Penhayle Bay

[Gwiwer]

ANNOUNCEMENT

 

On Saturday 17th January there will be an opportunity to enjoy Penhayle Bay in person.

 

Those living nearby or who might be on holiday in the area are welcome to drop in between 2 - 6pm.  Address and contact details will be sent by PM on request.  I ask that these are not passed on to anyone beyond those actually requesting them.

 

If you've been before you know it's usually a relaxed and enjoyable afternoon.  Light refreshments provided, plenty of shade, air-con in the house and the trains run what ever the weather.  If the CFA declare an Extreme or Code Red fire rating for this day or if the forecast temperature is above 40C I may have to cancel at short notice in the interests of everyone's safety and wellbeing.

 

I usually avoid the hottest summer months for my Friend's Days.  This summer my ideal date coincided with another event and I start a new job on the 27th meaning I don't know when I might be able to offer this opportunity again.

 

Please let me know if you would like to join us as I appreciate some idea of numbers.

[andy stroud]

The 25 is indeed on the CDAs.  It doesn't get a lot of use but the CDAs certainly do.  More commonly behind a 37 or occasionally a 50.

Rick, Are you aware that 25s never ran with CDAs. 

[Gwiwer]

Rick, Are you aware that 25s never ran with CDAs. 

 

Yes I am thanks.  Just as I am aware that the class 53 I showed a few posts back never actually reached Cornwall.  Rule 1 applies.  Particularly when no-one's looking

[brushman47544]

You must be one of the younger guys!

 

Brian.

 

I must be even younger as I had to work that one out too...

 

Which must make you, Brian, a D1006

 

..but I got this one straight away.

 

All the best with the new job Rick. Looking forward to more Penhayle Bay in 2015.

[Gwiwer]

ANNOUNCEMENT

 

On Saturday 17th January there will be an opportunity to enjoy Penhayle Bay in person.

 

Those living nearby or who might be on holiday in the area are welcome to drop in between 2 - 6pm.  Address and contact details will be sent by PM on request.  I ask that these are not passed on to anyone beyond those actually requesting them.

 

 

 

 

The early-day weather forecast is for 23C with morning rain.  That's good.  Not too hot and hopefully not deluged nor excessively humid resulting in damp contacts and erratic running.  

 

I'll spend a few spare minutes in the week ahead making sure everything is clean and tidy and completing a few minor repair tasks.  Already done is the repair to signals damaged years ago by a possum and only ever patched up.  The whole bracket has now been rebuilt using salvaged and new parts.

 

Also in place are newly-arrived Dart Castings mileposts, gradient posts and road direction signs with the first two replacing, and looking much better than, the previous long-serving Merit / Peco items.

[Gwiwer]

Rebuilt signals as above.

 

These are at the "London" end of the down platforms.  The main arms control access to the Ponsangwyn Branch while the newly-fitted shunt discs permit locomotives to be signalled back out of the platform roads in the wrong direction as far as a clearing point before shunting forward into another platform road.  The bracket is new; the post for the left hand arm is new.  The post for the right hand arm has a clearly-visible repair in it from the earlier damage but is otherwise still fit for service.  The discs are new but the main post is the original.  There is a slight difference in finial size because the two came from different kits.  The deliberate error is also just visible - the left arm has its lamp fitted to the wrong side of the post.  Oops.  

 

 

And an everyday shot of the layout in operation as bus meets van on the forest road and a Western heads up through the pines

 

[St Enodoc]

Rebuilt signals as above.

 

These are at the "London" end of the down platforms.  The main arms control access to the Ponsangwyn Branch while the newly-fitted shunt discs permit locomotives to be signalled back out of the platform roads in the wrong direction as far as a clearing point before shunting forward into another platform road.  The bracket is new; the post for the left hand arm is new.  The post for the right hand arm has a clearly-visible repair in it from the earlier damage but is otherwise still fit for service.  The discs are new but the main post is the original.  There is a slight difference in finial size because the two came from different kits.  The deliberate error is also just visible - the left arm has its lamp fitted to the wrong side of the post.  Oops.  

 

 

And an everyday shot of the layout in operation as bus meets van on the forest road and a Western heads up through the pines

 

Very nice Rick. The signals look quite Penzance-ish. The pantechnicon reminds me that I would like to have one in John Julian livery on my layout. I know Corgi made one in 1/50 scale but I don't think there has ever been a 1/76 version. Does anybody reckon this could be worth a whisper in Chris Trerise's ear?

[St Enodoc]

The early-day weather forecast is for 23C with morning rain.  That's good.  Not too hot and hopefully not deluged nor excessively humid resulting in damp contacts and erratic running.  

 

I'll spend a few spare minutes in the week ahead making sure everything is clean and tidy and completing a few minor repair tasks.  Already done is the repair to signals damaged years ago by a possum and only ever patched up.  The whole bracket has now been rebuilt using salvaged and new parts.

 

Also in place are newly-arrived Dart Castings mileposts, gradient posts and road direction signs with the first two replacing, and looking much better than, the previous long-serving Merit / Peco items.

Hope everything went well today Rick. 30+ degrees here North of the Murray. I started building the main line baseboards for the Mid-Cornwall Lines in the cool indoors.

[Gwiwer]

Thoroughly enjoyable thank you.  10 people spent the afternoon here, only half of whom had previously seen the layout.  That's a very comfortable number, easy to manage without everyone squeezing past each other and easy for everyone to chat with everyone else.  

 

I'm just uploading some photos now.

[P.C.M]

Hi Rick,

I had a great day as always, and plenty of trains to watch. The layout is looking great as are the new signals.

 

All the best Peter.

[SRman]

Yes, it was a very pleasant afternoon, chatting with friends and watching the trains go by, not to mention the tea/coffee, pies and cakes plus home-made cake.

 

Thank you for having us, Rick and Sharon.
 

Here are a few photos I took with my mobile phone. These are unprocessed but I may try to enhance them a little later. They were intended to show a little of the atmosphere of Rick's modelling.

[gazmanjack]

I like the sheep in the third pic having a snooze !  

 

Cheers, Gary.

[Gwiwer]

Yes, it was a very pleasant afternoon, chatting with friends and watching the trains go by, not to mention the tea/coffee, pies and cakes plus home-made cake.

 

Thank you for having us, Rick and Sharon.

 

Here are a few photos I took with my mobile phone. These are unprocessed but I may try to enhance them a little later. They were intended to show a little of the atmosphere of Rick's modelling.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I like the sheep in the third pic having a snooze !  

 

Cheers, Gary.

 

 

All part of the "atmosphere" Gary  I'm surprised you missed the shunting doll which an errant wagon had demolished - the disc is lying off the bracket in the six-foot.

 

There's some "atmosphere" in the first shot as well.  Jeff has managed to capture the "weathering" left by a bird which I haven't been able to entirely remove from the ballast!

[Gwiwer]

So my usual summer gathering of friends finally took place today having been bumped into the New Year due to my long absence in the UK during 2014 and a clash with the local BRMA meeting making my only available date before Christmas a non-starter.  Ten of us enjoyed a warm, friendly and relaxed afternoon including a number who have not seen the layout before.  Ages ranged from 5 upwards and included one of my teenage neighbours as a trainee driver on the panel for couple of hours.  

 

I needn't have worried about the weather.  It might have been above 40C at this time of year.  When we get that it usually comes with a northerly gale making the Great Outdoors pretty uncomfortable for many people.  Instead after an extended bout of unseasonably cool wet weather today cleared from a windy start to a perfect sunny 18C.  Not what we normally get in high summer but perfect for enjoying good company and little trains outdoors under a plastic roof.

 

I didn't present a theme.  I offered trains representing the years from the mid Sixties to the mid Nineties.  Some ran alongside others which they could not have possibly done in reality.  A pair of class 22s with tarped clay wagons on the down line and a class 50 on the up with air-conditioned Mk2s for example.  It's all about enjoyment and friendship and not (on these occasions at least) about historical accuracy nor the number of rivets.

 

I photographed every train offered for service.  There are over 50 photos in the gallery from today which is here:- http://gwiwer.smugmug.com/ModelRailway-1/Penhayle-Friends-Day-January/n-8GpwD/

Below is a selection showing just one of each of the trains which ran.

 

Some of those present including P.C.M (nearest the camera) and SRman (standing at the back, dark shirt) of this parish

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was very quiet at the clay dries where just a single wagon was loaded.  In fairness both full rakes of hoods were in use around the layout and at one stage ran combined for 41 wagons behind a Western.

 

 

Representing more recent times as 66135 enters the yard

 

 

Ponsangwyn yard saw a little traffic with clay trains moving to and fro.  It also held a selection of reserve locos some of which were used for a couple of runs.

 

 

Long after everyone had gone home and the daylight had faded .....

 

Even the Beattie which ran for an hour or so had a stand-by in case of failure.

 

 

Careful regulating and planning meant that I could accommodate all of these trains on the layout simultaneously. The fiddle yard has eight main tracks and two short sidings and today was used to its full capacity.  Maximum use was made of the crossovers each end which permit fully-flexible working and allow, for example a down train to run into the "up" sidings" and straight out the other end onto the down track once more if all the down sidings are full.

 

Penhayle Bay usually has a Friends Day in the early summer and provisionally the next one will be in November 2015.  I am often able to make time for visitors given reasonable notice throughout the year; anyone who might be interested is welcome to contact me via PM in the first instance.

Edited January 17, 2015 by Gwiwer

[brianusa]

I like the sheep in the third pic having a snooze !  

 

Cheers, Gary.

And I thought the poor thing was dead! Like the stone ring, now you need a dolmen somewhere!

 

Brian.

[brushman47544]

Below is a selection showing just one of each of the trains which ran.

Some very atmospheric photos thanks Rick. I was was a bit concerned when I saw the first three of SRman's photos without trains in them and thought you'd invited everyone round and BR had gone on strike! :-)

[The Pilotman]

That, Sir, is a very fine piece of work indeed.

[Gwiwer]

Two days later and with just one visitor to the railway today we were busily chatting when this happened.

 

I don't usually record the occasional moments of embarrassment but my friend Mick was quick with the camera and the photo-credit is his.

 

 

Interim Report of the Model Railway Investigations Branch:

 

Two silver bullets had slipped off the rear of the freight on its previous lap and had gone undetected owing to the operator and a mate being deep in conversation.  Next time around the two 37s leading the freight ploughed into the stationary wagons with some force while coming downhill.  The two silver bullets were pushed foul of the up line and derailed a passing passenger train.  A fuel tank train stationary on the Ponsangwyn Branch nearby was not involved.  

 

The two class 37 locos became buffer-locked and took several minutes to sort out.  The rest of the freight remained on the rails.  The passenger train parted at the couplers ahead of the Mk1 restaurant car owing to the impact at the rear of that train.  The coupler from the FO ahead of the restaurant was torn out of its mounting.

 

No damage was done to any rolling stock or couplers.  After freeing the entangled locomotives trains were moving again within a few minutes.  One ground signal was torn out of the ballast and, being a solid Dart Castings item, can be glued back in very easily.

 

The cause of the couplers parting between the silver bullets has been traced to a discrepancy in coupler heights of about 0.5mm  As the train descends the bank the trailing wagons tend to accelerate and bunch against those ahead.  The heigh discrepancy meant that one coupler over-rode its neighbour and when the train drew forward onto level track the couplers parted.

 

MRIB has issued a two Learning Points.

 

One: This is addressed to the operator and is intended to ensure such a situation does not recur.  Pay more attention to the trains in future!!!  By all means enjoy a chat but remember you are also signalman and driver

 

Two:  This is addressed to the operator's employer.  if the wagons had been fitted with Kadee-type couplers this incident might not have occurred as those cannot readily over-ride in the manner hook-and-loop couplers do.  In order to re-equip the fleet with Kadee couplers significant additional income will be required and means to effect this are to be investigated fully.

[brushman47544]

I like the cameo of the policeman interviewing the motorist to find out what happened.

[St Enodoc]

Two days later and with just one visitor to the railway today we were busily chatting when this happened.

 

I don't usually record the occasional moments of embarrassment but my friend Mick was quick with the camera and the photo-credit is his.

 

oops.jpg

 

Interim Report of the Model Railway Investigations Branch:

 

Two silver bullets had slipped off the rear of the freight on its previous lap and had gone undetected owing to the operator and a mate being deep in conversation.  Next time around the two 37s leading the freight ploughed into the stationary wagons with some force while coming downhill.  The two silver bullets were pushed foul of the up line and derailed a passing passenger train.  A fuel tank train stationary on the Ponsangwyn Branch nearby was not involved.  

 

The two class 37 locos became buffer-locked and took several minutes to sort out.  The rest of the freight remained on the rails.  The passenger train parted at the couplers ahead of the Mk1 restaurant car owing to the impact at the rear of that train.  The coupler from the FO ahead of the restaurant was torn out of its mounting.

 

No damage was done to any rolling stock or couplers.  After freeing the entangled locomotives trains were moving again within a few minutes.  One ground signal was torn out of the ballast and, being a solid Dart Castings item, can be glued back in very easily.

 

The cause of the couplers parting between the silver bullets has been traced to a discrepancy in coupler heights of about 0.5mm  As the train descends the bank the trailing wagons tend to accelerate and bunch against those ahead.  The heigh discrepancy meant that one coupler over-rode its neighbour and when the train drew forward onto level track the couplers parted.

 

MRIB has issued a two Learning Points.

 

One: This is addressed to the operator and is intended to ensure such a situation does not recur.  Pay more attention to the trains in future!!!  By all means enjoy a chat but remember you are also signalman and driver

 

Two:  This is addressed to the operator's employer.  if the wagons had been fitted with Kadee-type couplers this incident might not have occurred as those cannot readily over-ride in the manner hook-and-loop couplers do.  In order to re-equip the fleet with Kadee couplers significant additional income will be required and means to effect this are to be investigated fully.

Three: Be very careful when banana-benders visit your layout (only joking)

[Gwiwer]

Cheers!  That cameo actually exists because the van driver has missed the bend at the bottom of the hill and has crashed into the stone hedge bordering the railway.

[stewartingram]

I like the cameo of the policeman interviewing the motorist to find out what happened.

And the rail replacement bus!

 

Stewart

[brianusa]

Its nice that you have visitors who appreciate your work especially as you model UK prototype. The locals here have very little interest in anything other than US trains.

 

Brian.

[Gwiwer]

Its nice that you have visitors who appreciate your work especially as you model UK prototype. The locals here have very little interest in anything other than US trains.

 

Brian.

 

There's not a huge following for Australian trains.  The small RtR market is almost entirely HO scale but doesn't account for the three main gauges in use here.  Thus you have models of New South Wales types and those which run on the interstate main lines which are 4' 8½" alongside those which run on the Victorian broad gauge of 5' 3" but all use the same scale track.  If you want to represent dual gauge track (and there's plenty of it) you build it yourself and re-gauge models accordingly.  If you want anything which runs on the Queensland or Western 3' 6" gauge ............... 

 

There's also a well-supported local membership of the BRMA (British Railway Modellers of Australia) with an attendance of between 20 and 30 typical at member's homes when they put their layouts on display.  

 

With many of us still having strong links to the Old Country it's probably no surprise that UK-outline is popular here.  

[St Enodoc]

There's not a huge following for Australian trains.  The small RtR market is almost entirely HO scale but doesn't account for the three main gauges in use here.  Thus you have models of New South Wales types and those which run on the interstate main lines which are 4' 8½" alongside those which run on the Victorian broad gauge of 5' 3" but all use the same scale track.  If you want to represent dual gauge track (and there's plenty of it) you build it yourself and re-gauge models accordingly.  If you want anything which runs on the Queensland or Western 3' 6" gauge ............... 

 

There's also a well-supported local membership of the BRMA (British Railway Modellers of Australia) with an attendance of between 20 and 30 typical at member's homes when they put their layouts on display.  

 

With many of us still having strong links to the Old Country it's probably no surprise that UK-outline is popular here.  

S scale (1/64) on 16.5 mm track is quite popular for 3 ft 6 in gauge protoypes (also in NZ). There are some kits and parts but not sure about RTR.

 

There was a layout in the Australian Model Railway Magazine recently which featured NSW trains on H0 track and VIC trains on EM track. I think the builder lives in the UK...

 

I believe that Simon Kohler once said that AUS was Hornby's biggest market outside the UK.

 

Nice plug for BRMA - thanks!