Irish railway prototype research worksheet

1. Write a narrow brief

• Subject: locomotive, vehicle, building, train formation or scene.
• Location and viewing direction.
• Date or bounded era.
• Scale and available layout space.
• Which details must be accurate and which may be representative.

2. Create a source register

For each photograph, drawing, timetable or written account, record the creator, title, holding archive, catalogue reference, date, rights note and the exact claim it supports. Save a stable link where one exists. Do not separate an image from its caption and assume the caption later.

3. Grade confidence by detail

Use separate entries for dimensions, colour, lettering, fittings, track layout and operating practice. “Certain”, “probable” and “chosen for the model” are different categories. A black-and-white photograph may support placement and tone without proving a named paint colour.

4. Test conflicts

If two sources disagree, check dates, vehicle identity, rebuilds, seasonal operation and whether one is a later restoration. Preserve the disagreement in the notes. Do not average two incompatible facts into a third unsupported answer.

5. Plan the model

Convert the evidence register into a build list: dimensions to scale, drawings still needed, repeat parts, materials, assembly sequence and tests. Mark any detail that depends on current product availability so the historical brief remains useful if that product disappears.

Visiting an archive or heritage site

Check the responsible organisation's current access, opening, photography and reproduction rules before travelling. This page does not list live opening hours, admission, collection access or operating days.

Continue with the scratch-building project plan or the County Donegal evidence workflow.