Mid-Cornwall Lines - 1950s Western Region in 00

[St Enodoc]

The Edinburgh weather was generally, and typically, dreich and cold so not really conducive to outdoor sightseeing. I did, however, take a tram ride from my brother's home to see the new Scottish gallery at the National Gallery of Scotland and of course on to Harburn Hobbies, where I parted with a few pounds.

 

The railway highlight for the rest of the week was the BR ScR M&EE & Friends Christmas Lunch in Glasgow on Thursday. I went across by class 334 on the Bathgate/Airdrie line, which was a goods-only route when I worked in Scotland. There were about 50 folk at the lunch, of whom about half were former colleagues. I hadn't seen many of these for about 40 years since I left the Region, so as you can imagine there was a lot of banter that, in turn, demanded regular and frequent lubrication of the throat muscles. A hardy few continued with an after-party at the Laurieston Bar, the likes of which I thought had disappeared for ever. If you like a traditional bar (cash only, of course), don't miss out as the owners wish to retire and the establishment is up for sale.

 

https://whatpub.com/pubs/GLA/0750/laurieston-bar-glasgow

 

Back to the east on one of the current successors to my old class 47/7 and DBSO sets, a class 385 (and yes, I did stay awake long enough to get off at Haymarket).

 

On Friday I enjoyed the company of my two little great-nephews and on Saturday my brother and I watched a rugby match together for the first time in many years, followed by an excellent fish supper.

 

Overall, it was an excellent holiday, very demanding travelling to so many places but equally very fulfilling in terms of seeing all my family, catching up with many old friends and making a number of new ones.

 

Back home (on time) last night courtesy of Emirates (two of my favourite A380s from GLA-DXB-SYD). Once I've got my breath back, normal (?) service on the Mid-Cornwall Lines will resume shortly.

Edited December 19, 2023 by St Enodoc

[Barry O]

Glad to hear you got back last night OK! Hopefully all your goodies got back OK too!

 

Baz

[St Enodoc]

Just now, Barry O said:

Glad to hear you got back last night OK! Hopefully all your goodies got back OK too!

 

Baz

Yes they did! Hours of fun ahead...

[Coach bogie]

Hope your return flight is uneventful. Finally have my wife back in the UK after 2 DAYS of delays from Brisbane due to weather. Manda should have arrived Saturday UK, eventually got here Monday. Very poor, no, non existent, customer service from Qatar despite forking out for Business class.

 

Mike Wiltshire

[ian]

5 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

Overall, it was an excellent holiday, very demanding travelling to so many places but equally very fulfilling in terms of seeing all my family, catching up with many old friends and making a number of new ones.

And thank you for taking us all along with you!

[St Enodoc]

On 11/11/2023 at 02:25, St Enodoc said:

Thanks Clive.

 

I am indeed thinking of keeping the Rep/Bach one until it finally gives up the ghost, as if any of the other 4-6-0s fails in traffic I'll need a spare loco or two as contingency (another Hornby Grange is also on the cards in this respect).

I have found a secondary source stating that 7820 was seen in Cornwall in 1956, and that it was shedded briefly at 83F in 1959, so I now intend to leave both Manors' identities unchanged until the original 7816 reaches its use-by date.

 

The two second-hand Granges I bought at Warley will become 6808 Beenham Grange and 6837 Forthampton Grange, which were both Penzance engines during the 1950s.

 

That will give me three spare locos for the expanded sequence.

[aardvark]

On 19/12/2023 at 16:51, St Enodoc said:

The Edinburgh weather was generally, and typically, dreich and cold so not really conducive to outdoor sightseeing.

 

The Scots say that there's no such thing as bad weather, merely wrong clothes.  If you waited for good weather, nothing would get done. My wife and one of her cousins went to see an open air performance of Pride and Prejudice in Aberdeen in the pouring rain, suitably attired.  The players were soaked through and through, but no one batted an eye.

 

[St Enodoc]

No picture this year, as I'm still catching up with myself and shaking off the usual cabin cough from Monday's flight, so I'll just wish all MCLers a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Veronica and myself.

[St Enodoc]

The ABC radio commentary from the Boxing Day Test at the MCG is always good background for modelling, so this week I've done a little bit of real work and quite a lot of paper work.

 

The first real work was to test the two second-hand Granges on DC, to make sure that they were OK - which they were. Consequently, I've ordered name- and numberplates for both locos and identified suitable decoders, which I hope to get from my local model shop next week.

 

The Accurascale Manor, however, has remained in its box, as received. I plan to set aside a good half-day to unpack it and check that everything is in order, including running in on DC. I already have a decoder for this loco, so once I'm happy with the DC running I'll fit that. I'll add DG couplings to all three locos in due course.

 

I spent most of the rest of the week on the paper railway, reviewing the sequence that I'd completed before my holiday. With a couple of minor tweaks all seems well, so I filleted the master sequence to create the extracts for the yardmasters, signalmen and drivers, ready for our running session in three weeks' time

 

Finally, the Test having finished after four days, I spent this afternoon in the railway room fettling some of the track at Pentowan, where some trains had derailed occasionally during testing, and also swapped out the original plastic wheels on some of the temporary coaches for metal sets with the correct back-to-backs.

[St Enodoc]

The last real work for the year was to relocate the temporary First-Come-FIrst-Served-Tokenless-Block panel for the St Enodoc - Treloggan Junction section to Pentowan, pending eventual installation in the signal box. That involved running a nine-way cable between the two locations and rearranging the 12V dc power supply accordingly. I'd like to get the Polperran - Treloggan Junction FCFSTB equipment set up before the next running session too, if possible. We shall see.

 

That brings us nicely, with less than four hours left in 2023, to the ninth annual review of progress on the Mid-Cornwall Lines.

 

After last year's over-ambitious targets, most of which I failed dismally to reach, this year's goals were more modest and, consequently, I'm pleased to say that I achieved nearly all of them.

 

All the track at Pentowan was laid, motored, wired and operational by September. That was the biggest job and completion was helped by my retirement from work at the end of July. I didn't do much layout work after that but I added some temporary coaches to the layout so that we can operate the full sequence. I also built and installed the lazy susan for turning locos and fitted couplers to some more wagons now that we will be running three more (branch) freight trains.

 

My post-retirement holiday took up most of the last quarter of the year, both in planning and implementation. It really was a great trip and well worth the effort involved.

 

The only goal I didn't achieve at all was to add more buildings to the layout but that was definitely secondary to operational matters.

 

Overall, then, I achieved everything needed for the full operating sequence, which was the primary objective.

 

Looking ahead, in 2024 I hope to:

 

- install the FCFSTB system between Treloggan Junction and Polperran, as above

- add uncouplers at Pentowan

- ballast all the remaining scenic track

- build and install Pentowan lever frame, once available

- build and install Pentowan hand point and uncoupler control panel

- build and install  Pentowan and Treloggan Junction signals

- add platforms and other railway-related infrastructure

 

I think that will fill the year easily, after which I can finally turn my attention to non-railway infrastructure and landscaping (did somebody say backscenes?).

 

In closing, then, Veronica and I wish you all a healthy, peaceful and prosperous New Year when it comes, wherever you may be.

 

[Barry O]

Have a Healthy, Wealthy and calm 2024... both of you!

 

Baz and H

[Chamby]

On 31/12/2023 at 09:27, St Enodoc said:

The last real work for the year was to relocate the temporary First-Come-FIrst-Served-Tokenless-Block panel for the St Enodoc - Treloggan Junction section to Pentowan, pending eventual installation in the signal box. That involved running a nine-way cable between the two locations and rearranging the 12V dc power supply accordingly. I'd like to get the Polperran - Treloggan Junction FCFSTB equipment set up before the next running session too, if possible. We shall see.

 

That brings us nicely, with less than four hours left in 2023, to the ninth annual review of progress on the Mid-Cornwall Lines.

 

After last year's over-ambitious targets, most of which I failed dismally to reach, this year's goals were more modest and, consequently, I'm pleased to say that I achieved nearly all of them.

 

All the track at Pentowan was laid, motored, wired and operational by September. That was the biggest job and completion was helped by my retirement from work at the end of July. I didn't do much layout work after that but I added some temporary coaches to the layout so that we can operate the full sequence. I also built and installed the lazy susan for turning locos and fitted couplers to some more wagons now that we will be running three more (branch) freight trains.

 

My post-retirement holiday took up most of the last quarter of the year, both in planning and implementation. It really was a great trip and well worth the effort involved.

 

The only goal I didn't achieve at all was to add more buildings to the layout but that was definitely secondary to operational matters.

 

Overall, then, I achieved everything needed for the full operating sequence, which was the primary objective.

 

Looking ahead, in 2024 I hope to:

 

- install the FCFSTB system between Treloggan Junction and Polperran, as above

- add uncouplers at Pentowan

- ballast all the remaining scenic track

- build and install Pentowan lever frame, once available

- build and install Pentowan hand point and uncoupler control panel

- build and install  Pentowan and Treloggan Junction signals

- add platforms and other railway-related infrastructure

 

I think that will fill the year easily, after which I can finally turn my attention to non-railway infrastructure and landscaping (did somebody say backscenes?).

 

In closing, then, Veronica and I wish you all a healthy, peaceful and prosperous New Year when it comes, wherever you may be.

 

Build and install the Sh******** ?  🫣
 

And a very happy new year to you too!  Sydney put up a very good firework display again.

[St Enodoc]

1 minute ago, Chamby said:

Build and install the Sh******** ?  🫣
 

And a very happy new year to you too!  Sydney put up a very good firework display again.

Yes, it was a very good show. My favourite is always the waterfall/curtain of fire from the deck of the Harbour Bridge.

 

What you might not have seen was the closing part of the ABC TV coverage - a fine arrangement of Auld Lang Syne, played by members of the Australian Chamber Orchestra with mezzo-soprano Jess Hitchcock, who sang two verses beautifully.

 

 

[St Enodoc]

Rather than start to build the PP-TL FCFSTB system, I decided that it would be prudent to do a dry run on the new sequence, to see whether there are any howlers or show-stoppers in it, so I started that today. Being on my own I took various short cuts, not least a good deal of hand shunting, and so got through about 18 trains in just over an hour. This is actually fairly typical of the pace or rhythm during a real running session, which was encouraging.

 

Apart from a few typos in the sequence, the main challenges were confirming where trains go when not actually moving on the layout - for example the Chapel Sidings and Spurs at Porthmellyn Road, and the carriage sidings at Pentowan - to make sure that trains aren't blocking each other in.

 

I haven't found any major issues (yet) so I'll carry on with the dry run over the coming days (but not tomorrow - as usual, a group of eight of us will be at the opening day of the Sydney Test).

[St Enodoc]

No rain at the SCG yesterday at all so we enjoyed a full day of entertaining cricket, although we were all rather bemused by Australia's tactics in the final session. A couple of yorkers rather than incessant short balls (today's paper said something like 93%) would probably have ended the Pakistan innings long before the 10th wicket partnership had reached 86 and the total reached 313. Very strange.

 

Back at home today I continued the new sequence dry run. Again, a number of adjustments but no howlers so far and I've reached train 91 out of about 300, which is good.

 

Tomorrow afternoon Charles @RudderC is coming round, as is a new visitor to Mid-Cornwall, who is keen to join the operating team. We'll give him some hands-on familiarisation so that he'll be ready for our first proper session of the year in three Saturdays' time.

[St Enodoc]

A very good session this afternoon with Charles and new visitor Lee, who I'm delighted to say will be joining the operating team. Between the three of us we got through about 35 more trains, which included attaching/detaching coaches at Porthmellyn Junction among other novelties. Again, no showstoppers but of course a fair bit of fine tuning will be needed.

 

Next Saturday another new visitor will be coming. If he feels that he can put up with us and decides to join the team, then I think we will have enough folk to run the new sequence very comfortably.

 

Between now and then I'll carry on with the dry run, although it's already progressed further than we will need for the next running session itself.

Edited January 5 by St Enodoc
clarity

[BWsTrains]

On 01/01/2024 at 20:54, St Enodoc said:

What you might not have seen was the closing part of the ABC TV coverage - a fine arrangement of Auld Lang Syne, played by members of the Australian Chamber Orchestra with mezzo-soprano Jess Hitchcock, who sang two verses beautifully.

 

Thx for sharing this.

Quite some time since we've been able to get to an ACO concert here and thanks to the prompt I've found one in Melbourne around mid-year that's right up our street.

 

ACO pre COVID did annual European Tours so if they resume, for anyone who gets the chance it's something worth catching, promise. 

[St Enodoc]

At the risk of sounding like a stuck record, I spent more time on the dry run today. I've now reached the end of Friday where, in real life, there was a pause for a couple of hours after the last Up trains, around midnight, and the first of the Saturday Down trains just before 0200. Of course, as we run the layout to a sequence not a timetable, we just carry on regardless. Nevertheless, it's a good point to stop and update the spreadsheet based on the notes I've made this week.

 

Of course, there will still be some anomalies that we'll find and sort out as we go but I think I've satisfied myself that there are no showstoppers among the Friday trains, which is pleasing.

 

I can continue the Saturday dry run at my leisure now but I might do a bit of real work too, such as fettling some of the Pentowan pointwork, where there've been a few derailments during the dry run, among other things.

Edited January 6 by St Enodoc
speling

[St Enodoc]

On 20/10/2023 at 16:41, St Enodoc said:

Yesterday and today (it took longer than I had expected) I modified the Bygone Wagons https://www.bygone-wagons.com/446703541 Cordon underframe. The reason was that the kit as supplied had a different underframe from that shown on the website, being more like a conventional wagon underframe, with centrally-mounted V-hangers and long brake handles, rather than the converted coach underframes of the prototype.

 

I used this photo as a guide, albeit to give an impression rather than a true replica:

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/blue-diesels/50158766771

 

I decided not to move the V-hangers but replaced the brake handles with short ones left over from an old wagon kit, probably Ratio. This let me fit the footboards, which are prominent and characteristic on these vehicles. The boards are Evergreen 2.5mm channel, with one flange cut away, and the supports are Evergreen 0.5mm rod, as are the axle guard tie rods.

 

I also added new buffers (ABS), as I'd broken one of the originals; screw couplings (PC); vacuum and steam pipes (ABS and Ratio); and lamp irons (scrap etch).

 

Apart from the styrene-to-styrene joints, where I used MEK, I stuck everything together with slow-acting/gap-filling thick cyano.

 

Here's the completed underframe, ready for painting:

 

The body needs some fettling and filler/priming. I just placed it loose on the underframe to see how it looked at this stage. The only modification to the body was to add the label clips, which again are quite prominent.

 

Once everything's painted and numbered, I'll add a tail lamp to one of the brackets, as the Cordon will sit next to the stop block at the end of Pentowan Loop Spur.

 

When I looked at the Cordon the other day, after nearly three months, I realised I'd made a stupid mistake with the detailing. I imagine none of you noticed it or, if you did, you were too polite to tell me.

 

Anyway, if you look at the tie rods between the axles you'll see that I fixed them to the axleboxes rather than the axleguards. Stupid boy!

 

I corrected that yesterday and today was calm and dry, mostly, so I sprayed the two halves of the model. I only used black on the chassis, as the print quality was not too bad, but for the body and tanks I used an acrylic primer/surfacer first. That has concealed most of the striations from the print, although the dished ends of the tanks are not perfect. They will do, though, as I'd be more likely to damage the detail if I tried to clean them up any more.

 

Now I've just got to add the final detail (lamp, wagon label, number) and fix the two halves together, after which I'll take some pictures.

 

While the paint was hardening, I fettled the four curved points in the Pentowan throat. I think I'd been a bit lazy when building these, as in places the gauge/wing rail gaps/check rail gaps were not all as they should be. After a fair bit of work with the soldering iron, stock seems to run over them far better now that it did last week.

Edited January 8 by St Enodoc

[St Enodoc]

The Cordon is now complete. From these angles, of course, the axleguard ties rods are almost completely invisible!

 

 

 

I printed the numbers on ordinary paper and stuck them to the solebars with a smear of paint and fitted the tail lamp so that the more interesting side of the wagon, with the pipes and valves, will be at the front when stabled in Pentowan Loop siding.

 

It's not a showcase model but I'm quite happy with how it's turned out.

 

Here it is in its new home on the layout.

Edited January 9 by St Enodoc
Added photo

[St Enodoc]

A busy day for our postman today.

 

First, the Grange plates arrived from our vulpine friends in Leicestershire - excellent service as always.

 

Also, a new NCE Pro Cab R radio throttle arrived from our local NCE distributor. These have only just become available again, so I got my order in quickly, in case they sold out. I now have enough for a full roster of five drivers plus a driver/shunter at each of Porthmellyn Road and Pentowan (the Porthmellyn Road throttle is tethered, so that in the event of a radio failure we can stop the trains without having to pull the mains plug out!).

 

I carried on with the dry run of the sequence too, which has taken me to about a quarter of the way through the Saturday trains. It's getting quite interesting now, with lots of longer passenger trains that need to be double-headed. At one stage I think I had six consists set up in the command station.

Edited January 10 by St Enodoc
"tethered" not "hard wired"

[St Enodoc]

Here's a sneak peek at a forthcoming mini-project for the Mid-Cornwall Lines.

 

 

The Q-train...

 

Can you guess what it is yet?

[ian]

The Pentowan seaside 'toy; railway?

[St Enodoc]

8 hours ago, ian said:

The Pentowan seaside 'toy; railway?

Give that man a coconut.

 

My friend @martink is going to put it all together for me so that I can install it, in due course, on the sea front. Here it is under development:

 

[updated video in later post]

 

I want to try to capture some of the feel of this line, which I visited in about 1966:

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/trainsandstuff/2942389897

 

https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/DpAAAOSwuTRcgjgv/s-l1600.jpg.

 

Now, the line will need a name. Pentowan Miniature Railway sounds a bit bland. However, the real Newquay has its Little Western Railway, which was also the name of Jim Russell's iconic layout in one of the first issues of Railway Modeller that I read, in 1962. So, the Little Western Railway it shall be, unless one of you folks comes up with a better idea.

Edited January 13 by St Enodoc
updated video in later post

[16Brunel]

The Bigger-than-the-Little-Western-but-not-as-big-as-the-Great-Western Western Railway?