Painting it is going to take some planning!

It is one of those gratifying moments when things start to come together and in the case of the IBG  Scammel Pioneer Tank Transporter and Crusader tank kit the Scammel is finally beginning to look like the truck it is. 

The chassis is more or less complete with additional parts having been attached such as the fuel tank and trailer turntable. There are some mudguards to go over the front axle and several more cab parts. However, at this stage I need to think about how I am going to paint this. Build the entire truck and things like painting the interior become impossible so it will need to be done in stages which is something still in the planning stage in my mind! 

Well lets just say the thinking stage of the process is the most important!

At a very keen price I picked up this rather nice Bachmann On30 28 Ton Two-Truck Climax already weathered.

Just got to love the quirkiness of these narrow gauge locos!

Now how are my plans coming on for the layout for it to run on? Well lets just say the thinking stage of the process is the most important!

That little lot took some doing but there was more!

More etched brass parts with the IBG 1.72 Scammel Pioneer Tank Transporter kit, this time in the cab. It really tested my patience but I did learn more about the various controls inside that cab that the Airfix kit I built some years ago did not have included. It was a much easier build too!

This is just the start with the gear lever, gear selection gate, dashboard, cab front reinforcement panels and seat support frames! 

That little lot took some doing but there was more! Winch leavers and brake lever together with the more conventional plastic seat cushions! 

I think that is all the etched parts for the front part of the cab but I cannot bring myself to look forward in the instructions so I may be in for a surprise!

Did I have a body odour issue that no one told me about or was there something else going on?

Out on a bike ride today, between the rain downpours I was going down a country lane riding into the wind when I noticed a somewhat 'rural' smell.  Did I have a body odour issue that no one told me about or was there something else going on? Well the answer was just around the bend when I came across this tractor and slurry tanker discharging its contents over the hedge into the adjacent field!

I passed with some trepidation just in case the discharge pipe malfunctioned! However, all was well and back at WMD HQ, a bit more progress with the BG 1.72 Scammel Pioneer Tank Transporter kit which now has its front and rear axles fitted.

I stood the axles on some needle files so that the axles were all level as the glue dried.

And just to make sure all was level I added a bottle of glue as a weight! Just ned to let that set now!

In real life these parts look a lot neater than in the photos!

Some more progress with the IBG 1.72 Scammel Pioneer Tank Transporter kit with relative success with etched brass parts. Both ends of the chassis required further Swear Jar inducing battles with small etched brass parts but this time things went reasonably well. I must be getting my eye in with these tiny parts. Most of the construction related to the winching mechanism with various pullies and rollers.

The only issue I have with the above photos are that digital photography is cruel in its sharp detail and with a camera phone the focus is not always that good in close up shots! In real life these parts look a lot neater than in the photos! Given some cleaning and a coat of paint, all should look good!

Things have, for one of my projects, unexpectedly moved along a lot!

There is usually something going on at the Rocks By rail Museum when I visit. Sometimes it is expected things but occasionally there are the unexpected things happening which was the case on my latest visit to continue my work clearing the Bone Yard or operation Treasure Junk Hunt as it has become known!

First unexpected thing to catch my eye was this addition to the side of the Exhibition Centre...

Now, whilst it may look as though this should be like a porch to the entry door but built in the wrong place it actually is built in the right place to serve a completely different purpose!

It is actually a shelter for the Crossing Keeper on days where the Museum runs trains. In the past if it was raining the Crossing keeper got wet and on occasions very wet! However, as Andy demonstrates, the cavernous nature of the structure should assist in keeping future Crossing Keepers somewhat drier during inclement weather! By the way, much of that wood is what came out of the old WMD kitchen that was updated about 18 months ago. That wood is seeing some good use with the floor of loco Mr. D being made out of other parts as outlined in this post. Good to see it all have a second life!

Talking about inclement weather drew me to the second unexpected thing which was this work at the back of the Exhibition Centre.

The blue arrow is a newly lad drainage pipe that goes into the buildings main drainage system. Why has this been laid? Well where the red arrow is pointing locates what was found a few days ago.

That large pipe was unknown about before a few days ago when the area around it suddenly started gushing water. If left unchecked there was a real possibility of the foundations towards the rear of the Exhibition Centre being undermined hence the new pipe was laid to deal with the issue.

Not unexpected, was the fact that the Bone Yard project had not progressed any further since my last visit so I was back to the Junk Hunt! 

This time I went fully armed with both Sammy Strimmer and Bobby Brush Cutter! A bit more done with more chopping back of the large saplings at the rear of the Bone Yard.

Which means the back of the cafe is becoming more visible.

Whilst it may not seem like much progress when compared to what it was like back at the beginning of November.....

...things have, for one of my projects, unexpectedly moved along a lot!

Etched brass parts! My nemesis! Part 2!

Now I am really into dealing with ridiculously small parts some of which are etched brass too!

Take a look above and that large red arrow is pointing to two model jacks. Only under magnification can you see what they are though.

And then there is the engine fan belt, pullies and fan blade....

Having gone through those parts it was almost a pleasure to put together the 14 or so parts that go to make an overly complicated chassis build!

I just need to clean up the sprue mounting points which with these small parts is often easier to do once they are securely glued in place. In the meantime I am off to rest my eyes!

Etched brass parts! My nemesis! However, I have started so I will continue!

So I thought that this would be a nice easy build? I really should have looked in the box of the IBG Scammell Tank Transporter 1.76 scale kit a bit better and I would have seen these!

Etched brass parts! My nemesis! However, I have started so I will continue!

The thing about moving between scales is that you have to readjust yourself to a complete change in the parts you are dealing with. Moving from a 1/24th scale kit to one in 1/76 means you are dealing with parts that are two thirds the size for relative  components.

The sprue above is only about 6 inches square but has over 30 components. Just cutting them off the sprue without damage is a challenge let alone cleaning them up afterwards. 

However the detail is brilliant as you can see from theses parts where the individual teeth of the cog wheel are all moulded. You can only really see them under magnification though!#

Anyway, after a few hours I got this far with the it which is not very far but I have to get used to dealing with small parts again!

Still waiting for that warm and dry day!

Still waiting for a warmish and dryish day to coincide with when I am able to get on with painting the Italeri Merecedes MP4 truck cab. As I am using a rattle can to do the painting it is something that needs to be done outside. Doing it inside coats everything in a dust the colour of the paint and really is not good for long term or even short term health!

So I am still looking for something else to build in the meantime whilst I await the coincidence of a good day and my availability when I am not doing jobs on Mrs. Woody's list of tasks for me! I did post the other day about the Gecko Models tank kit which just did not appeal to me to build at the moment. Another kit under that in the WMD Store is this IBG kit in 1/76 scale of a Scamell tank transporter and tank. 

I have never built an IBG kit before but opening the box revealed some nicely bagged up parts which looked interesting.

The instructions come in the form of a booklet which looks to be a quality document.

Certainly upon opening the instructions look very well illustrated.

I was persuaded that I will enjoy building this and as a small kit what can go wrong?

Things don't need to be old to be historic!

I took Mrs. Woody out on a trip to Uppingham in Rutland for no reason other than we had never been! It is Rutland's second largest town and as a market town there is a lot of history and old buildings. The market square has this in the middle...

...whilst a road off the square has these old buldings.

Very old and historic but things don't need to be old to be part of history. 

Only six years old but with a very significant history behind it I found this still on a pavement!

Now that is a bit of modern history.  Hard to believe the World was dealing with the start of Covid just six years ago! We tend to forget about it! I just wonder how long this sign and the significance of it will last?

On a totally unrelated matter, it was a wet day at Uppingham. In fact it has been a wet day in the UK for much of 2026 and this photo sums up how wet!

Where those lakes are should be green meadows! That's historic wet!