Penhayle Bay

[Gwiwer]

Happy New Year Gwiwer,

 

Some great pics to start the new year off.  Its a pity about D801... all she needs is some TLC to get her running again and back into service.

 

Cheers

Lee

 

D801 is a Bachmann factory-weathered release.  I was never happy with the effect which made the loco appear pink rather than maroon and the three early 800s didn't survive long in traffic either due to being non-standard and unable to work in tandem with others of the class.

 

I have an earlier Mainline-style D804 in blue which was obtained in good second-hand condition but which suffered drive-shaft failure after a year or so with me in a remarkable parallel with the real things.  The plastic sleeves into which the shafts fit had both split and the shafts themselves were in rather indifferent condition with lugs suggesting they had been in and out of the sleeves many times.  I tried long and hard to obtain spares without success.

 

In the end I took the decision to use D801's power unit to restore D804 to service.  The transplant was successful but as D804 is blue I wasn't able to do a simple swap and had to strip both down to components because the moulded chassis sections had mismatching liveries.  I then added a lot more weathering to D801 including heavy rusting around the grilles and she has subsequently donated her Bachmann-fitted crew and one buffer to other locos as well.

 

She is therefore presented in withdrawn condition when I run the 1960s theme and is found lurking at the back of, or in the scrap road beside, the small loco shed at Ponsangwyn.  D804 now runs happily on as the only blue one in early style livery; all later releases have had the later numeral font, the logo amidships and lack the D prefix to the number.  I can use D801 as a dummy second loco on a double-header but bear in mind my comments above that D800-2 could not work in tandem and that such a use would therefore be inaccurate.

[Gwiwer]

Great stuff as always Rick. That going away shot of the two Warships at Penhayle Bay is brilliant.

 

Cheers

Tony

 

Thanks Tony.  The 800s were always an acquired taste in the aesthetic department with some loving and others hating those bulbous noses.  I found them attractive and the clean lines compared with such beasts as a class 25 always suggested quality and attention to design detail which sadly their mechanical performance didn't always match.  I spent (or perhaps mis-spent) many an hour of my youth on the station at Penzance or, when we were visiting family, on Horton Bridge at West Drayton on the main line into Paddington and kept for a long time the scrappy notes I made in those distant days listing numbers and names.  

 

I eventually saw all 76 "Warship" class locos (600 - 604 and 800 - 870) though a few were already withdrawn and in scrap lines by the time I "copped" them.  I know I have ridden behind all of the 600s in Cornwall as they were regular performers there until they suddenly vanished in early 1968.  Of course I now know they were withdrawn but didn't at the time.   On the other hand it meant we then got more 1000s in the far south-west, a type which usually came off at Plymouth before then, and we were treated to locos with names beginning  "Western ..... " on a much more frequent basis.

[Gwiwer]

The experimental loco "Falcon", latterly in BR stock as class 53 no. 1200, is not known to have ever worked into Cornwall being largely confined to Paddington - Bristol or South Wales trains.  Notwithstanding that minor inconvenience mine has always put in occasional guest appearances as shown here.

 

 

A busy view of the Carreglyp Dries and the lines leading to Treheligan station.  A train of CDA hoppers is split between the two up sidings and has a class 66 in charge while a down HST brakes for the station stop.  In the down loop a class 37 has come up from the yard at Ponsangwyn and waits in front of a respectable array of semaphore signals.  Just visible in the station is another 66 awaiting the road with an up freight.

 

 

A busy moment at the west end of Treheligan as the china clays approach the station where a down HST waits the right-away and a down van train waits its turn in the platform loop.

 

[P.C.M]

Nice set of pics Rick,

Looks like a busy period, you caught on film a moment in history.

 

Cheers Peter.

[Peter Beckett]

No sign of rails buckling due to heat, Rick.

Obviously not the Lilydale line

Great pics

 

Peter

[Gwiwer]

Thanks Peter

 

I'm wondering now whether to add a small version of our esteemed signalman, a regular visitor to these parts, one winterbournecm of this parish  With all those semaphores and a perfectly good GWR-style 'box to control them from I can almost see Craig hanging out of the window, camera in hand, snapping both the workaday and the rare movements to post here later on!

 

There must be a word for taking the model back to real life in that manner  

[Gwiwer]

No sign of rails buckling due to heat, Rick.

Obviously not the Lilydale line

Great pics

 

Peter

 

Thankfully no heat buckles Peter but I have around a metre or so of ballast to replace once the weather cools off a bit.  Several areas have developed crusts which have cracked and curled upwards.  While that doesn't affect operation it does look unsightly and isn't featured in any of the photos I put up in public.  I learned after a couple of summers that it's one of those things which happens and to live with it rather than become frustrated and try to fight it.

[Gwiwer]

As it's the middle of summer at the moment here's a "Sector Summer Saturday" featuring IC, RR and even a borrowed NSE set as was once seen every summer weekend between Paddington and Penzance.

 

The St. Agnes branch train at platform 1 makes the connection with an up 158 at platform 2; there seems to be some luggage to load.

 

 

Sporting rather dirty NSE stripes 50002 runs past the clay dries with a down holiday train formed of an "Oxford" set of NSE-liveried coaches.

 

 

A busy moment at Treheligan as the NSE rake is looped for an IC125 set to run through on a faster service while the 150 on the branch makes a parallel departure.

 

 

St. Agnes only sees through trains from up-country on summer Saturdays; here a down 125 crosses into platform 2 (the up main) prior to taking the branch.  This move is fully and correctly signalled throughout and is also easily set up with the power controller as well.

 

 

Later in the day the HST returns from St. Agnes dropping steeply from the branch and taking the link into the up main platform.

 

 

A late afternoon down HST crosses an up local formed by a brand new class 158 set (OK - it hasn't been weathered yet!) seen from the photo vantage-point beneath Station Road bridge

 

 

 

[P.C.M]

Hi Rick.

Nice set of pics, your HST does look really good. I am suprized St Agnes does't see a few loco hauled trains on a summer Saturday.

 

The backpacker and woman with bag look good, what make are they? I need a few more people on Llanbourne.

 

Cheers Peter.

[Gwiwer]

I am suprized St Agnes does't see a few loco hauled trains on a summer Saturday.

 

Thanks Peter

 

I'm sure there are some loco-hauled workings down the branch.  I don't think it's a run-round issue as there's a weekly china clays in my WTT which is loco-hauled and a daily goods until the early 70s as well.  Maybe I wasn't up early enough to capture them  

 

I recall a few trips on an 00.12 SO Paddington - Newquay which was always a 50 and Mk1 stock and which arrived in the Cornish resort around 8am in good time for an up emmet-clearing working.  The overnight down was usually populated with staff on free passes and other assorted bashers!

 

I can't remember exactly where the two figures you ask about came from.  Preiser made a number of backpacker sets at one time in 1:87 but the one in the shot looks to me like  a 1:76 figure and as such is probably from Hornby though I can't find the details for now.  The woman with the bag looks to be 1:87 as most of my figure are and would probably have come from Preiser set 14413.

[Gwiwer]

I'm sure there are some loco-hauled workings down the branch.

Found it!  47612 takes a rake of Mk1 stock onto the branch on a holiday working through from Manchester.

 

 

 

In reality I think these sets were based at Oxley as they turned up on the WCML and found their way to Decvon and Cornwall on summer weekends.  They also got used for the Friday overnight Euston - Aberystwyth and daytime return which parked itself on Abbey Foregate loop for several hours rather than having to reverse in Shrewsbury station and allow the gricers off!

 

And an hour or so later on its way back ....

 

[john dew]

As always great shots Rick....................you may recall I once likened Penhayle Bay, in the nicest possible way , to Coronation Street........I dont like to miss too many episodes............glad I found you here

 

Best Wishes

[Gwiwer]

Good to have you back on board as well, John.  

[Ron Solly]

Yes, I will have to keep across this layout here now as well.

Edited January 13, 2013 by Ron Solly

[P.C.M]

Thanks for the info on the figures Rick,

 

Nice to see one of Old Oak Commons class 47s getting some use. I think the Inter City liv quite suited them.

 

Cheers Peter.

[Gwiwer]

Yes, I will have to keep across this layout here now as well.

As with John and a few others dropping in from elsewhere Sol it's good to know you're still enjoying the work, the fun and the games at Penhayle Bay.

[Gwiwer]

Not wishing to feel left out the GWT Merlin HST set put in an appearance today.  This is the older version with a Lima-style single-bogie pancake motor and less refined detailing.  It is also the only livery in which a TGS has not been released meaning my 2+8 set runs with a TS as coach A.  But it's otherwise quite convincing and carries a livery which I personally liked a lot and which lasted only a very short time.

 

In order to have this lightweight power car pull the train, and for those who know my layout the curves and gradients provide quite a challenge to even the heavyweight stock, I loaded it up with fishing weights glued in place inside the power car and approximately balancing the weight over both bogies.  She protests a little at cold start-up but soon warms up and runs rather well if carefully controlled.  I do limit the running hours though because these motors are not designed to haul 9 trailing vehicles and a bag-full of lead around for hours on end and it's under a fair bit of strain.  

 

 

 

 

This set has a light weathering applied in mapping pen blurred with cotton-wool buds and rubbed over with rag.  A little brown weathering powder has been added to nose and skirt at the outer ends only.

 

 

 

[trw1089]

I wish you would stop with all these HST pics Rick, my son is pestering me for one even more now!

 

Great pics as always.

 

Cheers

Tony

[Gwiwer]

Cheers Tony - I'd put up some pictures of steam but you know what they're like about us lighting fires outdoors in the summer round here

[SRman]

That 'Merlin' livery really seemed to be designed to suit the lines of the HSTs - it has to be one of my favourites too.

[Gwiwer]

What's THIS sneaking through after dark?????

 

Entering Penhayle Bay station

 

and crossing the viaduct above the beach car park

 

?????

Turning the overhead lights back on reveals all!

 

[P.C.M]

I was guessing an N but I am not sure, ooops.

 

Cheers Peter.

[Gwiwer]

You would be guessing correctly!  Quite distinctive to those who know.  And to those who know my collection

[SRman]

Another favourite. They were such a nice, 'balanced' design.

[Gwiwer]

Speaking of favourites the Hymeks were always one of mine.  They seldom (some suggest never but at least a few workings are on record) strayed into Cornwall but under Rule 1 they make occasional appearances on the layout.  For some time I have considered the merits of the Hornby Gresley buffet in b/g since the WR ran one for some years as W9135E.  It was a regular in Cardiff - Portsmouth workings and made other forays from its Canton base at times.

 

Finally giving in to temptation and since there are very few now left on the shelves I am now the proud owner of what Hornby has numbered (correctly ) E9131E and which will be renumbered in due course.  It received a light weathering before being paraded for the camera in a typical Cardiff - Pompey 6-set of the late 60s / early 70s period.  

 

"W9135E" posed on Darras Viaduct

 

 

And shown formed in the train behind Heljan D7097 with a nice mix of liveries late sixties style

 

 

The buffet car isn't normally coupled next to the loco but for photographic effect it is here.  What livery is that loco supposed to be carrying?

 

 

Grimy and rusty Hornby D7067, which is not in working order and is used only as a static item until it can be repaired, shown in not untypical WR careworn condition.