Penhayle Bay

[Gwiwer]

A third green class 22 has joined the fleet after an extended wait on the workbench.

 

It arrived only hours before I left for my long UK trip and a quick test run showed it was shorting.  Having returned from that trip I then set about locating the fault which turned out - after much trial and error - to be a cross-wired pair of wheels the same side of one bogie.  One snip-and-solder later and she runs perfectly.

 

This is one of the latest releases with the marker discs instead of headcode panels and has received my weathering after proving the electrical fault was fixed and before entering traffic.

 

The loco has been fitted with the requisite two drivers and has couplers at both ends; it also has trimmed pipework at what will be the usual leading end but retains a coupler here in order to shunt, run round and run in tandem as required.  Not all of my locos have that - many have only a single coupler.

 

 

The discs are set differently at the opposite ends.  Small white lights shine through these when leading or the lower central red marker light is lit at the trailing end.

 

 

Posed to display the weathering alongside a part-painted, part planted forest

 

 

And on shed alongside one of the earlier releases with headcode panel, no front-end coupler and full length pipework and moulded screw coupling

 

[Gwiwer]

In a flurry of activity I have got the new Treheligan platform building to a state of readiness and placed it in position.  It is far from complete (requiring among other things glazing, fitting and painting of valances and rainwater goods plus installation of internal lighting and a rub down and top coat of paint to the roof) but was readied in anticipation of a visit today.

 

Frustratingly that never happened thanks to a misunderstanding on the part of my intended guests.  

 

But it gives the opportunity to show some of the new work here and that this is much larger building compared with what was there before.

 

 

This structure is a kit-bash from a Ratio pack.  Timetable and information posters neatly hide most of the Milliputting which was necessary to fill the  gaps.

 

 

 

All the new platform lamps are fitted loosely and tested to prove they work.  They require final wiring then will be glued in upright positions.  These replace pairs of single-head lamps which never looked quite right to my mind.

 

 

Finally the footbridge which has always had blue metalwork before has also joined the new colour scheme.  The open-lattice ironmongery which was previously a solid colour has been represented by using the light brown matt colour also used on the building stonework then almost a dry-brush over with the gloss.  

 

 

Finally the GWR insignia has been picked out once again in gold pen.  This wasn't easy the first time and didn't get any better with practice as the raised moulding is indistinct and the gold pen, which has a chunky tip, isn't designed for calligraphy!

 

 

Other areas will be painted to match.  One of the two existing shelter units already has brown instead of blue supports and the other will follow.  One will then become two separate short shelters one on each platform.

 

If I can locate suitable kits I may even rebuild these entirely as they have suffered many bumps and bruises over the years and have been stuck back together many times - each time looking less good than the last.

[class"66"]

Lots of nice detailing...

 

 

cheers neil.

[Gwiwer]

A couple of hours work has seen both platforms at Treheligan finally gain planters.  This has been one of those small projects I have always intended to do for some years but until now never got around to.

Those with a sharp eye for detail might also notice the new shunt disc on the bracket signal here.  Another will be fitted beneath the main arm when supplies arrive.  These will allow loco movements and DMU shunts between main and bay platforms to be fully signalled without needing to clear the branch starter and issue the token.



A little work around the buffer-stop end of the bay platform has included fencing the track off from the surrounding land and the arrival of "Steptoe" as the local scrap merchant.  The wheels were donated by a Heljan "Western" which has gained Howes replacements for its original brassy ones.



The old milk tank is a Dapol standard item with couplers removed.  Still some signage work to attend to on the platforms!

[Andy R]

Rick -had a good look through your topic now and this is very nice modelling. I especially like your subtle touches in and around the station area and buildings.

Keep up the good work.

Andy R

[St Enodoc]

 

A couple of hours work has seen both platforms at Treheligan finally gain planters.  This has been one of those small projects I have always intended to do for some years but until now never got around to.

How about some palm trees like those at Lostwithiel?

[Gwiwer]

How about some palm trees like those at Lostwithiel?

 

You never know your luck  It may depend on whether I can find or make anything half-decent.  But suggestions like that are always welcome thank you.

[St Enodoc]

You never know your luck  It may depend on whether I can find or make anything half-decent.  But suggestions like that are always welcome thank you.

Rick, Gary at Model Railroad Craftsman in Blacktown NSW sells some rather nice ones. Not cheap, but you would only need a few. In the fullness of time it is likely that the platforms at Tremewan Junction will be graced by these.

[winterbournecm]

Hi mate - good to see youve been busy, you put me to shame, time and motivation slipped I'm afraid.

 

I'm happy to supply you the details of the Scale link frets I sued for my palm trees bud. Give me yell here or on Fezbook.

[Gwiwer]

The new platform lights are working after an hour or so wiring up.  They aren't yet fixed so the jaunty angles are not their final positions! The new lights came up very bright when first switched on but I have wired them back through the "Function" control on the Gaugemaster unit used to power them.  This is in effect a variable resistance and for the lighting acts as a dimmer.  In some of the photos the lights still appear quite bright but to the naked eye they were turned down quite low to resemble the glow of old-style incandescent bulbs.

 

 

Compare this with earlier views at the same spot with two single-lamp posts back to back; I think the new ones look far better.

 

 

Also wired in now and fully working are the three shed lights at Ponsangwyn.  These were also far to bright at first and have also been wired through the dimmer though are switched separately from the station lighting.

 

I have been looking forward to some atmospheric shots once these lights were in and early results are encouraging.

 

 

 

 

[Gwiwer]

OK.  Just what was I doing with two clothes pegs, two off-cuts of balsa and a round-profile needle file?

As shown the needle file was used to cut half-round grooves in the balsa.

The two parts then fitted around the light poles to form a mounting jig for totem-style stations nameplates.  The pegs held things tightly in place while the superglue used to stick plates to posts went off.



This ensured that all the plates along both platforms are fitted straight and at a consistent height.  They are supplied by Tracksidesigns.co.uk, are self-adhesive and are stuck to thin card which then has a tiny piece of scrap metal sprue from an etch attached to keep things rigid.  The metal is glued to the light pole requiring the super glue.



And the finished job?  Not too bad.


 

[Gwiwer]

The station building has been completed and is now set in position.  

 

To complete the required structure kit-bashed from a Ratio station building kit required some additional valances and larger-than-supplied canopy ends.  My version is for the island platform whereas the kit is intended to be a main single-face platform building with offices and a single canopy.  As shown mine has two canopies one for each platform.

 

The valances were sourced from the old shelters off both platforms which are being broken up due to wear and tear and will be replaced.  I sourced the end panels by delving into the bits box and finding a sheet of Wills building material which passes muster as corrugated asbestos.  Horrible stuff!  But back in the day we didn't know that so it was used widely around the railways.

 

In more recent times it could equally well be ribbed cement sheeting.

 

There are aspects I'm less than happy about but how perfect does something have to be before being shown.  It's going to live outdoors as well; I've learned that having every little detail perfect doesn't always stand up to the environment.

 

 

 

After painting the walls were very lightly weathered over with grey and brown powders, the roof was brushed over with black and the canopy ends had a mix of mid-grey and black applied.  The chimney was painted a shade of red, had mortar courses inked in and black powder applied from the top down to create the effect of more smoke staining higher up.

 

 

The gap where the up platform shelter belongs is obvious; this is the next project already well under way on the workbench and is a more or less straight replacement of the previous kit but with an extension (built from parts not required out of the station kit box) to allow branch passengers to wait under cover.

 

 

The viewer seldom sees this angle as it faces away from them but this is the down main platform and features different window and door arrangements to its opposite number

 

 

The overall view showing that the two buildings blend into the scene fairly well together.

 

[janner]

That is looking superb Rick,  proper job me 'ansome  

[Peter Beckett]

I dont know how you managed it, Rick, but your platform scenes look like today's weather (grey and constant drizzle, at least here in Hastings). 

Brilliant, plus great recycling of railway material.

 

Cheers

 

Peter

[Gwiwer]

That is looking superb Rick,  proper job me 'ansome  

 

Thank you kindly Sir and tez good to see you again!

 

I dont know how you managed it, Rick, but your platform scenes look like today's weather (grey and constant drizzle, at least here in Hastings). 

Brilliant, plus great recycling of railway material.

 

Cheers

 

Peter

 

Cheers Peter and you're not wrong!  The weather's been sadder than a bag of wet mice this weekend.  The compensation is that it's not too hot and we badly need the rain.

 

The platform surfaces have - in some lighting conditions - a slight sheen which is achieved by rubbing weathering powders with an old T-shirt on top of the acrylic paints used to colour the pavers.  A bit like polishing your furniture.  

[Guest]

Haven't visited for quite some time but truly impressive, as always.

[P.C.M]

Hi Rick,

Just been catching up. The station is looking great, the new lights look pretty good too.

I noticed the yellow panel on your disc class 22 goes up to a point under the lamp bracket, never noticed that before. 

 

Cheers Peter.

[Gwiwer]

Cheers Peter.

 

I'm happy enough with the lights.  I like that I can dim them to suit the ambient light level and that they don't get hot like the old ones did.  The two survivors of the old batch (at the "London" end of Treheligan up platform visible in the last picture above) are on the dimmer as well so aren't as bright as they used to be.

 

The pointed yellow panel on the disc 22 is correct based on reference to contemporary photos.  Likewise the rectangular panels on the headcode-fitted 22s are correct.  The same was true for the 41s (pointed with discs, rectangular with headcodes) and for those 22s which wore blue small panel with headcode boxes.

[brianusa]

Always nice to see our ideas of Cornwall in model form and as has been mentioned, some 'andsome!

 

Brian.

[Gwiwer]

The down side has its new building and now so does the up side.  

 

The Ratio shelter which covered part of the platform was no longer in a fit state and has been replaced by another of its kind but kit-bashed to cover the full width of the platform.  This allows branch line passengers to wait under shelter for the first time.  Some bits spare from the kit-bash of the down-side building have been added to create an extension canopy over the branch line waiting area.

 

What you see here is a "first fit" with final detailing to be completed and a little weathering to be added before the piece is finally stuck down.  It should be more robust than its predecessor as it isn't balancing on a single line of supports as before but is supported by two rows of them.

 

The newest addition os to the right as the Western approaches and with the branch DMU already in the bay platform

 

 

From the non-viewing side looking across the station and with a goodly amount of workbench clutter unavoidably in the background 

 

 

The station looks substantially more complete with this in place.  There always was a shelter here but it was only the width of the pitched section and looked a little odd not covering the full width.  You might care to contrast the different designs of structure on the two platforms and the differing approach to offering shelter to passengers.  

 

 

While the bay platform has a prototypical cut-out to permit locomotives to access the run-round without striking the coping stones the same was luckily not needed on the canopy which would have complicated the fitting of the valance somewhat!

 

 

I have one more of these Ratio 515 kits to hand which I had intended to use for two more shelters one placed farther along each of the platforms.  My first reaction to having the new larger structures shown above in position is that more platform buildings are not really needed.  I'll hold off on the other kit and see how I feel after the holidays.

[P.C.M]

Hi Rick,

Hope you are well and had a good Christmas.

 

All the best Peter.

[Gwiwer]

Thank you Peter

 

Christmas was fairly tame - a lot better than it might have been - with the Outlaws over.  As we were hosting it seemed to be a blur of cleaning and cooking and then they were gone!  I hope yours was good and Santa delivered a few goodies for the shed - he's paid my air fair to the UK for April which is jolly nice and generous of him!!!

 

 

It's been a couple of weeks since I visited here although Penhayle Bay has featured elsewhere.

 

With the needs of Christmas including extensive and heavy work in the back yard to get it tidied there hasn't been as much time for running and photographing as I'd have liked.  

 

As it is the peak summer holiday week here Treheligan reflects that with a 50 leading a down local given preference over the 52-hauled (and no doubt already late-running) London train in the loop; a large-logo 47 (rarely used as it's an old-style Hornby one and doesn't like my gradients) runs in with an up air-conditioned rake and the St. Agnes branch train is running at its maximum permitted 4 cars.

 

 

As the branch train leaves on its next trip an up Chartex comes through led by a GW150-liveried 47 and with all Pullman stock apart from the brake / support coach.

 

 

Through coaches from St. Agnes to London Paddington arriving behind a large-logo 50 and which will be coupled to a portion up from Penzance 

 

 

That 47 again - this time out in the countryside emerging from Nansglaw Tunnel

 

 

The 52 finally got the road and storms out across Darras Viaduct well behind time

 

 

With the  tail of the Western's train still kicking up the dust a 45 came through on the up Speedlink

 

 

Finally I was forced into re-greening and cleaning at the cliff end.  Having cleaned the layout after my lengthy absence and got it running nicely in case anyone dropped in over the Christmas period the neighbour decided - for the first time ever - to pressure-wash her car port roof.  That comes to within a few inches of the layout as that is built along the boundary fence.  The next morning I went out to find the entire scene was covered in wet leaf litter and required both drying out and cleaning again   After a good vacuuming I then replaced some of the lost vegetation and refreshed the rest.  All's well again though the china clay wagons could do with a scrub!

 

[class"66"]

More "super" modelling photos...

[P.C.M]

Glad you had a good one Rick,

Some nice pics there, really like the shot of the class 50 coming off the branch. 

 

Cheers Peter.

[pwr]

Haven't looked in on this post for a long while and I can see what I have been missing. Great work Rick - reminds me of my rail roving days in the seventies and early eighties

 

Paul R