Penhayle Bay

[Gwiwer]

Be as picky as you like Ian.  "Princess" is the SYP, "Viscount" is the FYE.

[Gwiwer]

I am occasionally asked if I can show the layout in its setting.   So here we go.

 

Looking in from the only access.  You enter by ducking under the farm on the curved boards visible in the centre of the frame.  The layout extends for about 15 metres along the house wall (right) and garden fence (left) below the polycarb roof above.  

 

The folding trellis which closes the lower part of this end can be seen in the open position on the right (and another is hidden behind the shed on the left) and the bird netting which covers the top half of the open end is visible draped across and hung from the roof support beam.  

In the centre of the viewing area is the metal trestle in use for tracklaying and wiring of the new layout with one of its boards up-ended and resting on the current layout.  The age and dirty condition of much of the roof is apparent; it needs replacing and will admit a lot more daylight when done but at the cost of suffering greater fading and bleaching of the scenery.



The reverse-angle view out to the vegetable garden (which is about to receive new borders next week before the spring crops go in) and showing that the layout is built to the fullest extent possible under the roof.



The other end is closed to human access since this would otherwise leave the way open to the front and the street making the whole home vulnerable to intrusion.  The trellis also has polycarb fitted across and above it which keep most of the weather out and to reduce the number of birds flying through.  There is a bird "escape hole" in the top right-hand corner so they don't become trapped and panic but a fair degree of small leaf litter still finds its way in at this end.



One of the hardest spots to weatherproof is where the Pittosporum tree grows up through the layout!  This was already a mature tree when we bought the house and we made the decision that it has to stay.  The back scene not only curves around it as shown but is flexible so that it can move with the tree trunk in the wind.  The curved sky is not fixed to the layout; instead it bears against it and is attached to the fence to its left.  Rain and leaves always fall through the gap in the roof though the fly-screen mesh used around the trunk prevents most of it reaching the layout.  Just visible is the top of the thick plastic membrane which is concealed behind all the sky panels for waterproofing and which has proven very effective.  



The polycarb roof also extends down to reach the top of the six-foot wooden fence meaning there is no open air along the neighbour's boundary.  it is this section which is the oldest and most in need of replacement and which is now letting water in (and onto the fiddle yard) through enlarged screw holes.

So as can be seen the railway "room" is very much outdoors though not an outdoor garden railway. I have not fully enclosed the open end in order to allow air-flow through the space (which warms up to around 45C on the hottest summer days) and to avoid the complication of requiring planning consent for an extension "room".

I could bring the bird netting down to the ground but it would require weighting and possibly fitting to some sort of frame in order to retain its shape and prevent access in windy conditions. As it is I can exclude most larger creatures but smaller birds hop through the trellis at times. 

Cats are not supposed to be out roaming at night in Australia but many owners ignore that in the same way as many drivers choose to ignore a speed limit. So there are regular nocturnal visitors and sometimes through the day as well. Cats generally don't often get through the trellis but one or two breaches of security have occurred probably because they are naturally curious and have managed to push it open.

We have a lot of possums living locally thanks to the large number of (mostly native) trees in the area some of which we are responsible for. The smaller ring-tails are no bother. The larger brush-tails are noisy, territorially aggressive at times and have found their way in to the layout usually by biting through the soft mesh of the bird wire but sometimes using their weight against the trellis to push it open. The result is typically finding small areas of damage such as broken fences or signals, derailed trains and the waste products of these creatures left anywhere they choose. Solids are easily dealt with in most cases; liquid waste requires a hot soapy wash-down to remove and then rectification of any scenic damage. 

For those unfamiliar with these critters they are the size of a badger or very large domestic cat. They are actually quite placid much of the time and will allow you to approach them. They have never learned to fear Man as an enemy. They have large teeth and huge claws so picking them up isn't a good idea but I have done so on several occasions to remove them from the railway with no ill effects.

I have also learned that they can bite through plastic mesh if it is taut but not if it is slack. Since I now leave the wire slack there have been fewer intrusions though they are still very active over and around the house every night.

Smaller things I have to deal with are ants and spiders both of which exist here in profusion and the occasional skink (a small native lizard about 10 - 15 cms long), cockroach (large flat ones live naturally in this area about 3cms across but as thin as sheet of Plasticard) and praying mantis one of which was photographed aboard a train on one occasion. None of those really do any harm but do need to be removed from the railway. Then there are the files and mosquitos for which Australia is renowned. Mostly out in spring and summer they can be a real nuisance to me but not to the railway itself. A squirt of fly-spray removes them for a few hours at a time and there are dead ones to clear off the track the next day.  One just one occasion a train has entered a tunnel, there has been a soft "thud" and the train has then emerged at the other end preceded by a rudely-awoken mouse!

All are a part of working in the great outdoors and I take everything in my stride despite the occasional frustrations as I chose to build out there in the first place.

[Sasquatch]

Great insight down there Rick, well worth the little frustrations I'd say! 

Pest control is an ongoing task. Our biggest challenge is our two border collie pups one of which runs off with any tool you put down!
We have two types of wasp here, paper and mud daubers the latter are a real nusance because they build mud nests inside electrical boxes
The deer are like giant rats and I won't mention the spiders.
I found bear scat up by the barn and the guy down the road reccons the people across the street have seen a couger several times. No wonder our 3 cats are too scared to go out.

Back in the UK you see a mouse and call in the local council to deal with it!

Edited September 21, 2013 by Sasquatch

[Gwiwer]

You should be able to click each still image and start a video of Westerns in action.  Assuming the clips work you would also be able to see that the Dapol Westerns will haul a decent load and will work happily in tandem with their class 22 stablemates.

Each of the four livery variants Kernow MRC has had commissioned is featured.  Blue full yellow end works a long train of 12 Mk2 coaches, "Chromatic" blue small yellow panel works Mk1 sleeping cars with "wakers" on the back, maroon full yellow end works the 45' vans and maroon small yellow panel works in tandem with a Kernow-commissioned green class 22 on the milk train as either super power or insurance depending on your point of view.

[Phil Bullock]

 Nice - Just need sound chips fitting!

 

Phil

[Gwiwer]

Ah yes - tell the neighbours that!  The line runs within 2 metres of their window though there's a six-foot high wooden fence in between!

[railroadbill]

Really good videos. Locos look the part.  Actually the sound of the wheels of blue/grey coach train going past sounded about right.

Also - liked the vegetation on the viaduct (going to do that) and the cct on the back of the milk train (now done that on mine).

 

Having seen the vids I'd like to take a stopping train to the station and go for a walk around the area.  Hopefully there's a tea shop with a view of the viaduct.....

[Ralph]

the new vids are super, love the Westerns, nice collection on a super layout.

[gazmanjack]

Ah yes - tell the neighbours that!  The line runs within 2 metres of their window though there's a six-foot high wooden fence in between!

 

Atleast you have given more than the standard 6 foot....

 

Cheers, Gary.

[Gwiwer]

The class 22 has to wait in the loop as a maroon Warship takes the road with an up van train



Then creeps out with the milks as soon as the road is clear and as a down passenger trains led by a Western runs past.



It "Reeks of Cornwall" - as someone once said of the layout ages ago.

[Gwiwer]

A second engine-house has arrived for the layout.  This one is to be used to represent a double ruin on the hillside at the top corner of the model.  

 

The building is cut through with a hacksaw.  I find this is a reliable way to cut resin but it helps to use WD40 as a lubricant to avoid chipping.

 

 

The stack has brick-print card fitted around the top rather than using the stone top of the supplied unit which has been cut off.  Steaming the card allowed it to be formed into the required tight cone shape and a single course of stone (again curved from printed card) has been glued around the join.  

 

 

The other piece was broken down further with the chips having potential as building rubble on the ground.

 

 

And loosely fitted to their intended spots.  The chimney and wall replace a small kit-built structure which has been there for years and is on good condition so will be reused elsewhere.  The three-sided ruin is perched on a steep hillside as many mines actually were.  Ground work and levelling of the structures remains to be done as also does improvement of the backscene around this corner.

 

 

Welcome to Wheal Julia - the latest addition to the Penhayle Bay landscape and named - with the blessing of the family - after a good friend from Hayle who passed away aged just 28 leaving a young son behind.

[Ralph]

like the 'new' ruin, looks even more like cornwall 

[brushman47544]

The Western videos page on smugmug is saying: gwiwer 'Page not found'. Have they stopped working?

[Gwiwer]

The Western videos page on smugmug is saying: gwiwer 'Page not found'. Have they stopped working?

 

Thanks for the alert Andrew.  I think it's a SmugMug issue as my account was very recently migrated from their old to new set-up.

 

I'll try re-linking below to see what happens.  If anyone else comes across a broken link please let me know the post number and (if it contains more than one image) which image or images is / are affected.  Thanks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[brushman47544]

Thanks Rick, they work now and those Westerns look superb, particularly the 52+22 lash up.

[Gwiwer]

Wheal Julia is installed.  Just have to tidy up the edges and levels on the sky behind but the lines can be electronically removed for photographic purposes to an extent.

The two pieces of engine house, minus the pieces clipped and chipped off with pliers to create a "ruined" ruin, have been fixed in position.  The ground has been made good and the vegetation slightly rearranged to suit the new scene.  The new section of sky panel, freshly painted with its scenic background as well, has been fitted across a fence post in the form of a slight curve; I can apply filler to the remaining sharp edges in due course though with this piece made of MDF and the adjacent panels in chipboard there may always be a difference in appearance.



 The ruins have weathering applied and vegetation growing in, around and up the walls.  No-one has ventured far into the lower house for some considerable time!



Close up of the upper house - of which only the stack and one wall remain - showing groundwork, the fact that since first shown a second course of stone banding has been added around the top of the stack and also showing the addition of Woodland Scenics "foliage" as climbing vegetation and Carrs light green and AIM dark rust weathering powders to represent mould and mineral leaching.  A blend of browns has also been brushed unevenly over the walls.



And of course it wouldn't look proper without a train going past!

[Ralph]

cracking engine house ruin, just like those near me, 

 

a suggestion for the backscene board to avoid joints, a sheet of hardboard bent to curve around might work. 

[Gwiwer]

Thanks Ralph.

 

The back scene insert behind the new mine is MDF steamed and curved as far as it would go.  I'm not sure hardboard (known as Masonite here) would do any better but thanks for the suggestion.  Before inserting the new piece this corner featured the intrusion of a substantial square fence post creating an area with three right angles in the sky!  

 

For so long as this was an incidental hillside that didn't matter a great deal but now that it forms part of a feature scene I have placed the curved panel in front of the post and fixed to the existing sky back scenes.  A little filler won't go amiss and I need to touch up the sky blue on both of the adjacent sides to match (so far as possible) the new panel.  I can also add some cloud as well at a later date.

[gazmanjack]

G'day Rick,

 

Now that engine house does look fantastic bedded into the hill side. More great modelling.      

 

Cheers, Gary.

[P.C.M]

Hi Rick,

That looks superb, it's like it's been there for years.

 

Cheers Peter.

[Ralph]

Thanks Ralph.

 

The back scene insert behind the new mine is MDF steamed and curved as far as it would go.  I'm not sure hardboard (known as Masonite here) would do any better but thanks for the suggestion.  Before inserting the new piece this corner featured the intrusion of a substantial square fence post creating an area with three right angles in the sky!  

 

For so long as this was an incidental hillside that didn't matter a great deal but now that it forms part of a feature scene I have placed the curved panel in front of the post and fixed to the existing sky back scenes.  A little filler won't go amiss and I need to touch up the sky blue on both of the adjacent sides to match (so far as possible) the new panel.  I can also add some cloud as well at a later date.

 

I wasn't sure if you had tried hardboard/masonite, but thought it was worth the suggestion, the hill now has a purpose on the layout, if you need any Cornish photo's for reference just shout.

[Gwiwer]

My weathering applied to Bachmann's 37207

 

 

Visitors at Wheal Garden

 

 

Mr. Cookworthy's Tractor passing below Wheal Julia on a freight.

 

[Gwiwer]

The fine qualities of the Dapol Westerns have shown up some track irregularities which can no longer be ignored - they have sometimes derailed at one spot which has now been dealt with.  This was complicated by the fact that the location is at a double-track junction on a gradient with a power feed.  The existing track has been retained but the power feed had to be cut and restored while sorting out the levels.  The "bump" has now gone, the gradient is a more even slope and into the bargain I've replaced some rail joiners and eased the entry curve to the fiddle yard.

 

Reballasted and with track weathering (though not all of the lineside vegetation) restored this is what it now looks like.

 

 

One of the Westerns in question runs down the hill.  The leading wheel sets would over-ride the rail head as the curve straightened and the gradient took effect.  They then derailed on the points.  But no longer.

 

 

While a classmate shows that there is still a slight "lip" at the spot the first tanker has reached - caused by this being the location of the diamond crossing - but that the train otherwise eases into the uphill run to the woods nicely.

 

[P.C.M]

Looking good Rick, did you replace the points and crossing or just the track either side?

 

Cheers Peter.

[Gwiwer]

Thanks Peter.

 

No track was replaced in the work.  The joiners were replaced but the track is all the original just lifted, de-ballasted, the underlay adjusted remove irregularities and the old rail was put back.