Penhayle Bay

[Gwiwer]

After several years using Photobucket I have not been happy with a recent makeover of that site for several reasons.  I have therefore opened a SmugMug account and if I am happy with it during the trial period then it will be used instead for my future hosting needs.  Nothing will be transitioned - the task would be prohibitive - meaning what is displayed here will remain displayed here and hosted where it now is.  There may be some changes in style, size, clarity and detail of future images.

 

As a trial I have uploaded a couple of "test" views which were taken specifically to understand how the camera and the new host site work together.  These were also intentionally taken at night when lighting is normally tricky and use a combination of station lighting and the two overhead fluorescent strips.

 

First we see a class 37 growling through Treheligan with silver bullets in tow.

 

 

 

Then a slightly menacing "face" on a 66 as it creeps up from Ponsangwyn Wharf alongside the main lines.  The track looks wet.  It isn't; this is just a trick of the lighting but one that I quite like and may try to repeat.

 

Edited May 9, 2013 by Gwiwer

[Gwiwer]

Two further test images this time displayed at what SmugMug calls "large" size rather than the "Medium" of the post above.  Both show small areas of my home-painted backscene

 

47612 coasts downhill past the woods and the wishing well .....

 

 

..... and powers up to Nansglaw Tunnel where despite appearances it is not about to enter the mouth shown but another off-shot to the left

 

 

 

[P.C.M]

The Pics look good Rick,

I am not happy with photobucket either, I started using it as that was the only way to post pics on another forum. My laptop would take an age to load pictures probably more my laptop than the site but I certainly have less trouble with Flickr.

 

Cheers Peter.

[Ralph]

just been through the complete thread, a fantastic layout of Cornish life in various periods, just wish I had the space for a big setup.

[Gwiwer]

It's approaching mid-winter here; the shortest day is barely a month away and the layout tends to be much quieter as it's often cold, damp and dark by the time I get outside after work.  It's a time for some of the less glamorous routine maintenance jobs which will this year include removing some of the large sky panels behind the fiddle yard to find where the rain has been coming in.  It's got back in to the same area which was affected a couple of years ago causing some dampness on the baseboard which must be rectified ASAP.  

 

Illustrating the cold of a winter's morning here's a green "Warship" working up past the clay dries where the resident shunter still appears to be berthed and not yet in use for the day.

 

 

 

Meanwhile despite the dark and cold weather the bay seems to be as popular as ever as a local "Passenger and News" service arrives from up-country.

 

 

 

 

Look out for some significant new rolling stock to some in the next few weeks.  The first of five Dapol "Westerns" is in the mail and the D600 class is getting closer by the day though still not anticipated until well into next year.  The new 52s will trigger the withdrawal of the remaining Hornby Westerns, most of which haven't been used for some years, though not the Heljan ones.

[aussiebrfan]

Looking good as always, the beachside illuminations are very effective, regards G

[SRman]

Those English beach goers are a hardy lot! Even when they are turning blue they'll still go for a dip.  ;-)

[Gwiwer]

More weathered stock now in traffic  The smoke-staining to the station canopy has been there for some time but also falls into the category of weathering.

 

 

 

The weathering is discussed in more detail here : http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/63347-getting-down-and-dirty/?p=1051456

[Gwiwer]

The first of the Dapol class 52 "Westerns" has arrived.   D1056 coasts down to Penhayle Bay where another new arrival, the "reversed livery" Bristol FLF, pulls away on the 547 to St. Ives.    Western National painted a pair of these vehicles in this livery for use on this (Newquay - St. Ives) summer limited stop run down the coast though they strayed onto other routes at times.  The 547 still runs using the same number today, worked by Western Greyhound and taking an even more coastal route than it used to since it goes over the North Cliffs between Portreath and Hayle no longer serving Redruth or Camborne.  The Western, on the other hand .......... 

 

[winterbournecm]

It may be winter - but 5 Westerns en route will keep your mojo burning! With the sun at its optimum over here, the contrast couldnt be more stark. We've had some lovely sunshine too.  

 

Enjoy the fiddly accessories, I challenge you to fit the tiny lifting lugs to your fleet. I had one 1000 and gave up after a couple of attempts. They are superb though, glad you got yours OK, One tip is to glue the bogie side bars on - your curves should be fine. I hear they're becoming rare to buy, particularly blue FYE.

 

Look forward to more western photos soon then!

[Gwiwer]

I spent over an hour up on the house roof today carrying out the annual pruning of the trees. Three are close enough to the house that they spread over the roof. So long as there is a clear metre or so from the roof to the lowest branch I'm not bothered but they can become a little overgrown and bang on the roof in windy weather. Two of them also block light to the layout.

So some serious pruning was performed which will allow more daylight to reach the layout. It has also revealed the need to replace the "Laserlight" panels which form the roof rather sooner than I had hoped for as they are in deteriorating condition. It's not an expensive job but it does require both a whole day up on the roof and access to the neighbour's side of the fence.

I then treated myself to a short running session with a mug of tea as refreshment.

The Hymek revived recently by P.C.M of this parish emerges from the up bore of Nansglaw Tunnel with a freight and displaying its re-applied weathering.



Meanwhile the green "Warship" coasts downhill from the forest with a mixed rake of parcel vans. This scene also shows the renewed vegetation along the top of, and hanging down from, the wall.  There is also a decent amount of natural light which wasn't the case an hour before this was taken.  One of the offending trees was blocking 90% of the daylight at this point!



All things green at the clay dries as the duty shunter rests in the sidings, the Warship comes past with the parcels train and a local DMU runs parallel on the Ponsangwyn branch.

[stewartingram]

Hope you didn't spill your tea whilst having a running session.....

 

Stewart

[P.C.M]

Hi Rick, 

Nice to see the Hymek back in action, hope it's running ok.

 

Cheers Peter.

[Gwiwer]

She's running well thank you Peter.  A lightweight Hornby loco is never going to haul long heavy trains but she does very well with 4 or 5 bogies on.

[Gwiwer]

The Ponsangwyn branch has seen so little traffic in recent months that grass has begun to grow through the ballast 



 There is green slime growing on some of the sleepers now 



 The grass is even starting to engulf the speed restriction sign 



At least the tracks in the yard are clear, despite having a layer of china clay spillage across them.  A green shunter negotiates the run round loop alongside the stone jetty.



And there's a sign of life outside the shed; there maybe even some work for the blue shunter to do later on.

Edited June 10, 2013 by Gwiwer

[Gwiwer]

The blue Lima DMU has been populated and weathered.  I found more seated people than I had a use for on the stations and chose this as it's easy to get into (just two screws) and despite it not matching the quality of most of my rolling stock it runs well and is therefore likely to have a long-term future here.

 

Darras Viaduct is inspired by St. Germans but this view also reminds me of several published images of Calstock Viaduct.

 

 

The viaduct scene has lasted remarkably well for a plastic kit living outdoors and I am more than happy with the weathered effect of the stonework which is all done with enamels and brushes.

 

Edited June 14, 2013 by Gwiwer

[P.C.M]

The DMU looks good Rick,

See you tomorrow at Dougs.

 

Cheers peter

[winterbournecm]

The Lima 117 was a nice model, just a shame they did two brake ends! Be wonderful if someone brought out a class 120 Swindon Cross Country - that would look the business on your viaduct mate.

[Gwiwer]

I regard the Lima things as power twins which happened to be power-brake twins  Not strictly correct back in the plain blue era but unless or until someone kindly brings out something better or until the day when I don't have to earn my keep and can build kits this is what we have.

 

The 120?  How much would I like a couple of those?  I believe some sort of kits are available and I've seen (in person) Jim Smith-Wright's Lima-chassis conversion which looks as good as everything else he turns his hand to.  I really don't have a lot of time to consider kits or bashing at the moment.  Maybe one day though.

[winterbournecm]

I regard the Lima things as power twins which happened to be power-brake twins  Not strictly correct back in the plain blue era but unless or until someone kindly brings out something better or until the day when I don't have to earn my keep and can build kits this is what we have.

 

The 120?  How much would I like a couple of those?  I believe some sort of kits are available and I've seen (in person) Jim Smith-Wright's Lima-chassis conversion which looks as good as everything else he turns his hand to.  I really don't have a lot of time to consider kits or bashing at the moment.  Maybe one day though.

Ooh yeah. With yellowed out route indicator boxes to sit next to a thousand! 

[SRman]

I have a 120 with the Craftsman brass sides and ends on Hornby/Lima chassis. Not a difficult conversion but it can take some time.

 

I also have a reprint of a 1962 Ian Allan ABC which has a picture of a three car class 116 made up with two motor brake second coaches so, while certainly not typical, it does show that such a formation could, and did, occur.

[Gwiwer]

For some of us today is mid-summer.  For me it is mid-winter.  Either way it marks the turning of the year.  To mark that event a few trains ran in near-freezing conditions this afternoon.

For those in summer here's a couple of pictures suggesting long lazy days in the west with the occasional train purring by.  For those in winter here's what we are looking forward to!






The weekly china clay train eases off the St. Agnes branch behind a lightly weathered 37207

 

And follows the local passenger train through Penhayle Bay.  Three new wagons (the first three behind the locomotive) for this rake have recently been located via eBay and arrived during the week.  All were weathered before use!

[Physicsman]

Lovely set of photos, Rick.

 

The second image - with the bathers on the beach - is how I always think of Penhayle Bay (along with your collection of 22s and Warships). The sandy cliff face is extremely well done.

 

Keep warm!

 

Jeff

Edited June 21, 2013 by Physicsman

[Gwiwer]

Who remembers china clay being busy enough to see two rakes at the same time?

 

 

 

 

Despite being mid-winter the layout is being kept in good running order and having a fair amount of refreshing of scenery done.  I usually leave it to its fate through the depths of gloom and run just the occasional train of usually Hornby stock which copes with dirty and sometimes damp rails.  Visits are normally held in seasons when the weather is rather better.  This year there is a gathering of friends for a working bee, mostly on the new layout, in a few weeks' time and with some people travelling all the way from South and West Australia (so up to 5 hours flying time away) Penhayle Bay will be a major reason for them coming.  Some have never seen it before and I intend that it will be in good working order, weather permitting, for the day.

 

After the coming summer 2013-4 I shall have the new layout under active development with consequently less time and a reducing budget to maintain Penhayle Bay.  I intend that it shall stay fully functional for at least another two years but offer no promises beyond that as some parts of the basic structure are showing signs of wear and tear after so many years in the open air.

[Gwiwer]

Just a small piece of new work but one which adds to the accuracy of the scene and has been planned (and put off!) for a long time.

Across the viaduct I have added the additional set of rails often seen used for bracing and stiffening of the track.

These are formed of code 75 rail cut and glued inside the code 100 running rails.  Not quite as simple as it might sound because the track has a curve at one end and also runs off the viaduct onto a gradient meaning the rails have to be curved in both horizontal and vertical planes for part of their length then glued (with superglue) and held in place while the glue cured to ensure the shape was maintained.

After that they were painted with Floquil (R.I.P.) "Grimy Black" overbrushed with a mix of brown and black weathering powders all of which was then fixed with hairspray.

A DMU on the up line heads across the viaduct with the new rails in place



A light engine class 47 approaches on the down track showing the curve and change of gradient as the line runs onto the viaduct.  The effect of the weathering of these new rails is also shown as also is the prototypical bent or "toed-in" ends



The other side of the viaduct with the ends of all four new rails clearly shown.  The void beneath the track here is due to this being a lift-out section though it has only been lifted out on average twice a year.  I'm generally familiar with railway terminology but cannot for the life of me think of the technical name for these rail.  Perhaps the good Captain of this parish, or another suitably-qualified person, will enlighten us