What you see is the dreaded zinc rot/zinc pest/zamac rot and there are other unprintable terms for it too!

I started dismantling the Lima Prairie tank that I talked about yesterday. It should have been a simple job to separate the chassis from the body. Just two screws and the two should part company.

Strangely enough the two would not part! I struggled for about 40 minutes before unscrewing the footplate to aid the release.

Once out I could see exactly why I was struggling on what should have been an easy, quick and simple job.

You may not notice it at first but have a look at the grey weight above the middle wheel.

That surface with the bulge is supposed to be flat and it is not!

In fact it is that bulged that it would not allow the chassis out from the body.

So how did they get the chassis into the body originally? Well at that time the surface was flat. What you see is the dreaded zinc rot/zinc pest/zamac rot and there are other unprintable terms for it too! I will let Google explain what this is: -

Diecast rot, also known as zinc pest or metal fatigue, is an irreversible, destructive corrosion process caused by impurities in zinc alloys used for casting. It causes models to swell, buckle, crack, and eventually crumble into pieces, often starting with paint bubbling. 

That all sounds fairly worrying and it can be and many expensive models in the past have been consigned to the bin because of this. But in this case I cannot see any such effect on the chassis at the moment so with the weight not being structural or in line of sight it can be dealt with relatively easily - famous last words!

Looking at the motor and its accumulated muck, that may not be an easy job to clean up!

Meanwhile, far from being cleaned, the Scammell tractor unit from the IBG kit is being made even more dirty with further weathering work.

I also glued in place the stowage cage on the chassis below the cab so that means there are just two door mirrors left to attach!

Ironic in that a UK Western loco ends up on a USA Mid-West layout!

The Pannier is now back together, which, as there are so few parts, didn't take too long. Some white grease on the bearings and some oil on the connector rods should ease the wear on the motor.

As the loco is not DCC it had to try its stuff out on my USA shunting layout - ironic in that a UK Western loco ends up on a USA Mid-West layout! Anyway, it runs and can run reasonably slowly although a crawl is beyond the 1970s motor. With the course wheel flanges it also struggles a bit going through points but other than that it is back to life and off life support! I did love the simplicity of the whole model, made to be played with, made to be easily maintained and made to be repairable! Just need to find some couplers!

The next loco on the bench from Mr. B is this Lima Prairie tank.

I'm on more familiar ground with this one being made by Lima and as it runs/stutters at least I know the motor works. I will start pulling this apart in the next few days.

In the meantime, back to the Scammell tractor unit which has had the start of some weathering on it commenced.

This will be a long process but it does make a big difference to the model.

Putting a 9v battery across the wheels indicated something might be alive mechanically but possibly on life support!

Mr. B, long suffering husband of loyal blog reader Mrs. B (who may not be such a loyal reader
after that) gave me a box with some locos in when we saw each other at the Rocks By Rail Museum. Could I have a look at them and give them a bit of a lubrication and by the way I don't think the Pannier runs. Now words like those last few are almost am irresistible challenge to me! So a few days later, rather then finish the IBG Scammell Tank Transporter kit, I fished the Pannier out of the box and had a look at it.

Putting a 9v battery across the wheels indicated something might be alive mechanically but possibly on life support!

With the loco upside down the most obvious thing is that the couplers are missing but that is something to look at later. What is evident is that the wheels and pickups could do with a clean.

I have never worked on a Graham Farish 00 gauge loco before but I was pleasantly surprised by the robust simplicity of it. No fiddly crosshead screws and circuit boards with masses of wire and components ready to snag on the fragile plastic underside! No, this was good old engineering!

Apart from the missing couplers, this is the loco in its component form. Not a lot but once put together it still is a wonderful looking loco.

Anyway. back to getting it to run and the good news is that with a 9v battery across the now separated motor, it spins like a dream! 

A dab of some oil on the bearings at each end of the motor housing applied with a cocktail stick should do some good for future running.

Knowing the motor runs fine means that there are issues in the electricity getting to the motor from the track but given the low number of components my original thoughts that the wheels and pickups could do with a clean was probably right. However, before doing that I did notice that the axles for the wheels don't have bearings, they just run in cut outs within the cast chassis block. I also noticed a few rough edges on those cut outs so they were filed smooth.

By this time, Mrs. Woody had some laundry for me to fold so getting the Pannier working again will be on hold but I am reminded about this that has appeared in the car park of a local village Co-Op store....

An outside laundry! Never thought that I would see such a thing but there it is and if you want to use it be ready with £11 for the wash and £5 for the dry! 

All the parts could be brought together and suddenly it all seems worthwhile!

There comes a point when suddenly everything seems to come together and this is the case with my current kit build - the IBG 1.72 scale Scammel Pioneer Tank Transporter and Crusader tank.

With the wheels attached to the tractor and trailer all the parts could be brought together and suddenly it all seems worthwhile - even all that etched brass!

There are a couple of etched brass door mirrors to add and a chassis mounted cargo cage and it all needs weathering fully but it is just about there!

And so it comes together!

It has been a long a slow slog building the IBG Scammel Pioneer Tank Transporter and Crusader tank kit but it is coming together now.

Having fitted the cab base to the chassis the steering column and steering wheel could be added in place.

With that done the roof sections could be added bringing a finished lok to the cab but also hiding all that cab interior! 

Just a couple of parts and the wheels to add and that will see the tractor ready to be weathered.

Surprisingly, to me, with careful cutting to the lines the windows do actually fit!

 Before moving on with the cab of the tractor unit of the IBG Scammel Pioneer Tank Transporter and Crusader tank kit I used the opportunity to fit the 'glass' parts, These are actually clear plastic and the windows themselves are conveniently marked out on the supplied sheet.

Surprisingly, to me, with careful cutting to the lines the windows do actually fit the recess in the plastic window surround.

I used some gloss varnish to secure the parts. 

Once dry, I can get on with assembling the cab parts along with the steering wheel and its column.

Welcome to the 2026 grass cutting season!

Lots of sunshine and warm temperatures encouraged outdoor activity at the Rocks By rail Museum today and with the first public event of the year just over two weeks away there are things outside that do need doing!

First off, despite all the work to install drainage and relay the track last year in the platform road the track does need some further jacking and packing to level it. This is not unexpected as it will settle with time and use - just far less then when what was under the ballast was wet clay! There are volunteers who are expert in such matters such as Richard and John so I left it to them!

David has also been doing further work on the weighbridge office which is really look the part now.

And the inside is also looking good with Weighbridge Bill at his desk...

Looking out on the track weighbridge simulated here with some steel chequer plate.

Pete and Pam have also been busy sprucing up the electrical switching building with a coat of paint. Just the surround to the roof to finish but already looking far better than before.

For me? Well I got the first of the advertising banners out on the main gate.....

...and did a whole host of  grass cutting! 

Welcome to the 2026 grass cutting season!

Wonderful Wordless Wednesday - Just playing trains!

Took the day off and just played trains - Wonderful Wordless Wednesday!

Mercedes Polar White. Well it is a Mercedes truck!

Finally! The weather was warm, the sky bright, no rain and I had the time! These factors coming together meant that I could continue with spraying the cab parts to the Italeri Mercedes-Benz Actros MP4 truck kit that went into hibernation for several weeks! Now this was not as simple as I had hoped as is always the case with what I am involved in! The original rattle cans were a shade of Nissan white that was for 1980s models. I think I inherited these from my Dad so they must be at least 10 years old if not more. The first can had exploded over me and the second can did much the same! Not to be put off I thought I would get a new can. Now that was not going to happen as the paint is for 1980s models and no longer stocked as a rattle can on the shelves of auto-factors. I could get a can mixed up at £25 to £30 but that would be insane1 So I bought a £4 can from the range of....

..Mercedes Polar White. Well it is a Mercedes truck!

With a fresh can of stable paint in my hands parts were repainted.

I still need to do the other side of the parts on the board on the left but most of it is done and awaiting drying and inspection. Hopefully that will show a good result!

Decal time!

It has reached the stage with the IBG Scammel Pioneer Tank Transporter and Crusader tank kit to add the decals. Not many but always wise to coat the areas where they are going with a coat of gloss varnish to minimise the chances of silvering which is where the carrier film takes on a matt whitish colour if applied to a matt surface.

Once applied a coat of decal Sol to soften them up and aid adhesion was added and then they have been left to dry. A coat of matt varnish will be applied and then the weathering can continue and final assembly can commence!