Penhayle Bay

[The Stationmaster]

 

Having called at Treheligan the same train is captured once more passing the array of signals which form Treheligan down outer home. The left arm admits trains to the down loop, the main arm controls trains approaching the station on the down main, the right-hand arm admits trains to the fiddle yard through a short tunnel while the small shunt arm and route indicator box allow trains to cross from the down main into Treheligan No.1 or No.2 Up sidings - the black box would show an illuminated 1 or 2 in reality when that arm was cleared.

 

 

Now you've spoilt the illusion of some smashing pics Rick - you shouldn't be using a sub arm for those moves to the sidings but should have a couple of discs (or separate dolls). Mind you modifying one of those brackets to do that would be a puzzle to say the least

[Gwiwer]

For BR blue fans .....

 

Large logo 50 and air-cons (mostly - spot the Mk1 RMB and early Mk2 BFK) cautiously take the reverse- curve through Penhayle Bay with an up express.

 

 

 

Meanwhile in the "changeover years" a 50 and 52 wait side by side to see who will get the road! Note careful application of mapping pen to soften the "baseball cap" appearance of the Heljan Western.

 

Edited October 2, 2011 by Gwiwer

[Guest oldlugger]

Hello Gwiwer,

 

I very much like the middle photo of the above three; the sea looks particularly convincing from this angle.

 

All the best

Simon

[Donw]

Hello Gwiwer,

 

I very much like the middle photo of the above three; the sea looks particularly convincing from this angle.

 

All the best

Simon

 

Echo that

Don

[DougN]

You seem to have been busy again, Rick. Lighting looks good. I hope that the amount of Rain hasn't spoiled the layout in any way.... (says DN who is loving the warm weather in the UK at present!)

[Markeg]

Hi Gwiwer,

Looking good.

 

Hi Doug, you are obviously enjoying the UK weather. We were there in April - May and had fantastic weather too. Are you getting to see all those Railways, both large and small and buying lots. See you sometime when you return.

 

Mark

[Gwiwer]

I'm hoping he might be bottling some of that weather to bring it back for me

 

Although the sun always shines at Penhayle Bay even if not across the entire layout as shown in some of the pics above!

Edited October 6, 2011 by Gwiwer

[DougN]

Well I must have bottled it yesterday as it is overcast and a little rainy today. I will bottle some of the warm weather when we are in HongKong. though I may mix in the cooler climes of England to get warm but not over heated weather!

 

See you at the next meeting.

[P.C.M]

Hi Rick,

Latest pics look good, though I just noticed your Western is missing it's wipers, lets hope we don't get to much rain today.

 

Cheers Peter.

[Gwiwer]

Thanks gents for the positive feedback. I have no idea where those wipers are. Might have to find some from another source.

[SRman]

A couple of wipers on my Western went missing quite a while ago - they don't seem to stick very well! I have used spares from a Heljan 47 fret but they aren't a perfect fit.

[Gwiwer]

Just dropping in to record the completion of two projects this week. First the platform surfaces and brick facings at Treheligan have been completely renewed with the final painting and weathering completed on Sunday. Today I began the task of reinstating all the fittings and furnishings on those platforms and in the space of just 2 hours have measured, drilled out, fitted, wired, soldered and tested no fewer than 22 platform lights.

 

These are the same design as was there before but the wiring wasn't satisfactory; as the lights had to come out for the platforms to be renewed I rewired the entire station and now have each platform separately wired in parallel and running from its own transformer output. The lights are 12v but have sufficient in circuit to glow at a nice shade rather than bleach the entire scene.

 

In a view seen before but now able to be repeated and with the sheen of the new platforms apparent here is the "London" end of Treheligan station.

 

 

While back at the "country" end a "gronk" lurks in the shadow of the hills and beneath the dark mine engine house ruins. The large running-in board here is a new addition.

 

[Gwiwer]

Ponsangwyn Yard (the name translates from Cornish as "The White Bridge") has received attention prior to the arrival of Mr. Beattie's well tanks any day now. Prodigious amounts of white weathering powder have created an area of china-clay spill around the sidings where that traffic would be handled. All the lines have been fettled and a minor track alteration at the throat has created a more satisfactory operation. The yard is powered off the main controller some 7 metres away but a 5 metre extension controller is part of the Morley standard kit which allows me to shunt the yard while standing beside it. All points here are manual and will remain so; there is little to be gained wiring up and powering points from a control position too far away to see them - that's one of the limitations of having a larger than average layout!

 

Ready to depart. Looking up the branch towards the main line connection and for those who take an interest in such things a nice contrast is offered between Heljan (left) and Hornby (right) Westerns.

 

 

The goods shed has had a dusting of "china clay".

 

 

Seen looking into the yard and with the cliff scene just visible in the background to place this into the overall context of the layout.

 

 

One wagon set against the stone breakwater against which it is assumed shipping may tie up to receive the precious white cargo.

 

 

Detail of the lineside along the branch.

 

 

And a track-level view of the waiting Western with a rake of hoods.

 

[Gwiwer]

The branch itself has also been refreshed and had the track weathered with a base of diluted acrylics overlain with brushed weathering powders in black and brown. The 08 weathering is not my own. It was a second-hand purchase and arrived already work-stained.

 

 

And with a suspiciously-clean 37 but at least it's an appropriate one: 37207 "William Cookworthy" with Cornish Railways decals applied. A little Woodland Scenics has intentionally "grown" in the four-foot and is stuck down so as not to stray into loco mechanisms.

 

[Gwiwer]

I'm torn between leaving 37207 in "ex-box" condition given that it's a limited edition and applying some weathering. It has always been my practice to leave special commissions "as is" but given my steadily improving skills in many areas of modelling and the unlikely scenario of wishing to part with a particularly relevant item I may take the plunge.

 

The white around the clay sidings is nothing more than weathering powder. Lots of it. Variously brushed lightly on, sprinkled through a fine tea-strainer (!!) and even blown carefully from a sheet of paper. It hasn't been fixed as yet but has secured itself fairly well among the irregularities of the ballast. A suggestion was made that I try hair-spray as a fixative rather than risk the fairly large droplets of dilute PVA from a spray bottle which are likely to cause clumping. Alternatively I'll get the airbrush out one day soon and mist the whole lot with fixative.

 

I have another batch of white powder which is destined to add to the factory weathering on the 48 wagons in my china clay fleet, though not the "silver bullets" nor the NACCO types which are due soon. First the gaps between the planks on every "hood" (including the flat-tarp versions) have to be inked in with mapping pen for depth. That's about 10 minutes per wagon so a fair bit of work in total. And black powder will go on to some of the flat tarps to give a colour closer to that seen in the numerous colour photos of them.

 

Watch this space. Mr. Beattie's well tanks are expected by next weekend.

[Temeraire]

Seconded. I use hairspray to fix all sorts on my layout.

[SRman]

When I was weathering and loading some kit-built china clay wagons I used talc as the basis for the white powdery substance!

[Gwiwer]

Might be worth remembering thanks Jeff. The powders are quite cheap (all that white was only $4.95) but cheap talcum powder might smell more interesting!

[Donw]

I like the clay dusting. Years ago you used to get French Chalk in puncture repair kits I wonder if that would be a good medium. Also you can get some hair sprays unperfumed.

Don

[Gwiwer]

You would need a lot of puncture repair kits to obtain the required amount of French chalk by that means! Unperfumed hair spray acquired and scheduled for trials tomorrow.

[The Stationmaster]

You would need a lot of puncture repair kits to obtain the required amount of French chalk by that means! Unperfumed hair spray acquired and scheduled for trials tomorrow.

Next time you're over here Rick try Jewson's the builders' merchants - they do a chalk line marker refill pack which costs £2.95 (+VAT) for 224 grams and you can use it as a 'puffer' applicator altho' it's not entirely reliable and tends to 'spurt' at times. It is pretty fine powder and adheres quite well on its own although I've only used it in its intended purpose, outdoors - and the one I bought is blue (and I'm waiting for the much promised rain to wash away the residue).

[Gwiwer]

Clays sneaking through late in the evening .....

 

 

A little weathering has improved the uniformly grey appearance of the tarps, I think.

 

[Gwiwer]

Penhayle Bay welcomes the Beattie Well Tanks.

 

The history of the locos and their production by Dapol for Kernow MRC are both well documented and don't require anything added here other than to thank all concerned for such superb models which are also beautifully presented and do the job they should perfectly.

 

I have lightly weathered the two so far arrived to take down the sheen of the plastic, have replaced the plastic "coal" in the bunker with lump coal, fitted Smith's three-link couplers at the front and added the included pack of fire irons. The driver and his mate are Bachmann items also weathered by myself.

 

Ponsangwyn Yard takes on its occasional alter-ego role as an SR steam depot such as might have been located in north Cornwall. Classes visible include West Country, T9, N and 0298 (which is the official classification of the well tanks). In the foreground 30585 prepares to depart with the Wenford Goods, the working they were most associated with for 69 years.

 

 

30586, usually confined to the Wadebridge station pilot duty in reality, lurks between the wagons of the "Wenford" and the other locos on shed. Note the splashers on this loco are square while on the other two they are round. All three of the trio are different and all have been faithfully modelled including their unique features.

 

 

The wagon tarps are those show a few days ago and are also weathered by myself.

 

 

Well tank duties were seldom arduous and the driver has ample time to admire the passing scenery as the Wenford ambles along the branch. Note the lump coal and fire irons on the bunker.

 

 

30585 reaches the top of the climb from Ponsangwyn and will shortly join the main line.

 

 

Finally with the regular "Treheligan" WR signal box temporarily replaced with an SR one the well tank shunts clay wagons at "Wadebridge" with the driver still nonchalantly admiring the passing view.

 

 

There are more images and some monochrome copies giving a dated effect at this link

Edited October 28, 2011 by Gwiwer

[BlackRat]

Amazing how far those Well tanks got on their travels!

[Gwiwer]

They certainly travelled the long way round to get here!

 

The white disc (which is included in the details packs) has not been fitted to these locos as yet. Contemporary photos show they ran without one some of the time anyway. The duty number on the disc varied over the years. Kernow provides blank whites with 30585 and those with 30586 bear number 634.

 

In 1951 duty 604 was the Wadebridge pilot (normally loco 30586) and duty 607 included the Wenford goods (Boscarne only on Wednesdays). By 1959 and AFAIK until 1962 when the 0298's were finally retired their allocated duties were 645 (Wadebridge pilot) and 647 (Wenford goods, then running every weekday). Un-numbered "white" (usually somewhat begrimed) discs were carried quite frequently judging by the numerous reference sources available. Quite a few also show the Wenford goods at locations between Boscarne and the dries with a disc showing 637.

 

Those discs are another minefield for the rivet-counters.