A popular layout back on YMRC

I did make contact with Phill but didn't manage time to see him.  I was too tied up with family business as my aunt passed away and dad is very ill, probably also at the top of that slippery slope.  Phill has generously offered any help he can give to support my folks for which I'm extremely grateful.  He mentioned that he has started modelling again recently but I don't know more than that.

Good to hear he may be modelling again .  Cheers Rick.

Congratulations on picture of the week Rick :thumbs


Ed

Thank you Ed.  I've already PM'd the boss as I spotted it a while ago.  Good to see a humble and straight-from-the-box Lima DMU can still achieve such a distinction.

Yes.  Nice cameo, Rick.  :thumbs

Thank you Max.  Ironically born out of the sun-warped DMU disaster and the desire to replace it.  This is the replacement set on its maiden lap of Penhayle Bay sporting the centre trailer car my other set never had.  I still have the good (unwarped) motor coach from the other set meaning I can run a 4-car formation if I choose to, or a blue 3-car on the main line and a blue motor+bubblecar 2-car combination on the branch.

The green Western has received most of the required bits from the bag including brake rods and cab steps.  I have had to abandon hope of getting the roof lifting lugs in.  For those who don't know they are extremely small parts, about 2mm x 1mm with a tiny central hole and are supplied as an etched sheet.  They require removing, trimming and fitting to pre-moulded holes on the roof.  Try as I might (bent wire, straight wire, different sorts of wire, small pliers, various tweezers ….. even fingers) I couldn't get them to come away nicely nor could I manipulate them for gluing and fitting.  It's not the end of the world.

I have also applied a fairly light weathering which has kept most of the "recently-painted" appearance of the loco while adding some dirt to the skirt and bogie areas, roof and front ends.

The light is very poor here in mid-winter even with the sun up and the various layout lights on.  The best I could manage was a couple of grainy shots which have still had to be enhanced to improve the colour a bit.

Cool Rick.:mrgreen:

Some views of the recently-arrived class 33/1 D6511 now with added driver and dirt.  The 4TC unit(s) for which this loco is fitted with high-level jumper cables are due by the end of the year.  The loco can of course work just as any other locomotive does hauling other trains.

The supplied headcodes are 90 and AA.  These are on self-adhesive film stuck inside the central window.  The body removes easily, the cab unit not quite so readily but once out it is simple to press the headcode glass out from inside.  The fitted numbers were then removed and replaced from stock by the required 91 and double reds.  90 means Waterloo - Weymouth Quay which was not normally a 4TC duty and AA is meaningless.  91 indicates a Waterloo - Weymouth fast train which was the preserve of the 4TC units and double reds is the end-of-train marker used when pushing the units back from Weymouth to Bournemouth.  It's not correct to display that on the "trailing" or inner end of a leading locomotive hauling a train as it could be misinterpreted - double whites should be used - but the limitations of modelling mean that headcodes cannot be changed easily in traffic therefore I fit the two displays I am most likely to need.



A nice touch by Heljan is the fitting of a drop-head buckeye coupler at both ends.  This is non-functional (it doesn't couple to the train) and fouls the coupler pocket shank.  It also seems not possible to fit a standard coupler with the buckeye in either raised or lowered positions so it might end up being removed.  For now it's shown in an approximation of the lowered position - as low as it will go resting on the concealed pocket shank behind.  If it can be retained it will have to be glued in the upright position.  That would be correct for coupling with 4TC units but not for other trains.  Depending on the 4TC units themselves it might even be possible to achieve close coupling using a No.19 Kadee on the unit.  



In traffic with Mk1 loose-coupled stock.





And arguably a better shot of the green Western this time not enhanced in any way ……

The second of the recently-purchased Westerns has entered service.  Supplied as D1012 Western Firebrand I have used Fox plates to rechristen this as D1051 Western Ambassador as I already have a maroon D1012.  As with the green D1002 shown above the roof lugs have defeated me but the other "bits" have been fitted and include the headcode panel being used to display the loco number, made up of spare numerals from previous Dapol arrivals, as was the case on many late-surviving class 35 and 52 locos after TOPS made the 4-character display redundant.  More pictures are in the my weathering thread.

The S & T Department has made a strategic decision with regards to the non-operational Dapol signal.  It illuminates but the motor does no function.  Investigation of the innards have failed to locate any problem but did result in something tiny springing out never to be seen again.

As the arm remains posable and the lamp works this signal has been deployed as Penhayle Bay down starter.  This is almost always "off" because of the local rule that trains stopping in the station must draw up to the section signal ahead if more than three coaches long.  That is due to the short platforms.

So the signal has been fitted and has replaced an ancient Crescent item.  It remains on the right-hand side and angled at around 45 degrees to the running line for sighting purposes.  And it can now be posed in either position as seen.

Train stopped at the platform with the arm "off" - obviously a short train going by the rules.



And train drawing away with the arm returned to "on"

Great bit of recycling Rick.
Works for me.

Marty

… and me :thumbs


Ed

The worst of the winter weather might be behind us.  The evenings are certainly getting lighter and the days warmer.  The dust and cobwebs are being removed from Penhayle Bay for another season.

With Spring sunlight across the scene the Inter City 125 high speed train cruises past Wheal Garden mine with a Penzance - Paddington working and a glimpse of the Cornish coastline in the distance.



Connection maintained.  A single-car class 153 DMU has arrived at Treheligan in time to meet the main line train.  This is formed of a class 108 "first generation" DMU in place of the expected class 158 Express unit.  Such workings existed in Cornwall for a few years due to a shortage of class 158 units; the older ones were generally preferred by locals for short trips anyway and had arrived in Cornwall after being pensioned off from the Swansea area.



The annual Spring clean has resulted in more K&M (Peco) gorse being added to the stone circle and the arrival for the first time of heather courtesy of a supplier at Hayle MRC's Spring exhibition recently



These two views, above and below, show how close to the edge this scene is and why it isn't possible to photograph it without going off-scene.  I can't raise the height of the back scenes as that would prevent us opening the windows!



More gorse and heather also adorn the other end along the cliffs where an additional distraction has also arrived



She's going to get some badly scratched legs in all that gorse!!!

I wish i knew you came to our show in Hayle i am the exhibition manager,and would have been good to have a chat.Hope you enjoyed the show.Piran

I was on the lookout for familiar faces at Hayle as I had expected to see some.  Found one or two but not as many as expected.

More views from yesterday's running.

One of the large logo 50s in my fleet brakes past Wheal Garden for the Treheligan stop with a mixed-livery rake of Mk2 stock.



While paused at Treheligan the 50 was passed by a brand new class 221 Voyager on test.  This is one of the few items in my collection which is not (yet) weathered.  As I expect it to have a short future life here it is likely to remain unweathered.



50035, wearing its Fox etched nameplates and crests, passes St. Blazey's own 37669 waiting at Carreglyp.  



The 37 got the road behind the passenger train and is seen leading its cargo of white gold china clay over the cliffs and below the ruins of Wheal Julia mine.



The most-recent themed items of rolling stock, including the Voyager, will be first to go in any downsizing which might become necessary.  Other items on notice are the fag-packet Mk3 sleeping cars and matching Mk2 "wakers", the GWT green 57 to haul them, a pair of Express liveried class 158 units, at least one of the Regional Railways class 150/2 Sprinters and the class 170 South West Trains turbostar DMU.

White Gold on the move

A couple of unusual sightings today.

First a Bachmann class 108 DMU in Network SouthEast livery:





And an Inter City swallow livery Bachmann class 08 shunter



Both of these have very little run time, probably less than an hour since new.  The DMU is not weathered so is in almost brand-new condition; the 08 carries fairly heavy weathering.

These were both bought at an early stage when plans for the layout were still evolving.  They do not fit with the layout as it now is and if suitable offers were made they are available for reallocation to new depots.  Both have boxes though I cannot locate them for now so should be regarded as unboxed items.  The wagons are not for sale.

A few recent-era trains came out to play today.  The modern DMUs don't see a lot of use and it niggles me that the Hornby 153 won't play nicely with the Bachmann 150 in a train - there's too much push-me-pull-you due to different gearing.  The 150 and 158, also the Turbostar class 170 and 171 plus the Voyager class 221 units all suck power and have rather low top speeds due to the enormous power unit installed.   

A pair of Railfreight grey 37/6s on the cliffs with the CDA china clay wagons.  I also took a number of "run-past" video clips of this train which I have yet too look at.



A class 158 unit in its early Express livery calls at Penhayle Bay.  These units provided about half the daily service in Cornwall for a number of years when new.



158 and 150/2 units stopped side by side.  



The 158 arrives at Treheligan station as another class 150/2 Sprinter leading a class 153 car squeals into the branch platform on a St. Agnes working.  CDA "cripples" are parked up in the loco loop awaiting collection for repair.



Another view of the parallel arrivals by main line and branch trains.



Along with the 08 shunter and class 108 DMU shown previously I am prepared to part with one class 150/2 and also one class 158.  Both are weathered and unboxed and the 158 was not new to me either.