It did look like something from the 1930s Texas Dust Bowl.

Out cycling I stopped off at the canal to see the latest state of the water level.

Despite the level being to a depth of inches rather than feet the water has proved to be an oasis for vegetation making this look a green paradise against the brown surroundings.

Setting off again I found that the cleat on my right cycling shoe would not engage and clip into the pedal with the pedal which means the shoe is just resting on the pedal rather than being secured. Now theses cleats are about 18 months old and I don't walk on them so I wondered what was wrong until I got home and looked at the underside of the shoe and all became clear!

A new cleat shows just how worn the old one was. No wonder it did not engage in the pedal!

I looked at the other one too and that was nearly as worn. I replaced both as the WMD Stores had spares in stock!

Whilst I was out I did notice something unusual for July - fields being ploughed!

It did look like something from the 1930s Texas Dust Bowl. 

However, there were areas where the dust had settled and the ploughed field was visible and for July that is an odd site although one that may become more common in future years..

In this heat it will be dry within 24 hours which gives me time to cool off with a diluted cool drink!

There are always advantages and disadvantages with the hot weather depending on what you are doing. One of the disadvantages for me of the heat is that the Man Cave is more like a sauna on steroids! One of the advantages though is that the heat does assist greatly with the drying process of glues such as PVA. Using this to my advantage whilst excepting the sauna effects of the Man Cave I have been doing some ballasting on My Last Great Project layout. About two thirds of the layout is done but there is still much of the station board to do so I have been getting on with it!

Given the heat I have only been doing a short length at a time but after an hour of brushing ballast into place that is enough!

The goods yard has mostly already been ballasted with a 'dirty' ballast  but the main lines are a cleaner ballast but there was a need to graduate between the two where they met. As usual it was soaked with a diluted PVA and in this heat it will be dry within 24 hours which gives me time to cool off with a diluted cool drink!

Meanwhile, across the tracks, the Rocks By Rail Debating Team were also sitting down on the job!

 Heading into the Rocks By rail Museum I actually spotted Rob continuing work on the Euclid dump truck.

This is actually the first time I have seen the doors open and seen clearly into the cab!

Not the most inviting place even when the rubbish has been cleared out!

That is a big steering wheel and there is no power steering on this monster of a machine!

Still Rob is looking happy at the prospect of getting it smartened up and driving about again!

Good job that Rob has a van full of tools, welding bits and enough PPE for the Museum on an event day!

Talking of tools...

...this enviable set of Milwaukee tools belongs to Thomas or as he wlil become known as - The Milwaukee Kid!...

..who looks like he is auditioning for a part in some medieval film about the knights of old!

However, he does say it is to keep him relatively dust and paint free although along with Alex I did find the pair sitting down on the job!

However, they must have done some works as steam loco Uppingham is becoming a bit more colourful.

Meanwhile, across the tracks, the Rocks By Rail Debating Team were also sitting down on the job getting some practice in for the next debate no doubt!

Apparently todays debate was over the intricoes of the lubrication system of steam loco 1931! Fascinating!

Turning towards the Restoration Shed there is no end of things that need more debating like the cab of Uppingham!

In the shed itself, John assisted by Pam and Pete was getting to grips with sorting more wood issues out on the Southern brake van.

And for me? Well I didn't sit down on the job but I did get the glamorous task, along with Morris Mower and Sammy Strimmer, of clearing the area behind the toilets were the septic tank is so that the septic tank pump can be serviced!

 I think that has been vegetationally butchered to perfection!

Make Believe Becomes Believable! The movie!

My chaotic antics with the five Hornby R131 wagons has been recorded by the WMD Film Crew and issued to the World on YouTube! Here it is!

I'm chuffed with how they have turned out!

I started with five of theses a few days ago...

...and with some repairs, upgrades , painting and weathering I ended up with five of these...

...and here are all five on the layout!

I'm chuffed with how they have turned out! I have managed to turn what was a 'make believe' wagon made by Hornby, basically as a toy, into something that actually looks believable and at a total cost including the purchase price of the wagons, of just over £40 which means each wagon cost just over £8. At todays prices you can easily pay over £40 just for one wagon so a bit of a bargain as well especially as it kept me entertained and out of Mrs. Woody's way for a few hours!

It makes things that dull that even cosmic black holes shine compared to it!

More of the repetition as the five sets of parts for the Hornby Flat wagon are sealed with an airbrushed coat of matt varnish. 

I used my favourite brand of varnish - Lucky matt Varnish. It makes things that dull that even cosmic black holes shine compared to it!

With this all done and after it dries I can get onto the final stage of this project - putting things back together! Now that will be one repetitive task I won't mind!

It is more efficient dealing with several of the same but it does also get very repetitive!

The thing about modifying a number of the same model at the same time is that there are savings in time to be made as it is more efficient dealing with several of the same but it does also get very repetitive! Weathering all the parts to the five Hornby flat wagons is a case in point especially as there are twenty pairs of wheels! Enough to drive you round the bend!

However, that works has now been completed!

I just need to coat all those parts with some matt varnish to seal in the weathering. That will be another repetitive job!

Wood would soon get dirty and worn!

The floors of the Hornby wagons look as though they are supposed to represent wood. 

That wood would soon get dirty and worn so my initial coating of a light brown paint needed further work doing to it. Using a mixture of paints of suitable wood like colours, I picked out individual planks creating a more natural look than just one shade of brown. It will also get some weathering to tone it down and bring the colours together but in the meantime I will get on with the other 4 wagon floors that need doing!

There is no exact science to it just as nature has no exact science as to how dirty it can make an object over time!

Just like nature makes things dirty I can do the same with models using what I tern as 'dirty water'!

That dirty water is just brown paint diluted with water to somewhere 1 in 5 to 1 in 10 and a few drops of IPA AKA rubbing alcohol added to break down the surface tension of the water.. There is no exact science to it just as nature has no exact science as to how dirty it can make an object over time but by brushing a coat or two of the dirty water on a model and allowing gravity to work you can replicate nature. Just got the five chassis to do and the five superstructures! 

Almost like an episode of Train Truckers but with no film crew!

Now here is something that you don't see everyday but it was what I sighted as I came into the Rocks By Rail Museum. 

Always worth investigating what is going on I chatted to the driver who had arrived to pick up steam loco Rhos that is going to the Foxfield Railway where its new owner plans to restore it. Almost like an episode of Train Truckers but with no film crew!

Down the line John had Mr. D at the back of Rhos ready to propel it up the slope to the awaiting truck and trailer. That was my que to join him and Pam on the footplate for the ride up the line.

Taking it slowly up the line we were soon in sight of the truck.

Once at the truck a winch rope from the trailer was attached to Rhos and it was hauled onto the trailer which has rails fastened to it.

Once Rhos was on and safely chained down along with a number of other parts the tractor unit came down to back onto the gooseneck of the trailer. Hydraulics made short work of lifting the reattached trailer clear of the tracks so that the load could go on its way and with that it was back to doing normal things at the Museum...

 ...like the continued painting of Uppingham...

...more repairs to the Southern brakevan that now has some new timber in its sides....

...and the Euclid is slowly coming together!

For me, it was back to the wheelbarrow, brush and shovel as I continue to clean up the storage area.

There is a lot more to do but at least with six barrow loads of weeds and dust out of the way the concrete looks more like...well concrete!