Penhayle Bay

[brianusa]

Nice slow return with the signal.

 

Brian.

[GrahameLowe]

After a long wait the black livery Hornby 153 has finally arrived. The rendering of the livery is superb and the wait has therefore been worthwhile.

 

For all those UK modellers frozen out of their sheds, snowed into their homes or dreaming of anything but winter here she is making her first appearance at Penhayle Bay .....

 

 

..... where the beach is always popular.

 

 

Detail of the livery shown to advantage as the unit runs around the cliff section.

 

 

Finally the year it took Hornby to get the photographic detailing right and rescheduling production is reflected in the quality of the Truro cathedral image seen here.

 

[Gwiwer]

Just a reminder, ladies and gents, that Penhayle Bay will be open for enjoyment this coming Saturday 30th April between around 2.00 and 5.30pm.  The local weather forecast is mostly sunny, 21C and rather windy which is not too bad at all for what should be the beginning of winter!  Trains can run in any weather (and have done so in torrential thunderstorms, hail, and even when it's 43C in the shade) but it's not so pleasant outside on a wet cold day.

 

If you are coming please may I ask that you drop me a message here, via PM or at my private email address (for those who know it) just so I have an idea of numbers.  I usually manage these open-house sessions single-handed and there's only comfortable room for so many people despite it being quite a large layout.

 

I haven't had time to bring my N-gauge layout Boghouses up to working order after its trip back from the UK but it will be offered as a static display and I'm still waiting a response from Guinness World Records follwing my claim that it is the world's farthest-travelled model railway.

[The Stationmaster]

Just a reminder, ladies and gents, that Penhayle Bay will be open for enjoyment this coming Saturday 30th April between around 2.00 and 5.30pm.  The local weather forecast is mostly sunny, 21C and rather windy which is not too bad at all for what should be the beginning of winter!  Trains can run in any weather (and have done so in torrential thunderstorms, hail, and even when it's 43C in the shade) but it's not so pleasant outside on a wet cold day.

 

If you are coming please may I ask that you drop me a message here, via PM or at my private email address (for those who know it) just so I have an idea of numbers.  I usually manage these open-house sessions single-handed and there's only comfortable room for so many people despite it being quite a large layout.

 

I haven't had time to bring my N-gauge layout Boghouses up to working order after its trip back from the UK but it will be offered as a static display and I'm still waiting a response from Guinness World Records follwing my claim that it is the world's farthest-travelled model railway.

 

Hope it goes well Rick - alas i have something else on and it is a bit of trek from the Thames Valley so I won't be able to make it (oh and my passport is out of date)  but it would be nice to get to see it sometime.

[Gwiwer]

Your presence will be missed Mike but your reasons are perfectly acceptable

 

Indeed it would be good to have yourself here at some time and a few others besides.  It's a blessing being able to indulge the hobby to the extent I do in this far-flung place but it makes it hard for more than a tiny handful of mostly regular visitors to actually see it in the flesh.  

[The Stationmaster]

Your presence will be missed Mike but your reasons are perfectly acceptable

 

Indeed it would be good to have yourself here at some time and a few others besides.  It's a blessing being able to indulge the hobby to the extent I do in this far-flung place but it makes it hard for more than a tiny handful of mostly regular visitors to actually see it in the flesh.  

 

You (and I) will have to rely on the hope that my contact in Sydney might at some time find an opportunity for me (and alas that also means the taxman) to earn some more $Aus although it seems Cityrail are no able to do it all for themselves.  Maybe I shouldn't have spent so much time teaching them how to develop timetable development procedures?

[Gwiwer]

They have timetables in Sydney now???  

 

 

[St Enodoc]

You (and I) will have to rely on the hope that my contact in Sydney might at some time find an opportunity for me (and alas that also means the taxman) to earn some more $Aus although it seems Cityrail are no able to do it all for themselves.  Maybe I shouldn't have spent so much time teaching them how to develop timetable development procedures?

As and when you do there is of course an open invitation to play with the Mid-Cornwall Lines (naturally this applies also to all bona-fide RMWebbers). Visits to other local train sets can also be arranged.

[nerron]

As and when you do there is of course an open invitation to play with the Mid-Cornwall Lines (naturally this applies also to all bona-fide RMWebbers). Visits to other local train sets can also be arranged.

Including Trafalgar St, BR(NE).

[The Stationmaster]

They have timetables in Sydney now???

 

 

 

Not wishing to blow my own trumpet but the ones they produced after I'd been there gave more reliable timekeeping than the ones they had before my arrival, and various parts which previously hadn't worked actually did.  I also left them with a quantitive risk assessment procedure I devised for timetables through junctions and running junctions - I wonder if they're still using it?

 

And thanks various for layout invites which I would gladly accept should I ever return - regrettably unlikely as Cityrail cut right back on consultancy spending a year or so after I left and I don't think Lloyd's Register are now doing anything for them (and in any case I'm now on their pension instead of working list).  But a former colleague, who is now independent still does work for them occasionally the last I heard and would probably ask me if I'm interested should anything in my former areas of 'expertise' (cough) happen to come up.

[Gwiwer]

Running Day tomorrow.  What could possibly go wrong?

 

Firstly it rained steadily all day today meaning the planned clean-up and polish was deferred to tomorrow early morning as it's really not possible to do much with the covers on.  I did manage to complete the wiring of the two functional Dapol signals however which now have miniature Peco levers on the panel.  Stationmaster Mike will be pleased to know that the third Dapol signal. which refuses to work, is now attended by a flagman with a green flag not yellow as previously.  there is no sign of this signal doing what it said on the packet so it's going to be replaced at some future time.

 

Secondly I did manage to get the main lines running by 6.30pm after the rain stopped - they're wiped over with IPA but not dusted or vacuumed.  And just as the first train came through there was an expensive sounding "click".  A critical point, without which the down line cannot run, had managed to split its tie-bar which is probably a late-running heat-damage issue.  It's one of the few points I don't have a spare for on hand of course.

 

Thank goodness one of our model shops stays open until 9pm on Fridays even if it is over an hour away.  A quick phone call elicited the news that they did have the required item in stock.  The extremely professional lady on the phone also asked where I was coming from, when I expected to be there and then advised that there had been a nasty smash on the freeway causing major traffic delays.  That wasn't going to affect my route but I thanked her all the same.  When I arrived she promptly offered the point from below the counter with the cheery greeting "You must be SL-95 man."  I assured her that I was he.  An amiable half-hour of chit-chat later I left with my point and a few other bits.

 

By 10pm the new point was fitted, motored and tested.  Luckily the old one came out clean and left the ballast in situ so the new has dropped straight into the old ballast meaning I don't have to worry about that job. 

 

Let's see what the morning brings! 

[Andrew P]

Have a goodun Rick.

[P.C.M]

Hi Rick,

Sounds like you have a had a busy day. Sorry I can't make it tomorrow but I am sure you will have a good day, and the layout will run fine.

 

Cheers Peter.

[Gwiwer]

A busy evening mostly, Peter, and with an unplanned trip up to North Brighton in Friday night traffic to replace a point.  All done now but thank goodness Train World stays open late.

 

You will be missed tomorrow of course and the through train from Llanbourne will therefore be cancelled.  I am assured there will be a special working from Newton Broadway.  Also hoping to introduce one or two work people to the joys of small trains.  We'll see if they can find their way this far south!

[Barry O]

Rick hope it goes well ( I am sure it will).

 

baz

[St Enodoc]

A busy evening mostly, Peter, and with an unplanned trip up to North Brighton in Friday night traffic to replace a point.  All done now but thank goodness Train World stays open late.

 

You will be missed tomorrow of course and the through train from Llanbourne will therefore be cancelled.  I am assured there will be a special working from Newton Broadway.  Also hoping to introduce one or two work people to the joys of small trains.  We'll see if they can find their way this far south!

I won't be there but I will run a train or two through Porthmellyn Road anyway. Only about 10 years, about 20 model miles and about 600 real miles from Penhayle Bay...

[SRman]

A busy evening mostly, Peter, and with an unplanned trip up to North Brighton in Friday night traffic to replace a point.  All done now but thank goodness Train World stays open late.

 

You will be missed tomorrow of course and the through train from Llanbourne will therefore be cancelled.  I am assured there will be a special working from Newton Broadway.  Also hoping to introduce one or two work people to the joys of small trains.  We'll see if they can find their way this far south!

 

DougN should be with me (or maybe I'll be with him!) but since he hasn't yet named his layout or station, it's a little harder to do the station announcement for him. 

[Gwiwer]

A select quartet enjoyed the recent running day which turned out to be more of a derailing day at times.  Murphy's Law was definitely in operation.  There are some video clips to come which I am working on currently.

 

In the meantime here's a selection or "Rule 1" operations using stock which is collected with other projects in mind or simply because I want to.  They don't belong on the Cornish main line or its branches.

 

An Isle of Wight O2 gets away from the bay platform with a 2-coach push-pull set

 

 

 

A return working produced a Bulleid "West Country" light Pacific which would hardly have been taxed working 2 coaches at slow speeds.

 

 

 

While out on the main line a class 73 electro-diesel loco leads a parcels working in the early version of BR blue some of these briefly wore; the vehicle it is passing is a Motor Luggage Van.  Both are capable of working off the Southern's thrid-rail system as the 73 has a diesel engine and the MLV is equipped with batteries for which the access panels can be seen above the sole-bar.

 

 

 

A little closer to the Western Region theme as a former GWR pannier tank in LT livery leads a solitary Hawksworth van.

 

 

 

 

[Andrew P]

Rule 1 looks good Rick, I particularly like the Bulleid, and I saw the LT Pannier at Gresley a couple of years ago on a Special.
http://youtu.be/Oct6ZwP54LI

Edited May 6, 2016 by Andrew P

[Gwiwer]

Ladies and gentlemen, followers of Penhayle Bay.

 

This has been asked for from time to time over the years and has not been possible until now.  Thanks to Jeff (SR man) I am now able to present 

 

PENHAYLE BAY - DRIVER'S EYE VIEW

 

[SRman]

Nice editing, Rick. 

I was working on my cut last night but haven't finished it yet. Interestingly, you cut the branch footage at almost the same point I chose to cut my version. I have a small amount of additional footage added to one (I have separated the up and down directions into two separate videos), with a sort of camera fly-over of some parts, which I took after I had transferred the "cab" footage to your computer.

Your cut also fills in a few of the place names I wasn't sure of, so I can add that extra info into my final cut.

As we all said at the time, the new view really does add to the mystique of our models, giving an entirely different perspective.

 

I really don't like seeing myself in videos but it was unavoidable here. DougN also has a prominent "starring" role in the background!

Thanks again for a wonderful and entertaining afternoon and great company.

Edited May 7, 2016 by SRman

[Gwiwer]

Thanks to you Jeff, to Doug and to Emmy and Becca who all made the day what it was.  I'm not a fan of seeing myself but it's hard not to when the camera angle is more or less the revers of the normal "us pointing at them" style.

[Bogie]

Great stuff.  A very enjoyable 21 minutes.

 

My only criticism is I think you could at least smile when the camera is on you - you look very serious for someone who just has to be having a lot of fun controlling this impressive layout.

[DougN]

I think that really works Rick, unfortunately we can no longer remain anonymous! No matter how much we try. For ever there on YouTube at least it looked like I had lost my tummy....8)

 

The layout did behave it self quite well on the day. The usual stage fright layouts get settled down. An enjoyable day was had by all.

[St Enodoc]

Ladies and gentlemen, followers of Penhayle Bay.

 

This has been asked for from time to time over the years and has not been possible until now.  Thanks to Jeff (SR man) I am now able to present 

 

PENHAYLE BAY - DRIVER'S EYE VIEW

 

Excellent stuff gentlemen, although I have to agree with Bogie that you are a miserable-looking lot. Must be on account of living in Mexico. Seriously, it was good to see how all the various scenes fit together and I look forward to seeing Penhayle in the flesh in due course. Well done.