Work continues on the base for the Panzer Ferry with the base receiving some profiles to the sides. made from mounting card I sprayed the inside surface with acrylic primer to seal it as there would be some more filler added to bring the base and profiles together.
Once those were stuck in place the gaps were filled with more filler.
I will need to let that dry and then paint the surface which is a job for tomorrow as the Man Cave has reached temperatures even saunas have trouble getting too!
Cool cat! Cool car! Riding a bike brings you into contact with all sorts of things you might never normally see. Take my recent ride on a hot July day.
First off, I saw in the distance something that I didn't think looked right! Maybe it was a mirage given the desert like heat!
However getting close it was a Canadian Sphynx a hairless breed of cat.
Cool looking cat and in the heat of the day it must have been cool with no fur!
A bit further on this rather cool car was in a car park.
It is a Kei Car from Japan. This is the smallest car that can legally use the motorways of Japan and is designed to a maximum size allowed in many Japanese cities where road space is minimal. Talking to the owner who loves it, it has 4 wheel drive and air con with a maximum sped of 60mph so it does about 60 miles to the gallon. A grey import from Japan it is in superb rust free condition for a 10 year old vehicle. A cool car and a cool Kei! Just wish I had that air con as I cycled home!
It may refer to the gradient of the line but to me this sign probably indicated that I was on a hot and sweaty trip up the line with Morris Mower and more on that later!
You may recall from last weeks post regarding the Rocks By Rail Museum that Alex had started painting a cylinder cover from steam loco Barrington and this week that is now in place and very smart it looks.
However, even more painting has been going on and this loco is really coming together.
Black and yellow stripes at the front...
...and at the rear green and yellow! Now3 there have been questions raised regarding the green stripes but research does show that this was the colour used.
Elsewhere, more painting was going on with Uppingham get its wheels undercoated.
You would think that once something is painted that is it. Unfortunately paint does deteriorate with time and Graham the Sentinel is showing signs that its approximately ten year old paint has reached its end!
Despite the coolness of the Exhibition Centre on one of the hottest UK days in July, I did eventually venture out with the mower to cut the things that were still growing!
Despite the near sauna conditions in the Man Cave, the WMD Film Crew (me) bravely worked through the heat to create another epic, well sort of, video about the control panel for my 00 gauge Last Great Project Layout now also known as Woodville Junction! Watch it here or go to YouTube.
Mrs. Woody and I went for a drive the other day with no planned route and no idea of what we might come across and these can often be the best journeys. This one proved to be one of those. Taking a turn down a dead end road called Fen Road just outside the village of Rippendale for no other reason then to see what was at the end of it! Just a bit down the road I saw this.
It looked like an old railway station building and further back was what looked like an old goods shed. The driveway gate also looked a bit like a level crossing gate. Just a bit further on all was revealed!
Another level crossing gate and what is that in the background? Platform? Locomotives?
Whilst not being able to get close to the loco as it is in a private residency, a bit of internet searching brought up some details with a potential connection to the Rocks By Rail Museum! There is conflicting information but it does appear that this loco is Elizabeth an Avonside 0-4-0ST Works No. 1865 and built in 1922.
In the background there is what appears to be a Janus. Obviously there is some interesting history to the former station and the locomotives which I will be looking at. However, in the meantime, it was just a great journey even if we never got to the end of the no through road!
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.
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.#
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.
Hopefully, it will really start to come together once the diorama base is completed!
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!
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.
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!
