Doing modern Ulster rail scene- the whole N.I.R.

[rjhowie]

Last year Harcourt did a great addition from across the Irish Sea called 'Along UTA Lines'. It was set in the old days of steam. It got me thinking on how there is virtually nothing of the scene over there for Trainz so I decided that I would have a go at the present day modern situ provided by the Northern Ireland Railways Company (only state run railway operating?). There is little left of the railways in Ulster thanks to the former bus people put in charge when the old UTA was set up. It dealt a bad hand to rail. From well over 800 miles it was decimated to around 220 or so.

Anyway I intend to do the whole system. Had a couple zilches so re-started. The situation so far is as follows.

(1) Belfast Gt Victoria Street and Central and scenery around all done.
(2) Bangor Line done with scenery.
(3) Border Line laid as far as Newry with stations - no scenery yet and will eventually go over the Border as far as Dundalk. If I get the NIR finished might consider extending beyond Dundalk all the way to to Dublin to run Enterprise Expresses?
(4) Larne Line only done as far as the Whitehead Junction. No scenery yet.
(5) Londonderry Line laid from Whitehead Junction as far as Antrim Junction. No scenery yet.
(6) Will add Portrush Line when reach Coleraine.
(7) Lisburn-Antrim. This line is now mothballed but kept intact by NIR due to financial matters and have laid that - again no scenery yet.

Apart from a longer cnonsideration of going to Dublin later I might give thought to a further version but include a couple of closed routes as if they were re-opened.

Shortly I will get some pictures up to indicate how things are going. Might not be as excellently done as Harcourt's historical of lines north of Belfast in the halycon days of steam but will try and help fill a gap on the modern Irish dimension?

Bobby

 

[Spruce]

Hi
I look forward to seeing the final layout

Spruce

 

[rjhowie]

Think I may do a website and can add slideshows for each of the lines.

 

[rjhowie]

Still persevering with the Ulster scenario.

Like as happens you have to have wee breaks if you want to try and finish something. However recently got an added problem. The build is on my pc but was taking the laptop downstairs and tripped falling on my side and done something to a muscle at the top of my right arm. When I use my wrist for the mouse it is painful as it spreads down there after a short time and doing exercises at home a physio gave me at hospital. Kind of slowed me down as I do occasional 15 minute Trainz sessions sessions although been told it will take a while.

Anyway I have in fact reached Newry Station in south Down on the Border Line and scenery to complete between there and back to Poyntzpass. Reckon it will be towards the end of September before I get over the Border to stop at Dundalk. Then I will move onto another line as that will be 2 out of 6. Bangor having been done ages ago. That will be the Londonderry and Portrush Branch off that - another long line like the Border one. Health permitting I might try to get over to N.I. from Glasgow for a wee, quick look at particular places that I need some clarification on. Assuming I am okay may be over next week 4th October if I get the excellent hotel I want!

Following those then I will move to what will be an awkward one the Larne route and eventually the Crumlin Line. At the back of my mind is still the temptation when the N.I.R. is complete to go on south from Dundalk all the way to Dublin so the Enterprise Express can be run. Maybe by then I might get someone to do a reskin of train in Enterprise colours just as pfx has done with DMUs in NIR livery?! DomSarto has agreed to build the Boyne Viaduct in time so we'll see.

Thought I would do an update in case anyone thought I had given up! So something is still on to represent across the water so to speak.

 

[rjhowie]

Now got beyond the Whiteabbey Junction area where the Londonderry and Larne Lines divide after some zilches. Jordanstown, Greenisland, Trooperlane and Carrickfergus Stations down. Doing the scenery back the way to Whitehead. I also intend to work on both the Larne Line and Crumlin routes simultaneously just to pep it along a bit. It is all working round getting the time and some regular ill-health matters but trudging on is the aim. At least all the Crumlin Line is done along with stations so can put scenery in as breaks from the Larne direction. I feel doing the 2 lines together gives me chance of variety and not be put off so easily!

Must apologise for not bringing the website up to date but other matters intervened. Now why does there have to be water between Glasgow and Ulster? Would maje things a lot easier for me to check something if the Giant's Causeway had been finished..........!

 

[rjhowie]

Slowly plodding on as allowed. I reckon now that I have all but reached the Border amongst other things I have reached the halfway point track-wise on the Northern Ireland Railways 6 routes. Well 5 but one is mothballed for now and I am including that in my project as it is being kept. Apart from the completion of the Bangor and Portadown/Newry/Border I am now over half way along the Crumlin route and should have that done by the end of this week. Then I will work south from Antrim Junction to fill in the scenery back down to the Whiteabbey Junction. Following that I will then zoom back up to Antrim Junction and start on the scenery northwards towards Londonderry as have track to Ballymena and the stations. Being a 90 odd mile line it is going to take time. That would then leave the Portrush branch and the rest of the larne beyond Carrickfergus.

In addtion I did extend the track south to Dundalk but that is all but when the NIR is done I may as said consider going further south. Having a big enough challenge with doing the NIR! Will add a link to some general pictures in the next few days.

 

[JCitron]

That sounds like a cool route. Line 4 could be set in New Hampshire, USA with names such as Londonderry and Antrim. Terrain maybe a bit different, but the names are the same!

I look forward to seeing your pictures.

John

 

[sterrett]

.............. Will add a link to some general pictures in the next few days.

I'm glad you're keeping going. My Beeching's Withered Arm is going in fits and starts.

What I find really annoying is when you think you've finished the trackwork and you're all set filling in the scenery, when you realise you made a quite serious error in where a major junction was sited. You then have to decide whether to scrap your layout and start again, or whether to accept that you made a mistake and treat it as "artistic licence".

 

[rjhowie]

Well I am still progressing slowly up the Londonderry Line. It is the longest at around 96 miles. Have got beyond Ballymena and just passed Cullybackey. The next bit is a long meandering bit that will be slow until I reach Ballymoney hopefully by the end of September. All going well in October I will be at Coleraine Junction and break off to lay the Portrush Branch before the next long haul to Londonderry.

I knew this route would be a slow and frustrating one but I cannot afford to give up having done the Bangor, Border, Crumlin routes and half the Larne Line.

 

[Spruce]

Keep up the good work. Especially as you are progressing faster than Translink who are digging up the main line to Londonderry and reducing the service. Of course everyone can use their busses instead. Was it wise to let a road transport authority run the railways?

 

[rjhowie]

If I understand correctly Spruce, I think that the trains will still get as far as Coleraine? It is the bit beyond that needing a complete revamp? The last news I had over here in Glasgow was that the thing was being delayed as the money wouldn't be available for a time yet. This is a nuisance for me as I intended to try and get over to Ulster and have a run west of Coleraine to suss things out but that is being stymied and I don't weant to wait two years to continue my build!

You are I think very right in commenting on bus folk running a railway. This is an almost repeat of what happened when the old Ulster Transport Authority was set up in 1948. They immediately started closing lines one after another and the senior management of UTA were bus orientated. The result was that that was in turn the worst part of the UK for rail closures. it fell from just under 900 to barely 220 miles. A damnable disgrace. Places like Armagh city, Enniskillen Omagh, Newcastle and the rest denuded of rail. When you consider that the old second route to Londonderry via Omagh was a picturesque run and at the time of closure freight was also being run it is criminal. By the time the NIR was set up they were left with a skeleton. and done a goddly job of what they have.

Must apologise for not getting round to the pictures as I have been fiddling around with building. Once I have eventually got to the Foyle (and the branch off to Portrush) then I need to finish Larne beyond Carrickfergus. What I will do is discipline myself to update the website (long, long overue) and get some pictures up on the lines I have finished. Going south my scenery stops at Newry but have laid track to Dundalk as I may consider running right down to Dublin and include the northern DART branch off the Enterprise route. However my main aim is to dio the whole modern Ulster rail of Northern Ireland Railways as I have visited the Province so often and had great times there. Don't want to be too ambitious but maybe a second edition might be a longer term thought so a closed line could be added for the dashed fun of it as if brought back! Meantime I have my hands full doing this build from Glasgow with some water stopping me from checking things....!

 

[rjhowie]

Well I eventually got well beyond Cullybackey north of Ballymena and although the next long bit took some time, I got right up to and built Ballymoney. Having a short break then my plan is to get the next bit of the Londonderry route as far as Coleraine and the junction. At that point I will hive off and do the branch from Coleraine to the Portrush resort. Means that by December I will go back to Coleraine junction, continue along the meandering looooong bit through Castlerock, Downhill, etc and on to Londonderryround a fiddly coast. Not sure how long that fiddly episode will take but will be an effort as it's yet another long bit.

That will only leave the other half of the Larne Line beyond Carrickfergus-Larne (Town), Larne (Harbour). When concluded that will be the 6 lines all done of the NIR. I am still keeping in mind that although my scenery runs out at Newry Station on the border route I have track laid as far as where Dundalk would be over the Border! That may keep me in mind of continuing that right down to Dublin (Connolly) with the northern DART Howth branch as that is off the Belfast-Dublin line. I really suppose it depends on how long it takes me to do this penultimate challenging bit as I am so far away from N. Ireland.

 

[overkill650]

good to se you're still chugging away on your route. good for you

 

[rjhowie]

Latest news....... (!)

I reached Coleraine junction. I have laid the track on the Portrush Branch and now added the 2 halts, University and Dhu Varren as well as the Portrush terminus. Now putting in the town of Portrush then work back the way regarding scenery to Coleraine. A bit Irish I know but it is a route from there! Still to ad the streets around Coleraine Station and such takes time. Hopefully this latest work will be finished in the next few days. Then I will hammer back on the Londonderry main line to Castlerock before continuing the long wind round the coast to Londonderry itself.There are some changes I also need to make between Ballymoney and Coleraine

Depending on progress I would like to get the Londonderry route done this month or early December. That would then allow me to go back to the half of the Larne Line done and complete that. That is penultimate as my project is mainly the N. Ireland Railways 6 lines but I will continue the Border Line and see if I can persevere right down to Dublin along with the local DART branch off that just north of Dublin. Must admit it is difficult at times sticking to it but will ancestors in battle didn't give up against the odds and neither will I!

 

[rjhowie]

The Londonderry route has now passed the two Castlerock tunnels and Downhill. Having some probs with track for the next dozen miles or so as unable to get a bird's eye view of it as is blurred on Google Earth. Can get down to roads but I may have to exercise a bit of licence for a while until things clear again. Had a serious pc failure on the machine with Trainz and lost the work I was in the middle of so a bit of catching up again I am afraid. This included the OS system as well. However I had a copy of the whole Folder so at least my project was safe! Really want to reach Londondery as soon as I can and then get back over to the Larne route and get beyond the Carrickfergus temp stop and get to the end of that one. Once those penultimates are complete I wil then have a go at extending south beyond Newry over the Border and down to Dublin (Connolly). Have noticed some items needing attention on the Border Line too. If i can complete the Northern Ireland Rly Company by the end of May it would then give me the summer to continue South.