't know but the slideshows, maps, etc get kicked so to speak but on microsoft MSN you get the site and slideshows on each of the above Ulster routes and what is completed south on the IrishRail extension.. So you railway fans from NI can see the only complete sim for over there! www.northernirelandrailwaysim.moonfruit.com Bobby from the centre of the Universe (Glasgow!)