Penhayle Bay

[Wigan Wallgate OO Gauge]

Have you ever thought about running a shelf layout around the corners of the roof? Or having a layout that can descend from the ceiling to get around the lack of space that you may encounter?

[Gwiwer]

There are lots of options but none can go ahead until I know where I'm going to be living

[St Enodoc]

There are lots of options but none can go ahead until I know where I'm going to be living

Rick, I presume that Boghouses will be the interim solution?

[Gwiwer]

Rick, I presume that Boghouses will be the interim solution?

 

Boghouses will indeed remain an operational layout and is likely to be the only one I have for a short time.  

 

Apart from a representative section of Penhayle Bay which will come with me I also have the boards which are effectively operable - test trains have been run on them - for the long-stalled Beer & Branscombe project.  As those boards are bereft of scenery they can be packed flat, stored and travel easily.  And as such might form the basis of the next project whether it be Beer or something else.  The LSWR gate stock which I ordered for Beer is due fairly soon now and I have resisted my own urges to cancel the set through longer having a use for it.  

 

The D600s are moving along too and it's a shame that they will not be here to run on a layout where they would have been be a perfect fit.  I now have to reconsider whether I still need all five.  On the other hand I have been slowly collecting SR South Western Division stock which will be added to when the class 74s arrive.  So there remain multiple options one of which will proceed once I know what sort of space problem I shall be dealing with.  

 

 

[Gwiwer]

Three hydraulics.  Three liveries.   

 

Green class 22 with early-style marker discs leads the china-clay wagons up from Ponsangwyn (and past one of the recently-fitted Dapol signals) towards the dries.

 

 

A begrimed maroon D806 "Cambrian" of Warship class 42 in charge of a rake of 45-foot wheelbase vans waits at Treheligan

 

 

At Carreglyb Dries the Warship passes the class 22 (sometimes known as a "baby Warship") which is waiting for its train to be loaded.  The headcode 1V87 must be wrong - it's definitely not an express passenger working and it's going the wrong way for V (meaning a train from another region bound for the Western Region) to be appropriate.

 

 

"Cambrian" squeals around the curves at Penhayle Bay in the sunlight.

 

 

And heads off into open countryside.

 

 

Some detail of the weathering on this loco

 

 

The 22 was next up and is seen emerging from Penhayle Tunnel into the sunlight.

 

 

And taking the reverse-curves showing the marker discs which preceded the fitting of four-character headcode panels.

 

 

Whilst on the down road Western class 52 D1051 "Western Ambassador" came down the bank with a train of Mk1 passenger stock.

 

 

Catching a little of the sun as she slows for the station stop

 

 

Idling gently in the sun and awaiting the "right away"

 

 

And some detail of the weathering applied to the Western including paint-flake around the Fox etched nameplate and a couple of rust spots.

 

Edited November 29, 2016 by Gwiwer

[DougN]

That's right closure is imminent and the traffic on the line has increased dramatically.

 

Looking good Rick.

[Gwiwer]

Thank you Doug.  Traffic on the line is healthy and probably will be right up until closure.  Ironically I have another of the Dapol Westerns on order since the London Transport Museum were offering them at just £75 for a couple of days.  That will be delivered to a UK address because there was no option to have it shipped here so will become the first hydraulic in the collection to not run on Penhayle Bay.  I am still hoping however to be able to dismantle the layout in such a way that Penhayle Bay itself can be packed, shipped and used for static display purposes.  Closure is still expected on Easter Monday as circumstances have conspired to push our move back by a few weeks giving me a little more time here and probably now leaving in early May.

[P.C.M]

Looking good Rick,

A nice day for running a few trains. 

 

I should be up your way Friday so will drop your boxes off.

 

Cheers Peter.

[Andrew P]

Hydraulic Heaven Rick, I see your having as much fun as I did before Pen was Sold, enjoy it mate, and please keep posting the superb photos, BTW I keep looking at the 7mm Warship in Maroon for Beale St.

[P.C.M]

Hydraulic Heaven Rick, I see your having as much fun as I did before Pen was Sold, enjoy it mate, and please keep posting the superb photos, BTW I keep looking at the 7mm Warship in Maroon for Beale St.

Do it Andy, the 7mm Warship looks great.

 

Cheers Peter.

[DougN]

But But But that is the day of Resurrection!!!!

 

No only joking... Good to hear that we are holding onto you for a bit longer... which does allow a nice bit of summer running which may require another day of inspection and brake van rides!!!!  

[Gwiwer]

Very occasionally the Southern steam trains come out to play.

 

The original thinking behind Penhayle Bay has it that, since my Cornish main line came via Newquay rather than through the middle of nowhere, there was also a connection (assumed to be at St. Columb Porth, on Newquay's eastern outskirts) to the SR along the coast to Padstow.  Thus some through workings via this never-built, but once-planned, route have always existed in my timetable.  Under Rule 1 certain locomotives which could not have worked via SR metals west of Exeter also appear on these occasions perhaps having come via the WR route.  Who knows?

 

First up was an S15, a class not normally permitted beyond Exeter, but found in charge of a short van train

 

 

An as-built West Country leads a rake of Bulleid stock through open countryside 

 

 

The branch bay and loco run-round loop at Treheligan feature an unfamiliar pairing of O2 class tanks with that on the push-pull coaches having Westinghouse air-pump and push-pull gear while the other, simmering in the loop, is a standard loco without such fittings.

 

 

Familiar location, unfamiliar motive power as the S15 eases down through Penhayle Bay

 

 

The two main line trains come to rest side by side at Treheligan with the S15 beside a Bulleid coach

 

 

And for those who prefer their photos in colour the light Pacific is seen broadside on in the countryside

 

 

The branch push-pull set tackles the gradient leading away from the station

 

 

Another view of "Wilton" in the countryside this time showing more of the train which apart from a Pullman car is composed entirely of Bulleid stock

 

 

Meanwhile the S15 is captured in colour at Penhayle Bay

 

 

30582 is an Adams "Radial" tank associated with the Lyme Regis branch but also having other work in east Devon and occasionally elsewhere.  Here it is leading a local ex-LSWR set in early BR crimson livery

 

 

The Adams and the LSWR twin-set (with a green van just visible at the rear) steam through open countryside

 

 

Finally the colour version of the side-by-side shot above with the branch train just visible in the background behind the others.

 

[60012 Commonwealth of Australia]

The Southern stock looks very nice, and not out-of-place either!

I've been tempted to get an unrebuilt BoB and some suitable Maunsell coaches, but given modelling in P4 means the extra cost of wheelsets, the priority has been given to suitable Scottish stock for now.

 

Photos looking great as usual, and I'm hoping I'll be around for one of the open days before it's closed!

 

Regards,

 

Peter

[hayfield]

Rick

 

Which area are you moving to (sorry if this has been answered elsewhere) ? will look forward to seeing the new layout develop in months to come

 

I moved house earlier this year, was going to have a shed in the garden for the railway, but we decided to incorporate a railway room in our extension which will start in the spring. Better solution as the new kitchen will be longer and I will be in the warm!! but has meant no railway room for a year

[Gwiwer]

Rick

 

Which area are you moving to (sorry if this has been answered elsewhere) ? will look forward to seeing the new layout develop in months to come

 

 

 

 

Kew or Brentford are the likely areas for a short-term rental, probably 6 - 12 months, during which time we can take a more leisurely look around to see where we might end up for rather longer.  It also depends on how Sharon's job develops and what (and indeed where) I find to keep myself in modelling funds.

 

I could also look at early or partial retirement and have some time free to develop interests including photography and weathering of models both with intent to earn enough to avoid selling my labour elsewhere.

[Andrew P]

A great set of Pics Rick, love the B & W images, full of atmosphere superb mate, cant wait to see what you do when your back in Blighty and getting inspired at some local preserved lines.

[hayfield]

Kew or Brentford are the likely areas for a short-term rental, probably 6 - 12 months, during which time we can take a more leisurely look around to see where we might end up for rather longer.  It also depends on how Sharon's job develops and what (and indeed where) I find to keep myself in modelling funds.

 

I could also look at early or partial retirement and have some time free to develop interests including photography and weathering of models both with intent to earn enough to avoid selling my labour elsewhere.

 

Very upmarket then, hopefully you will enjoy the area and not far from main roads to the countryside if you want to get away from city life. You might even be here in time for the Alley Pally show

[Gwiwer]

Penhayle Bay has close associations with the Cornish fishing communities of Newlyn and Mousehole.  35 years ago today eight of our own gave up the warmth and comfort of pre-Christmas celebrations to answer the shout for lifeboat service.  They, and those who they launched to save, were lost in a hurricane-force storm with 60-foot waves breaking onto the rocky shores.  To this day the villagers darken their lights as do I as a mark of respect.   Some families still leave an empty seat at the Christmas dinner table.

 

Sadly this will also be the last occasion on which Penhayle Lifeboat can stand service and pay tribute to her fellow crewmen  .....

 

[janner]

True heroes.

[Gwiwer]

Strange things happen over the Christmas period.  

 

A special arrived recently from "North Pole" behind some very unusual motive power ..... 

 

 

Upon reaching Treheligan the shunter and leading driver were flummoxed as neither signed the type.  "Never seen anything like 'un Frank, have 'ee?" 

"Naw I never.  When they said ee wuz from North Pole I though they meant that place up London where we d'send the milk"

 

 

The only thing for it was to send from some "proper" motive power 

 

 

Which was happy to continue to Penhayle Bay and bring good cheer to all points west.

 

 

The Scottish interlopers, on the other hand, were sent packing with a load of china clay behind them bound for the Potteries and returning the Claytons towards their home.

 

 

 

[Gwiwer]

Despite thinning the collection and the slow but steady packing up of the rolling stock new items occasionally arrive.  The latest is one of the current-release Heljan Hymeks, D7064, which arrived in a very striking shade of blue akin to the old Tri-ang Big Train Hymek of years ago.  It isn't Rail Blue.  It might be chromatic but it definitely looks wrong which is unusual for Heljan.  

 

 

However with Christmas Chaos now behind me I found ten minutes tonight to weather the loco which now looks a lot more realistic.

 

[Brinkly]

Brilliant headboard!

 

Compliments of the season Rich.

 

Regards,

 

Nick.

[Gwiwer]

Same to you Nick.

 

The headboard is available from Fox Transfers.  Might be a Christmas special so perhaps get in quick if you want one.

[Andrew P]

Great pics Rick, and yes the Weathering was needed, I have an idea somewhere in the Back of my mind that it was a proper colour, in my Bristol Victoria thread I have posted this morning that I've just ordered a Book,Seventies Spotting Days around the Western Region, , so I'll have a look in there when it arrive, it has a couple of Westerns on the cover.

 

All the best for 2017 mate.

Edited December 26, 2016 by Andrew P

[Gwiwer]

ANNOUNCEMENT

 

The final Penhayle Bay open-house running day will take place on Saturday 4th February from 1.30pm.  This will be a WR-themed day.  There will also be a closing-down event towards Easter 2017 at which "anything goes" so February will be the final open-house invitation to see the layout only doing what it does best namely portraying the Western Region in Cornwall during the diesel era between around 1965 - 1995.  We normally end at around 6pm though I am happy to go on a little later especially if the afternoon has been hot making it uncomfortable outside for long periods.

 

I have a few other days, mostly through the working week, available for anyone who is otherwise unable to enjoy the layout to drop in and I can provide these dates if asked via PM.  

 

February can sometimes be very hot and / or produce severe thunderstorms.  The layout area can be as much as 10C warmer than the forecast air temperature.  Trains run in any conditions though the controllers do trip out in very high temperatures after continuous running; smooth train running can be affected by heat or heavy rain.  The house is air-conditioned inside for your comfort and with refreshments provided.  This event will go ahead what ever the weather.