At least it is a bit more colourful just like my language was when it hailed!

I'm not talking about building control panels today as to be blunt nothing further got built! However, that does not mean I was not busy as I did a few Mrs. Woody chores that are on her list for me. Despite the weather forecast I got the grass cut in the garden and I started clearing a large flower bed ready to plant out. Now, it is mid June which should mean hot and dry weather. However, that is not the message that the weather appears to have as this happened.

It looks more like mid January than June! It was certainly one large  and noisy thunderstorm with a lot of hail. Luckily I was able to step inside and observe. After about half an hour it all passed over and the sun came out which was a suitable signal to Mrs. W to get me back out to do some planting!

There is a lot more to plant but at least it is a bit more colourful just like my language was when it hailed!

The end is looming!

Well, the end is looming on work with the control panel to My Last Great Project layout! Just 5 wires to finish the last of the seven wiring looms and six switches to fit so a day or so may see that done or in Woody time it might be finished this coming weekend!

The whole project is certainly a complex one and I will be glad when it is finished and working! My previously reasonably clean and tidy work bench has become a somewhat unorganised mess in true Woody style!

I see a need to tidy it looming up once the control panel is finished!

Spot the difference!

It is a bit of a case of spot the difference with todays picture of the control panel compared to yesterday. However, observant viewers may note that three more switches have appeared up top and the complexity of wiring underneath has increased compared to a few days ago!

This is probably one of the most tedious projects that I have undertaken but the end results will or should be worth it if it all works!

I could say that nothing has gone wrong but this is WMD where I tell it like it is warts and all!

Ploughing along with the control panel to my Last Great Project layout and this is the fourth wiring loom of the seven I need to make to be completed.

As each one gets finished a few more point operating switches appear on the panel.

As they do appear they are also tested. Now I could say that nothing has gone wrong but this is WMD where I tell it like it is warts and all! So, there have been two switches that went into the wrong holes but that was fairly easily rectified. Apart from that, the rest of the creation of this panel has been uneventful but slow! Lets hope that continues although a bit more speed would be useful!

Silent Saturady!

Well, silent as far as model making goes although there has been horticultural activity including potting up these Marigolds. They may be late in the growing season but I am catching up!

Of course you cannot have a silent Woody for long!

I just keep in my mind that I am dealing with one wire at a time!

The control panel slowly fills up with wires! It may look complex now but by the end it will look even more complex! I just keep in my mind that I am dealing with one wire at a time! 

I am also trying to keep things looking as though they are organised and tidy unlike my mind where the plan for all of this exists! 

At the present rate of progress I think another two weeks will see it finished and hopefully wotking and working as I envisaged! 

Sammy Strimmer back from the Strimmer Hospital!

On my way to the Rocks By rail Museum today I got a phone call from the Strimmer Hospital to inform me that Sammy Strimmer was now fully recovered and ready to be picked up and so I diverted my journey to do just that.

Back at the Museum, Sammy was pleased to be reunited with his chum Morris Mower and both were soon put to good use! I ventured into the Boneyard where days upon days over the Winter had been spent clearing the vegetation. Unfortunately much has grown back!

However, it is young growth and what took me about four days to clear was cleared with Sammy in about forty minutes!

There is still a lot more to do but with a good head of steam a couple of hours later this month should see what I cleared over the Winter cleared again.

I did note that Sue has emptied the clam buckets of the rather uninspiring vegetation that grew in them and is no doubt on the way to creating something more inspiring.

Did I mention steam? Well, steam loco Uppingham was hauled out of the Exhibition Centre looking somewhat bare as the cab has been removed and now sits at the back of the Restoration shed.

This gives easier access to the firebox and for work on the saddle tank, 

And so David, Alex and Thomas moved in with grinders and wire brushes to remove rust and debris.

Back in the Restoration Shed John is continuing work on the Southern brake van aided by Dave. 

The metal floor is close to being ready to plank in wood and just needs painting.

Further up the Restoration Shed, steam loco Barrington is slowly coming together with pipework and sandboxes receiving a black top coat of paint.

So, another good day at the Museum and one where I go home with a sense of satisfaction!

It will be magical!

 Work continues on the control panel with the jig saw of wiring growing but not to the extent of needing a picture to illustrate - yet! Hopefully as the wires are connected and soldered something magical will appear! Not sure what it will be but I am sure it will be magical!

In the meantime, back in mid May in a post (click here) I noted that on a bike ride I saw the local canal at a much lower water level than normal and commented that I would keep an eye on it. Well, two weeks on and 250 more miles on the bike since then this is what the canal looks like.

Magically the water has again disappeared! There is certainly now more mud than water!

Even this duck looks to be concerned about the lack of water! I will endeavour to keep  a continued eye on the situation and hopefully get some more cycling miles under my legs! That would be magic!

Well at least I have an excuse not to cut the hedge which is on Mrs. Woody's list of jobs for me!

Work on the control panel continues. Having got the main track power feeds wired in and proven to work the next stage is to get the four sectionalised hidden loops wired in. I could just have powered the loops conventionally but being hidden from my view and with DCC locos having an element of inertia which means even when you turn the throttle off they will still coast for a distance just like the real trains do, being able to turn the power off to the track is useful. First thing to do was add to the already existing looms of wiring.

The yellow wire denotes a feed to a sectionalised section of track. 

Within the control panel the wiring for the sectionalised track is added to the main track power feed and then to the central pin on the switch. The other pin will be wired to the relevant output.

Here are the four section switches from up top!

I had to put the control panel in place to test the track power feeds which gave me a first look at how it looks with the track diagram attached and it looks good to me anyway!

Whilst my work so far may look like a birds nest of wires, I have witnessed the pigeons that I blogged about earlier being busy in the hedge that runs behind the Man Cave. Having a bit of a nosey I was taken aback to see a proper nest with nesting pigeon!

Well at least I have an excuse not to cut the hedge which is on Mrs. Woody's list of jobs for me!

And so the jigsaw starts!

I have made many a jigsaw over the years and usually enjoyed them. However, the current jigsaw is not quite as enjoyable as it is the control panel to My Last Great Project 00 gauge layout.

Like a jigsaw it is a case of getting the right part or in this case wire, to the fit the right place. With most jigsaws you get a picture to work to but in this case the picture is in my head which probably is not the best of places for it to be! However, I have wired up the main track power feeds and tested them and amazingly it all works first time! I hope that is a good omen for the rest of the wiring!