RAILWAY MODELLER April 1964 · Volume No. 15

86 R AI L WA Y M ODELLE R

Railway of the Month

AUGHER VALLEY Fivemiletown engine shed. showing ex­Tra/ee and Dingle 2-6-1T built by 1he /ale R. icholls. ex-Dewsche Reichsba/111 0-10-IJT by Zeuke a11d Dr. Michael Taylor's er-Donegal railcar No. 16 (the shed still lacks a centre-post i11 the doonrny!).

D. E. Lloyd describes his 00n3 layout based firmly on lri 11 practice

The rn il11ay and its prototype

T I I IS narrow-gauge line is the outcome of four or five years· pipe­dreamin~. planning and experimenting. When TI gauge was first

introduced llS possibilities as a basis for 00n3 \\ere discussed in this journal, and a long-held ambition to build a really extensi\e narrO\\· gauge empire seemed at last \\ithin reach.

I decided to base my model on an imaginary protot} pc in Ireland. This would give me a chance to model any Irish stock I chose, because these lines had a habit of acquiring the stock of their neighbours as they closed. So that the model would be convincing, although strictly free­lance, I fabricated a complete history of the " real " Augher Valley Railway and endo\\ed it with a distinct personality. Hence the little line now ambles from Fi\emiletown to Manorhamilton, and then on to Castlcmalin along its t}pically Irish Castlemalin extension. Diesel ra ilcars have appeared, l\\O halts have been closed, the signals all droop ra ther non-commitally, grass grows between the tracks and the whole sys tem presents that dec:iying atmosphere common to nil light railways nowadays.

The route Fivemiletown is the Mecca of all Irish narrO\\-gauge enthll6iasts- all

"short-axle fans ... Here arc situated, a customary mile or so from the town. d1c works and shed~ of this little line. Solidly built in Faller's stone-paper, the loco shed houses those of our stud that the works can do no more\\ ith- one of Sid Chappelrs photographs shO\\S two engines and a r:Wicar basking in the afternoon sun here \\hile their brothers and sisters nre claucring over the countryside.

TI1e 11'\llin line runs behind the works and S\\ ings through the' town, croS&ing the road on the level. /\ short jog through the fields brings the train to /\ugher Bridge halt (closed) and on to a lofty stone viaduct strid ing over the val-lcy that lends its name to the railway. On the other side of the valley is Moyasrn Road, the first passing station. Trains paS& here only on fair days. and it is really a rather dozy place with only a small ballast quarry and a nunnery to gi\e any regular traffic. The neal"CM \illagc is two miles a\\a}, and Mo}asta Castle looms high O\cr the railway.

Ouf' tra in leaves Moyasrn Road- after some desultory shunting very likely- to rnn through a narrow gorge that it shares rather uncomfort­ably w~~h a stream. The situation here is strangely reminiscent of Barnes Gap on the Lough Swilly railway, but we soon emerge on to the shores or Lou~ Malin, where we run along the beach to Ncwtownhamilton hah- quite busy in the summer but liHJe used for the remaining fifty­onc weeks. The railway now describes a dented semi-circle, crossing the

main Lcllcrkcnny road first on the level (look- no gates!) and then on a small girder bridge, and runs downhill into Manorhamilton Junction. This was originally the terminus of the line, and it is generously cn­dO\\Cd with a turntable, a single-road shed and a small goods yard. Manorhamilton is a fair-si1cd market tO\\n as they go in lrcland­and most trains terminate here.

From Manorhamilton runs the Castlemalin Extension Railway. This line, o r considerable length, bristles with formidable gradients and sinu­ous curves as it winds up through the mounta ins to Castlcrnalin. Traffic is naturally meagre on this line: all its intermediate halts have fallen into disuse and Castlemalin itself has lost its turntable and engine shed. There is but one train a day in each direction. and this may soon be reduced to one e\cry alternate day, except 1n the 1ourist season, \\hich is unfortunately short.

The extension lea\es Manorhamilton and climbs (at I in 18) through Malin Gap. The diminutive engine blasts its way through deep cuttings and over towering embankments. genera lly with a train of not more than three or four vehicles unless double-headed, un til it reaches a long curving viaduct that span~ the valley and carries the train over on to a narrow rocky ledge high above Lough M:1lin. Crossing the lough on a steel viaduct, the train at last runs into Castlemalin, which has a wooden station building, a small goods ya<d and the omnipresent bus patiently waiting to meet the train- nothing much to write home about, but 1hc tourists like it.

This run has taken \\Cll O\er fi\ e minutes of actual time, and a system of cab control means that the train can ha\e been passed from station to station or have been controlled 1hroughout its long journey by only one operator. In actual fact. the A.V.R. and C.E.R. arc generally opera ted as rwo d ist inct concerns-like the Welsh Highland north and south of Bcddgelcn - and few trains ever run righ t through. T he intend­ing passenger for Castlcm<llin must, I re~ct. change at the junction and occupy the hour or so wai t the best way he can!

Plans were originally made for a standard-gauge interchange at the junction, but space forbade this. Since no Irish narrow-gauge railway was complC(ely divorced from the standard gauge this is a matter for some concern, and negotiations a re now in hand for a further extension in!o another room where I can try my hand a t mixed-gauge track, at 21 mm.-gauge stock and, I hope, at a roadside tramway.

The illt1strations will show the magnificent scenery, the basis of which is largely the work of my gifted friend Peter Midwinter. We have tried throughout to capture the atmosphere of north-west Donegal, and the little trains look quite at home here even though Manchester fogs so often SM'irl past the window!

APRIL 1 964 87

Above: t Ii e afternoon mixed

from · Manorhamilton J1111ctio1t arrives in Five­

mi/etow11, headed by ex-Tralee

Below: an early-m orning scene in the works as two rai/cars are prepared for duty.

Eag!e-eyed enthusiasis will be able 10 dis1inguish most of the stock in lhe photographs-although no prizes are offered for doing so. Passen­gers are very badly ca1ered for at the moment by a set of three excrucia­tingly uncomfortable Tralee and D ingle bogie coaches. They can. of course, pay extra and ride in the fi rst-class West Clare six-wheeled saloon, but that does nol nm beyond the junction because of its long

88

AUGHER BRIO .---,""'•CARS CL OSEO

AUG HER VALLEY RAILWAY

0

l in 18 UP FROM HERE

lO

ORIGIHAL TERMIHUS

PLAN OF LAYOUT

RA I LWAY MODE LLE R

Not all 00113 layouts are 011 the mantelpiece. This aerial view Ma11orhami/1011 gives a fair idea of the exte111 of the A .V.R.

fixed wheelbase so where are you? All these coaches are constructed in the simplest way I know-a perspex box is overlaid with scrihcd card and microstrip. is ornamented wi th H.P. couplings and Zcukc bogies and is lhen put into service. A set of County Donegal coaches is under construction at the moment- these should make life much more pleasant on the extension. Perhaps we can get the tourist traffic going up to Castlemalin again!

Goods \\agons. all constructed in prepainted card and mostl) lettered with ·· Letraset," are a very mixed bag indeed. Some opens and vans from southern lines-such as the rather nice set of ten Cavan and Leilrim opens a ll run on Peco TI chassis that arc sec right up into the bodies. On the other hand. stock from the County Donegal and Lough Swilly railways- much larger than Southern stock-is made as God intended and uses K's chassis on flush bottoms. These are more realistic. and a set of a dozen such vans is ac present laid ouc on North-eastern scribed basswood. l anticipate that these will be the uhimacc in realism.

A quartet of brake vans. ranging from a Cavan and Leitrim balcony four-wheeler that dips down in one corner 10 a West Clare six-wheeler 1ha1 could have come stra ight from Istanbul. completes the stock- not forgett ing the odd flat and tank. of course.

Two diesel rai lcars. the work of my good friend Dr. Michael Taylor. arc on occasional loan to ease the passenger situation. One is the County Donegal o. 16. and the other the car that this concern purchased from the Clogher Valley- a quaint pair. These run on K's motor bogies. but we are also experimenting with the Tri-ang TI bogie and the chassis from the Zeuke V200 diesel. Once the motor-bogic siwation has been sorted out. I intend to use these railcars on a ll normal passenger trains on the A.V.R.- the coaches will be seen only on excursion trains and on the extension. Steam men will grumble and mutter- but we are lucky 10 be open at all these days! And 1 like the Donegal railcars!

The steam engines are an interesting lot. if you like that sort of thing. In the early days I buih my own free-lance curiosities on proprietary chassis. but those days are over now. and our dear old Mallet tank and our bizarre Moguls now perform in someone else's attic.

Origina lly all engines were numbered in the C. l.E. fashion. e.g. the Tralee and Dingle No. 5 was ST. but a recent burst of repainting has

APR I L 19 6 4 89

Castle111a/i11. The Lough Swi/ly 4-6-2T draws off its train and passes one of the L. & L.S.R.'s buses. The 1rack here• will 1101 be ballas1cd 11111il 1l1C· layo111 has pro1·cd satisfac/ory.

resulted in all engines appearing in smart Bruns"ick Green (G.W.R. plus a dash of L.N.E.R.! ). wearing nothing but a plain number wi thout the suliix and a brass nameplate. T he illust rations show most engines in both g<1 rbs.

" Mercury," No. 2. is a neat model of the litt le Cavnn and Leitrim 4-4-0Ts. Powered by a Terrier. he is the only " small .. engine we possess and is usually to be found roll ing along on the midday mixed. a job just within his scope. ploughing up all the willow herb with that great cow-catcher.

.. Vulcan:· the T & D. 2-6-2T o . 5. is no'' four years old and by far our best engine. Carrying a heavy flywheel in the cab. h'! a lways puts up an impeccable performance. We always use .. Vulcan ·· when visi tors come. but the trail of splintered buffer-stops and the now non-existen t letHHO tehind the engine shed a re witnesses to the powers of his fly­wheel.

The pride of the line. as far as appearance is concerned. is undoubtedly ·· Morning Sta r:· an exquisitely detailed model of the Hudswell 4-6-2Ts of the magnificent Londonderry and Lough S'' ill;· Railway. Complete

Fivc111ile1011111 with ex-Do11rg11/ Railway rai/car No. 16 arri1·i11g. Coach behind is one of a set of ex-Tralcc a11d Dingle 1·ehicles.

'90 RAI L WAY MODELLER

N o record wliy 5T-witlio111 any sign of identity- sliould be paused on tlie sliores of Lougli Malin witli the West Clare sa/0011, bw it makes a nice picture!

even to the rivets on the frames, she is resplendent in L. & L.S.R. light green with maroon frames and scarlet cranks. She is still very noisy. but 1his will fade and I hope 10 have the L. & L.S.R. 4-8-4T and 4-8-0 to

A11 interesting comparison between a Donegal wagon and a C. & L. van. Note the use of K's chassis and "Letraset" on the open.

keep her company soon: at the moment the only other sign of my fascination for the " Swilly .. is a Leyland bus in the characteristic grey and green of this company. The bus came from Buncrana, so it must be good!

So much for models of Irish prototypes. There are two other loco­motives, ho\\ever, which arc complete strangers to Ireland but which I have no great hesitation in running. If the Fest iniog and Talyllyn can operate industrial engines, if the Ashover a nd the Lymon a nd Barn­staple (among others) can use American locomotives, so can we! After all, there is no knowing what an Irish narrow-gauge railway would do nowadays to keep its trains running!

"Venus," No. 10 (originally 4R), is a Zeuke model of a German metre-gauge 0- 10-0. 11 was recently rebuilt with a tender from the same firm's TT express engine in order to give it the ability to run all over the system without watering every other minute. This tender is fitted with pick-ups too, so " Venus " is a supremely realiable loco. Considering the large number of German engines in industrial use in Jreland, this particular model is not really out of place. She is shedded at the junction

and is generally to be found shuITTing up and down the extension-apart from the Friday foray into FivemiJetown, where she is commonly regarded as something ·• foreign! "

The last engine in active service is a gift from my very good friend in Pennsylvania, Lou Barrick. II is a Japanese model of the 2-8-0 that was more or less standard on the Colorado and Southern. Powered by a Pittman motor in the tender, this is the quietest locomotive we have. and the fan­tastic wealth of detail on it makes it a real eye-catcher especially as it batlles up Malin Gap with a heavy train. An Ameri­can millionaire has bought stock from three Irish railways- I regard my C. & S. con­solidation as a mythical exchange, as well as being a gift from a cherished friend! Christened •·Tornado," o. 61 is rarely used in normal service because he is. after al l, rather ill at ease in the Emerald Isle.

Opcr:1!ion Since the railway is not an end in itself

but only one facet of a general interest in frish narrow-gauge (my workshop looks

A rare visitor to the extension- " i\-Jer­cury" hurries up to Castlemali11 in the late evening.

APRIL 1964 91

I

.. Just beginning tile long drop down Malin bank, "Morning Star•· /i(ls as its train just (/single brake-end rebuilt from a Tri-ang clerestory vehicle.

more like a museum!), timetable operation has always been an essential. Track layout, the construction of stock and the acquisition of locomotives a re all geared- as they should be- to the realistic operation of a convincing timetable.

Goods traffic is worked by the we ll -known playing card system, by which at the commencement of a session a card is dealt for each wagon. The destination of the wagon that day is determined by the value of the card and- a refinement of my own- the suit dictates the urgency of the traffic: some wagons must be tacked on to the first railcar, oth::rs can wait for the evening goods.

I can recommend this system to all enthusiasts who sec freight opera­tion as something more than the haphazard assembly of a string of wagons. One day nothing seems to move, on another day over a dozen vans descend on the unsuspecting operator of a normally quiet station, and on yet a nother day the afternoon mixed has so much shunting to do en route tha t the di~i llusi onccl passenger alights and f1ags down a passing tractor. l t's all in the cards!

Using the complex timetables of the County Donegal and Lough Swilly railways as examples, Michael Taylor drew up a most intriguing work­ing timetable that makes the fullest use of such Irish curiosities as railcar half­workings (it gets tacked on to a goods tra in and disappears from the timetable!) and m ixed trains that mysteriously change into goods tra ins a nd leave the passenger in some bleak goods shed waiting for a bus. The intending passenger for Castle­malin- intrcpid adventurcr!- thinking he was a smart sort of fellow, would catch the early morning railcar rather than the midday mixed. H e would not notice the "Thursdays and Saturdays only" and would be left at Manorhami lton lo await the m ixed tra in to take him the rest of the way! On the other hand, he might choose the first-class saloon on the mixed train, hot see the " First class to M 'h'ton only," and find himself left in the engine shed at the junction while the rest of the train clattered off to Castlemalin. The joys of travelling in Ireland!

Only last week the evening railcar, run­ning to t1mc, overtook the afternoon mixed, running rather late, at Moyasta

The Clogher Valley car trundles 011t of Moyasta R o(/d on the aftemoo11 mixed.

Road. After much consultation the mixed train's coach was attached to the railcar and off they rattled, leaving the now unmixed train shunting blissfully in the setting sun.

The future The illustrations will show that the model is rar from complete although

three years' work has already gone into it. The scenery is only basically sketched in, very few areas are detailed. This proceeds. however, as other work is taken in hand- I do a little here and there as the fancy takes me. A vast amount of work is yet untouched; but at least the whole system works without fail.

I have already spoken o f a possible extension, and in the workshop lie the drawings and parts for engines from the West Clare. the County Donegal, the Ballycast le, and the Cork, Blaekrod and Passage. Add to this the procession of half-finished buildings, wagons and coaches that lines my shelves, the almost complete Beyer-Garratt- as 11011-cog11osce111i visitors so infuriatingly say, ·• It'll be nice when it's finished!"