Penhayle Bay

[Colin parks]

Hi Rick,

 

Those latest photos of your layout reminds me of a holiday in Cornwall in the nineties. We travelled down to St Ives on a unit like that 3-car unit shown in post #601. The droplight window rattled so much I had to wedge a folded leaflet in the side of it!

 

Amazing to think your layout is an outdoor one. You couldn't do that here!

 

All the best,

 

Colin

[Gwiwer]

A nice view of the clay dries this morning in the rising sunlight.  Not a time of day I get to take too many pictures.

 

 

Meanwhile down at the station an early morning down passenger takes the road ahead of an overnight freight

 

[Gwiwer]

Some views featuring one of the blue 22s around the layout with a china clay rake.

 

On the descent from Nansglaw Tunnel to Darras Viaduct with the long view giving an idea of the snaking nature of the line at this point on a baseboard only 9" wide for the most part.

 

 

A trackside view (PPE worn, PTSC stuffed in the pocket )  illustrating my own weathering on this loco

 

 

The small signal box at Darras exists as a block post and to operate the emergency crossover; it isn't lit but a happy accident of the lighting here suggests that it is.

 

 

Finally the clays run back into the up goods loop just east of Treheligan station

 

[Ralph]

great set of photo's.

[P.C.M]

Some Nice Pic Rick,

I really like the first two, the Western on the early morning passenger looks nice with the van in the consist.

 

Cheers Peter.

[Gwiwer]

In which other hobby could we see weathered pumpkins???

Refreshing of the farm scene has brought about an increase in the planted crop.  Beans, cabbages and cauliflowers have been joined by tomatoes and pumpkins.  As those come out of the packet rather too "plastic" and orange I dabbed some dark green weathering powder onto them.  With an unweathered one plonked in the walkway for comparison

 

 

Taken for another purpose altogether but by way of showing the seaweed on the cliffs at close quarters in a spot seldom featured in layout photos

 

 

The "other purpose" was a request from upon high at work as someone had let it be known that I model.  They didn't say what sort of modelling but I was happy to reassure them that it didn't involve removal of my clothing.  Except when it's really hot outside!  The request from work for shots of the scenic modeling also produced this view of the sea.  

 

 

And in other news Saturday 3rd August is now definitely marked on the calendar as a day for something a bit special .........

 

.......... watch this space!

[Removed a/c]

The veggie garden looks great; are these Busch products? Seaweed on the rocks is a nice touch and not often seen as you mentioned.  You just need a a few hundred gulls, puffins etc.....  

[Ralph]

love the veg garden, latest photo's are super,

[Gwiwer]

Yes these are Busch products.  

 

There are plenty of gulls and other birds around though their size makes them hard to spot and to photograph clearly.  The limitations of moulding something that size also means they look a bit odd when seen very much larger than actual size on a computer screen.

[Gwiwer]

 

The veggie garden looks great; are these Busch products? Seaweed on the rocks is a nice touch and not often seen as you mentioned.  You just need a a few hundred gulls, puffins etc..... 

 

 

Yes these are Busch products.  

 

There are plenty of gulls and other birds around though their size makes them hard to spot and to photograph clearly.  The limitations of moulding something that size also means they look a bit odd when seen very much larger than actual size on a computer screen.

 

 

Some of my birds

 

Gull on the cliffs

 

 

Gull and crow on a fence

 

 

Gull being a b****y nuisance!

 

 

Something brown on one of the station lights - a hen blackbird perhaps?

 

 

On the farm there's a very red rooster perched on a stone wall

 

 

Watching over his flock of hens - and the rival black rooster up on the opposite wall!

 

 

Not forgetting the geese

 

 

And while we're on the farm here's another tiny creature in a small scene on a large layout - getting a free ride home by the looks

 

 

It's worth bearing in mind that most of the birds are only 2 - 3 mm in size which makes them harder to spot.  They might be "noticed" more if they were absent.

[Removed a/c]

Very nice, thanks for taking the time to photograph them. The geese in particular look very realistic. 

[Gwiwer]

And in other news Saturday 3rd August is now definitely marked on the calendar as a day for something a bit special .........

 

.......... watch this space!

 

 

 

Getting closer .........  

 

 

[Etched Pixels]

Love the gull in the bin..

[Gwiwer]

Penhayle Bay has been significantly spruced up for today's gathering of mostly interstate modellers.  Friends from South Australia, Western Australia and Queensland (plus one Queenslander now living just 90 minutes  away) joined me for a day of running, work on this and the new layout and convivial conversation over lunch and numerous cups of tea and coffee.  For those who may not know those friends have travelled from as far away as Athens is from London to put things into context.

 

Today also saw the long-awaited and most welcome and launch into traffic of two Dapol class 52 Western Class locos carrying Kernow MRC-commissioned weathering and detail and of a rake of brand new Bachmann sleeping cars.

 

"Western Musketeer" in "Chromatic blue" and with a small yellow warning panel as carried by a few early repaints leads a train of mixed seating and sleeping car stock out of the yard and onto the layout for the first time.  The clip also features "DC sound" created using a class 52 sound recording played from a CD (for the benefit of all present to enjoy) and captured via the camera microphone.

 

Click on the first two still images to start the video and with the sound on.

 

 

"Western Reliance" in the fleet-wide application of "Rail" blue with full yellow end snakes around the curves of Penhayle Bay with a china clay train and making use of a different sound file.

 

 

Both these two locos are almost in as-bought condition.  The factory-applied weathering is magnificent, the etched name, number and works plates look the business and the any tiny roof-mounted lifting lugs are ready-fitted.  Dapol's general release of pristine Westerns includes user-fitted plates and lugs.  I have added the brake rods from the bits bag but the buffer-beam pipework is already fitted.  I have added the loco crew and rather than apply the stick-on headcodes externally I have used them internally which looks better in my opinion.

 

One of the Dapol Westerns coupled to a Bachmann sleeping car showing some of the detail on both.  I have applied a light weathering to the sleeping cars and have fitted some drawn window blinds to the cabin compartments before placing them into service.  They therefore represent a train as it might be seen with some blinds open but others closed.  Usual practice was to leave the blinds closed at all times including when the cabin was not in use and allow occupants to open them if required.

 

 

The front end of the Western framed by Treheligan down staring signals

 

 

Western Musketeer approaches Treheligan and passes some activity at the clay dries.  The superb quality of the model is apparent.

 

 

Both the new Westerns meet as a maroon Warship waits its turn to head west in the down platform loop and a parcels DMU rests between duties in the St. Agnes loco loop.

 

 

Another Dapol / Kernow commission (towing some Bachmann / Kernow commissioned wagons) creeps through the platform.  Renewed and additional signage is in evidence here with recently-fitted platform number signs hung from the shelters among the additions.

 

 

 

 

[gazmanjack]

More great pics and some excellent video as well. I did have a look throughout your picture gallery and I came across the one of the whole layout in view. I knew your layout was rather large, but looking at that pic really shows the extent of it all. It was also good to see some of the earlier pics during construction. Fantastic !

 

Cheers, Gary.

[Gwiwer]

Cheers.

 

It's really hard to get a decent full-view shot owing to the position of the layout.  It's a long thin loop with only one narrow end open for access; the other end is closed and the sides are formed by the house wall and garden fence.  So from the outside where it's usually bright the long shot through the "railway room" is into a darker area and requires very good depth of field as well.  The number of days when it's possible to use something like f22 or better and still obtain a quality shot are quite few.  I could alter the ISO but that only increases the noise on the image.

[SRman]

The weather today wasn't particularly kind to you. You still managed to get some decent photos and videos and have some fun - sorry I didn't make it.

Love that weathered blue syp Western.

[Gwiwer]

The weather wasn't kind at all!  Cold to start with and a biting wind made it uncomfortable outside for any length of time and near-impossible to solder.  By mid afternoon when heavy rain blew in everyone had had enough and all bar one called time at afternoon tea.

 

[Ralph]

both Western's look just right.

[Gwiwer]

Some of the work which went in to presenting the layout for yesterday.  If I'm honest with myself this was a lot more work than I had anticipated owing to my neglect of a few tasks over some time and the shortage of decent daylight hours in winter as well.  Some work was done well after dark.

The roads have all, with the exception of the Penhayle Bay car park, been attended to in order to fix cracking and crumbling.  The surfaces were rubbed over with a block of wood to level them and create some fine particles on the surface, were glued back in place, had the white lines restored and were then brushed over with "smoke" weathering powder which has allowed a dulling of the glossy finish they sometimes had before, has permitted the creation of a few patches of differing shades and has removed the "brand new" effect of painted white lines.

The road at Treheligan which features the pub and station approach bridge has also had Wills plastic paving installed to replace the previous hastily-fitted printed card.  This has been painted with a mix of dilute acrylics then over-brushed with "rust" weathering powder and finally buffed up with an old rag.



The same treatment on Church Lane which has no road markings.  Rather than deface it with "double yellows" I have always assumed there to be a "No stopping" sign off-scene somewhere which applies to the entire length of road bar the church car park.  



I can change the scene at the church and have both wedding and funeral party characters which sometimes appear.  Today it seems that the Jag-owning family are in a spot of bother with a non-starting car!



The iPhone has been able to get in where the camera couldn't and has captured a view of the station approach.  Renovation here has included the road surface, the fence and the signage.



Moving onto the station itself the "totem" name boards seen in several views have all been replaced though still use the original mounts which are cut from scrap metal sprues to give rigidity.  The new signs are pre-cut vinyl stick-on ones from Trackside Signs which have proven very easy to use.  The same order came with a good selection of platform posters some of which are also now in use.  These are mounted on scrap card to give a little depth rather than appearing to be stuck directly onto stonework.  The BR-style black-on-white signs are a Scalescenes download and date from the first construction of the station having lasted well over several years.



That building is the scratch-built gents toilet and waiting room on the down island platform.  Some of the signs are very small but still perfectly legible.



The platform surfaces were completely repainted as there had been numerous out-of-scale bird droppings onto them which could not be entirely cleaned off.  The process was exactly the same as previously with dilute acrylics in different mixes used randomly, then brushed over with "earth" and "smoke" weathering powders before a final buff up with T-shirt material.  After that some additional signage was added as the various structures were put back in place as shown here on the footbridge.



Double-sided platform numbers are now hung from the canopies.  These proved tricky as they are made from two sticky-backed numbers from the Trackside pack with a sandwich of thin card.  Making that much isn't too bad.  Two strips of scrap etching sprue are then cut and have to be glued into that sandwich end on.  The assembly then has to be glued into the canopy and persuaded to hang vertically.  There are eight of these in total, two at each corner of both canopies.  Thank goodness for superglue and patience!  Also note the etched "Branch Train" sign in GWR style also added as a still-relevant relic of bygone days.



Of course Penhayle Bay itself hasn't been overlooked in all of this though the signage there had remained in better condition.  The totems were renewed in the same way by sticking the new directly over the old but an all-new poster board has appeared behind the ice-cream van.  The poster on the right is a copy of a well-known GWR-commissioned view (as are they all) and is the view from our old cottage in Newlyn where I grew up.

 

Some more moving trains.  Click on the still images to start the videos.

The one train which was in the yard but didn't run in front of yesterday's gathering was the CDA clay wagon rake.  I have withdrawn all my early versions of these wagons which have wheels mounted on pivots and which wobble along and derail repeatedly.  All those remaining in the rake are the later improved-tooling version with rigid wheels and much more weight.  These run very well.  They have been hard to track down in this livery as well.  Only six were in the rake for a long time but recently I was able to locate two via eBay in the UK which have recently arrived and been weathered up then a further six being sold unused by an eBayer in the US.  These arrived on Thursday and have not yet been weathered as can be seen from the tail end of the train.  Ideally I would like to make this train up to 20 wagons but they have been rarer than rocking horse poo so I don't much fancy my chances of finding many (or indeed any) more in a hurry.



66135 bringing the slurry tanks downhill.



While back at Church Lane and back in time a class 42 Warship leads a clay and milk train sedately towards Treheligan.

[Ralph]

it's just like being there, excellent photo's. love the Lodekka bus, rode on a few of those in my early years.

Edited August 8, 2013 by Ralph

[trw1089]

Hi all

 

As one of the visitors yesterday, it was a great day and always a pleasure to visit Penhayle Bay.  For those who are interested, here is a short video shot during the day.  Hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed being there.  Thanks very much Rick for being a great host!

 

 

Cheers

Tony

Edited August 4, 2013 by trw1089

[Gwiwer]

Most of the trains have now been packed away for the rest of the winter.   A few very minor niggles with the Dapol Westerns have been dealt with and they have gone back out for testing.  The milk train, the 45' vans and the parcel car have kept them company.  Something looks wrong to me with the first sleeping car here but nothing is "off"; it must just be the effect of the curve.



The Westerns have had their blanking plates pressed firmly onto the pins which has resulted in better performance.  These locos are built to very fine tolerances of a millimetre or less and my outdoor and seven year old track isn't ideal but we have achieved compromise.  The brake rods have had been trimmed back at the outer ends by up to a millimetre and the suspension detail on the bogies rubbed lightly to remove moulding flash.  Both caught on the frames at times causing derailments which problem has now been eradicated

The superb rendering of the curves on these models is shown here.  The crew are Bachmann figures and the headcodes are fitted internally rather than stuck externally but otherwise this loco is the supplied Dapol product.



In tandem with a Bachmann Warship and representing a double-headed combination sometimes seen on the Cornish main line for heavier trains 



A reverse-angle view looking out across the tracks as a class 47 approaches with a rake of 45' 4-wheel vans all of which carry different degrees and colours of weathering.



Parcels are loaded directly from the Royal Mail van into the DMU for transport up-country



And the crew in charge of the milk train can be forgiven for taking a moment to relax - we know how good the view is from that spot above the sand dunes!!!



Penhayle Bay will go into its annual state of partial hibernation for the rest of the winter with just occasional running until the weather improves. 

[Ralph]

super new photo's liking the double header & the 47 heading the van train.

Edited August 8, 2013 by Ralph

[Gwiwer]

The first part of my order for maroon sleeping cars has arrived today.  The weathered maroon Westerns aren't far away and a pristine one is already in stock.  I should be able to post some suitable views in the next few weeks.  After which the D600s will be the only major addition to the rolling stock planned for the lifetime of this layout.  One significant structural addition is also due very soon now so watch this space .....