You can understand why Mrs. Woody has relocated my model making activities to my Man Cave!

Following a couple of days for the glue to dry with several bricks added to keep everything flat, 

...the diorama base for the Panzer Ferry kits was subjected to a bit more shaping. Nothing subtle was used! Just a large saw that made short work of bringing the foam to its required shape.

You can understand why Mrs. Woody has relocated my model making activities to my Man Cave where I can contendingly wallow in mess without upsetting her or messing up WMD HQ too much!

Whilst in Home bargains the other day I saw these tubs of ready mixed filler for a mere £1.29. At that price I thought that it might be useful for the diorama. So in amongst the carious Mrs. W essential items that were too good a bargain not to buy at that price that kept appearing in the trolley, two tubs of filler joined them.

The filler lived up to hopes and spread nicely from the tub.#

Once spread, a wet paintbrush was used to provide a 'rough' smoothness to the surface of the filler. It just now needs a day or two to dry,

It starts to come together!

It starts to come together, which are my famous words where I think things are going well before some calamity strikes! However, no calamity so far, just progress with the Panzer Ferry where the stanchions are now in place along with ropes. I left the majority of the stanchions in the down position flat against the deck as the final diorama setting will be for the vehicles to be on land.

The light lenses have also been fitted.

The ropes which go between the stanchions have been treated to a  coat of varnish to stiffen them up so they can be coiled to be stored on the deck.

Hopefully, it will really start to come together once the diorama base is completed!

Recipe for a diorama.

 Recipe for a diorama. Take lots of bits of foam that you would normally throw out...

...select suitable pieces and place on a  board...

...cut to rough shape and glue to board leaving it to dry for a day or two!

Once the glue is dry it can be carved to shape then covered in filler before being landscaped! Sounds simple saying it but not so simple to do!

Mrs. Woody's coffee cup came in very useful - just hope she doesn't read this!

There are three components to the Panzer Ferry. The actual barge and the two tracked boats that powered it across water. The barge was joined to the tracked boats by means of chains. One at each end of the boat and these were then attached to the arms that protruded from the side of the barge.

The problem with the kit parts is that they ate neither shaped to attach to the barge and their length is too much!

I had to shorten them - luckily I had not glued all the sections together - and then dip them in boiling water to soften the plastic so I could bend it. Mrs. Woody's coffee cup came in very useful - just hope she doesn't read this!

After some time this is what I was left with! I really need to get that base started now.

At least the diesel engines won't need to hoot - the owls will do it for them!

As I predicted in my last post about the Rocks by Rail Museum and one of our late members, there are still owls all over the place!

At least the diesel engines won't need to hoot - the owls will do it for them! In time they will all find good homes1

Meanwhile work continues on the cosmetic restoration of steam loco Barrington with Alex painting one of the cylinder covers.

Looking good and that is just the undercoat.

Meanwhile David has been de-rusting the cab to steam loco Uppingham.

John and Dave have been getting on with the new wooden floor to the Southern brake van.

Andy and Martyn have been replacing the mesh on the oversized washing machine ready for another session of ballast washing!

And dealing with plant, Rob has been busy wire brushing, welding and painting the Euclid dump truck.

In the cafe Barbara had set out the autobiography book tanle in an effort to sell these on and she did manage to sell six of them!

I did find a rarity in a pile of other books.

It may just look like another book on the Flying Scotsman but inside....

...a 45 rpm record of the sounds of Scotsman in motion! I was able to place that quickly with an enthusiastic Scotsman fan who also is part of its support team.

I was busy as usual with grass butchery including the surprising growth inside the various cones around the quarry area.

They act as a sort of greenhouse!

I was also joined by my friendly Robin who was obviously looking out for feeding opportunities!

One thing is for certain, the Robin doesn't give a hoot about me!

As the supermarket advert says - every little helps!

Not exactly a lot to blog about as it has been a day of gardening! But, I did manage to paint the stanchions of the Panzer Ferry!

As the supermarket advert says - every little helps! I just could do with a lot more help!

An example of how model railways and football can be in harmony!

 In view of England's World Cup match tonight we have here an example of how model railways and football can be in harmony!

This is the 2026 Marklin 44460 TIP-KICK SOCCER / FOOTBALL CAR 2004! I had never heard of Tip Kick but it appears to be popular and you are supposed to be able to kick the ball using the player into the wagon through one of the cut-outs in the side!

Well. this is one item of rollingstock that I wont be getting but I am sure it has its collectors around the World!

Not a lot I can say other than I pleased that is done!

Not a lot I can say other than I pleased that is done!

All the ropes, stanchions and chains are made! They need painting and mounting and I need to give some thought to a base for the models!

Strangely enough, as I write this I am listening to The Chain by Fleetwood Mac!

Dealing with these small parts on the Panzer Ferry kits seems to be taking as much time as building the main kit did!

At the moment it is the construction of the chains which attach the ferry barge itself to the two tracked boats. It may look simple but there are small parts and they are a real pain to clean up and actually assemble! Strangely enough, as I write this I am listening to The Chain by Fleetwood Mac! How bizarre!

Note to myself - don't mess with Dave!

Note to myself - don't mess with Dave!

Nobody at the Museum has ever seen a shunters pole snapped! However, Dave or should we call him Dangerous Dave, did just that!

Why was I at the Museum on a Sunday? Well it was a full on brake van rides and quarry day event and despite the heat which was lower than it had been we had a good flow of guests through the site.

We also had a ceremony for a founding member, Jacky Garlic who along with her husband Jeff where key figures in the establishment and growth of the Museum. In my last post on the Museum I showed the fence panels that the two had in their garden being refurbished ready for mounting outside opposite the platform and they are now in place.

Jacky was also an avid collector of owl figurines so the family created a unique way to pass these on.

I no doubt will come across more as I cut the grass but they are literally everywhere!

A bit of a shock to me was Andy the General Manager was acting as guard on the freight train which meant we had to be on best behaviour! Maybe anyway!

Whilst shunting can be busy especially when doing a change over of wagons between two locos....

...once you wave goodbye to the outgoing train you do get a moment to rest as Martyn, John, Dave and myself did!

Always a good day at the Museum!