Am I a Gongoozler or a Lock Anorak? Or. Everyday is a school day 2!

For those interested in canal matters will know I have posted variously over the years about the varying fortunes of the local canal that sometimes gets visited by me whilst on a bike ride. My most recent visit shows that the canal is back to healthy levels and indeed looks very canal like again.

Having a couple of spare minutes, not something that I admit to Mrs. Woody, I casually typed into Google (other search engines are available, etc) 'Is there a name for having an interest in canals?' and this is what it came up with!

Yes, there is a specific, widely recognized term for having a keen interest in canals and, in particular, watching canal boats and locks in action: Gongoozler. 

Here are the details regarding this and related terms:

• Gongoozler: A person who enjoys watching activities on the canals (especially at locks) but does not actively participate in boat navigation. The term is often used affectionately by the canal community to describe canal-side spectators.
• Gongoozling: The act or hobby of spending time watching boats, locks, and general canal life.
• Origin: The term originated in the late 19th or early 20th century, likely from the Lincolnshire dialect words gawn and gooze, both meaning to stare or gape.
• Other Related Terms:
  • Canal enthusiast/fan: Used for someone with a general interest in canal history, engineering, or photography.
  • Lock Anorak: An informal term for a canal enthusiast who is deeply interested in the specifics of canal locks, a "geek" for canal infrastructure.
  • The Cut: Used in British canal slang to refer to the canal itself (originating from when canals were "cut" out of the landscape). 

Gongoozlers often collect or create canal-related art, take photographs, or simply enjoy the tranquillity and activity of "the cut". 

Well I never knew that so everyday is a school day but it leaves the question as to if I am a Gongoozler or a Lock Anorak? I don't think I will seek Mrs. Woody's opinion on that! 

They looked like they were still in their PJs!

I could not help but smile and take a photo as I parked my bike up at a village store whilst out on a cycle ride this morning and these two poked their heads around the corner. They looked like they were still in their PJs! 

Back at WMD HQ and in the Man Cave, the Italeri Mercedes-Benz Actros MP4, kit comes with a veritable array of decals and this is just one of the two sheets! There are enough number plates to decal up a fleet of trucks!

Now I am not at the stage of being able to use them until the cab is assembled and painted but there were five decals that I did need for the interior - numbers 1 to 5 logically enough! Small they are but they will make a difference.

Close up digital photography is very unforgiving as this shot illustrates but you can see the detail of the decals.

 From normal viewing distance the whole cab area looks a lot better and it certainly looks a lot more comfortable with th seats installed..

It still looks grey but just a bit less!

Moving onto the interior of the Italeri Mercedes-Benz Actros MP4, it all looks a bit grey at the moment so to add some variety, I cannot say brightness, I have added some black panels to the seats. Looking at online images of the real truck, there appear to be as many differences in colour schemes as there are locks on Mrs. Woody's purse! So I have taken the easiest route gone with my take on what is suitable for the interior and given up trying to get into Mrs. W's purse!

The dashboard is also getting some detail with the air vents painted black and the screen painted a translucent black.

It still looks grey but just a bit less!

Well, everyday is a school day!

A dry day meant it was back to Treasure Hunt Junk at the Bone Yard at the Rocks By Rail Museum! At the moment Sammy Strimmer has been left in the cosiness of his shed as I have been dealing with the various saplings that have grown over the years. I am not sure of what sort of saplings they are but they have sharp spikes to them which seem to be able to penetrate any protective wear! 

Any way the day started with this mess...

...and ended with this lesser mess!

The back of the cafe is now much more visible and hopefully opening up the area behind it will help maintain the building by getting some sunlight and air around the back of it. You can also get views like this which has not been seen for years!

I had some very welcomed assistance with Alex, Gary, Martyn, Richard and Steve doing the burning. I think they were quite keen on this as it was a cold day and the fire offered some warmth!

That large heap was continually topped up over the day but eventually it had all burned down.

Was there any junk? Well I did uncover this rather strange looking thing.

I am informed that it is a Casting Table. It would have been used when casts for objects were being made before molten metal was poured into the cast. Well, everyday is a school day!

I also discovered that there was another set of tracks behind the first set I found a few weeks ago!

Not sure if they will ever be used again but at least we have a pair!

Not sure what I will discover next time I am clearing the Bone Yard but it is always a surprise!

Well that looks a lot better!

Well that looks a lot better! The chassis is almost complete with all the main components now fitted. There is a wheel chock and a pipe still to do and the side skirts that are part of the body kit to the truck will need to be painted in body colour which I will do when I assemble and paint the cab.

Looking at the pictures I notice I still need to add the rocker cover to the engine as well. That large black ait intake pipe and its supporting structure was not the easiest to fit but other than that the other parts fitted well with some slight fettling.

I can now move onto the cab interior which hopefully will be a bit quicker to complete!

The chassis fit up starts on the Italeri Mercedes-Benz Actros MP4.

 Following the WMD film crew's YouTube production these are the rear light units of the Italeri Mercedes-Benz Actros MP4. Initially, the backing to the light lenses was painted silver to give a 'backing' to the translucent lenses. 

The lenses themselves were treated to Tamiya clear red and orange to depict the rear lights and indicators.

Once fitted using varnish as shown in the YouTube video they looked just the part.

With the mudguards done it was time to start fitting all those parts that I have prepared over the last few days. So on went the mudguards, the left hand fuel tank, the ad blue tank and front mudguard. In addition the front and rear hub covers have been fitted to the wheels. Hopefully tomorrow will see some more progress but it is certainly looking very truck chassis like"

All small jobs but they do take time!

There are so many small jobs to do on the Italeri Mercedes-Benz Actros MP4 which take time to do but are important to achieving a realistic model. The fuel tanks are an example. The tanks themselves are aluminium and are painted as such. They are however attached to the chassis with steel straps which are moulded as part of the overall tank. These need to be painted in the chassis colour of Gunmetal Grey. Not the easiest to paint so out came the masking tape.

Now this is a risky thing to do as the aluminium paint can peel off with the masking tape when pulled off. I found that out several times in the past! I had already coated the tanks in semi gloss varnish so that would help prevent this possibility - hopefully! Masking tape was applied leaving the straps ready for paint. I brushed painted them rather then using the airbrush. After a couple of coats of paint it was time to see if I would be making a swear jar contribution as I removed the masking tape!

Fortune was with me and the aluminium paint remained in place and the straps looked good! Just need to add the filler caps, paint the feed pipes and then apply some more varnish! All small jobs but they do take time!

 The WMD film crew have been busy with another epic production! 

How do you attach transparent kit parts without glue marks is the subject of this video!

Slow work but nice to see something emerge from a pile of plastic parts!

Time to actually get the wheels permanently attached to the chassis. Italeri, do mould the parts such that the wheels rotate. Now much as I could just glue them solid and make life easier for myself, I like the challenge of keeping the wheels rotational! The secret is careful application of the glue to the plastic ring that fits on the end of the axels. However, not being careful but being a bodger, I do make life a bit easier by applying some petroleum jelly to the parts that I don't want the glue to adhere to!

With the front wheels in place, the rears were next to deal with. As the wheels are twins on either side two need gluing together. This new moulding by Italeri of their wheels makes life easier but care is still needed. I had to clean the paint off from the backs of the pairs of wheels so the glue could actually work. Gluing paint is never going to make a strong joint!#

I need to let them set now before adding the retaining ring to the axel but I did place them back on the chassis so that they were straight as the glue dried..

Slow work but nice to see something emerge from a pile of plastic parts!

Looking more like a truck chassis!

I have got to the stage with the Italeri Mercedes-Benz Actros MP4 kit where I can temporarily put the wheels on and see if I have built the chassis straight and flat - i.e. all the wheels sit on the ground.

The good thing is that they do which is a relief!

All in all the chassis begins to look like a truck!

Next up is permanently attaching the wheels so that they still rotate as well as stay on the axels!