THE LAST TRAIN THROUGH LISBURN LANE?

Demolition train makes an ominous sight.

The stillness of the countryside is disturbed by the gentle humming and whirring of an English Electric 350hp diesel, as it enters the remains of Lisburn Lane station. The engineers' wagons are loaded with spoil, sleepers and assorted bits of scrap railway infrastructure. The Home signal post has already lost its arm and the telegraph wires have been cut, while the station has lost its signs and name boards.

There's still a van in the old goods shed, however, and the small factory is still working, so there's a chance that freight traffic may carry on in the short term. Maybe one of those new fangled diesel railcars will stimulate more in the way of passenger traffic from this remote, rural location? Or will Mossop's Motors snaffle the market day custom with their new Leyland Tiger Cub bus?

You can see how the overgrown look was created in the next issue of Model Rail magazine (MR213), out on August 27th.