Gwiwer

There are some steam ones on the old RMweb once Andy has that reactivated. The link back is in post 1 of this thread. My steam collection is mostly SR rather than WR, an interest which arises from a family connection at Wadebridge shed and the relatively early departure of WR steam from Cornwall which meant I didn't experience it first hand down there.

After a long wait the black livery Hornby 153 has finally arrived. The rendering of the livery is superb and the wait has therefore been worthwhile. For all those UK modellers frozen out of their sheds, snowed into their homes or dreaming of anything but winter here she is making her first appearance at Penhayle Bay ..... ..... where the beach is always popular. Detail of the livery shown to advantage as the unit runs around the cliff section. Finally the year it took Hornby to get the photographic detailing right and rescheduling production is reflected in the quality of the Truro cathedral image seen here.

Keep the faith, jonhants, as it took me 35 years from the first vision of what I hoped to one day build to being able to start building it. And it also took a move to the other side of the World. What you see in this thread is still very much an ongoing work but has been under construction for 5 years and operational for almost 4. They say good things come to those who wait and they also say that the first skill you need in railway modelling is patience. I'll agree with both!

Right here. Cooper Craft Signalbox Nameplates. Fiddly as all **** to make up and get painted but effective.

Just to round off the year at Penhayle Bay ..... on a very hot (38C) New Year's Eve Treheligan station is busy as the up HST arrives alongside the St. Agnes branch train. The latter has been augmented due to the holiday and is a 150/2 + 153 formation. And a shed moves off from the down loop with a load of fertilizer for the garden in the distance!

Hehe. I do take care on very hot days to not run stock which is much cooler from being stored inside so as to avoid creating a big difference in temperature at the wheel - rail interface. Likewise I don't leave trains parked anywhere they would get direct or strong sunlight. The rail temperature on the hottest section (the farm is exposed to midday sun) has been clocked at 57C twice over the years. For those anywhere else WOLO is a code meaning reduced speed limits apply due to hot weather.

Trains have run every day at Penhayle Bay, including Christmas Day and today in 37C degrees. At least two trains normally run every day even if it's just for a single circuit of the up and down main lines. The scale crowds are gathering on the little beach to see in the New Year as it is expected to remain hot here until well past midnight. A few years ago we had 32C at midnight and we could equal or beat that tonight. Me? I'll probably be in the real sea marking the turn of the year (and the start of what I hope is a return to full good health) with a gentle thigh-high dip. Can't do the full swim just at the moment for medical reasons . Happy New Year to all followers of Penhayle Bay.

W9135E was a regular on the Portsmouth - Bristol / Cardiff run from as soon as that lost the Inter City dmu sets around 1968. It remains the only Gresley vehicle I have knowingly travelled in and was, at the time, freshly outshopped in blue-grey with a red moquette interior. It was replaced eventually with a Mk1 RMB before the buffet service was withdrawn from that route. The Manchester Piccadilly - Harwich Parkeston Quay boat train was an out and back working for many years requiring only a single set of coaching stock. This included a Gresley buffet for some years which I recall was E9131E. The others which remained in traffic (of which I only knowingly saw E9124E) certainly did turn up at Kings Cross and later in the Highwayman which terminated at Finsbury Park but I don't recall seeing them in the Cambride sets. The Thompson buffets did work to Cambridge however and a photo of one (1706 I believe) was published in The Railway Magazine in 1970 or 71. I no longer have access to copies of that age to confirm more specific details. Not all of them reversed in Norwich (Thorpe) station. The avoiding line was still open at the time with some summer dated trains booked to use it. Double-headed 25's were the norm. The last time I made such a trip was from Yarmouth to Doncaster via Reedham (not stopping!), Thorpe curve, Ely avoiding line (the U-turn), March and Spalding via the Axeholme Joint! You haven't been able to do that for a few years.

Chris is Rick but yes, I'm here

After the Christmas holidays we might be forgiven for "seeing double" after a heavy session. But here we see two "tractors" at work and both carry the same name! Bachmann / Kernow MRC 37207 "William Cookworthy" leads Lima 37675 "William Cookworthy" past the farm and then with all 24 cylinders barking away up the hill through the woods. 37207 lost the name in July 1987 and the following month it was transferred to 37675. Perhaps the Cornish Piskies have been at work here to capture an image in the time warp showing both locos carrying the name!

Penhayle Bay has been brought over to the new site because it is now possible to do so in the board rather than the blog format.

This is a continuation of the old RM Web topic which may be found here :- http://www.rmweb.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=26664 All posts until 31/12/2009 will be found on the old site; posts on and from 01/01/2010 will be made here. Here's an appetite-whetter for anyone who has not followed the old thread.