There was also this sign that says STOP, so I did!

A truly glorious day weather-wise at the Rocks By rail Museum today which made everything seem a bit easier to do. 

I brought Morris Mower out of his Winter sleep for a bit of action and to join Sammy Strimmer. He started after a few pulls of the starter cord so was soon awake unlike me!

Andy was bringing the oversized washing machine out of its Winter hibernation after I had used Sammy Strimmer to cut back the vegetation. It is now ready to wash more ballast.

John and Alex shunted a few wagons about to get the ballast wagon ready to be loaded with washed ballast.

It is now in the platform siding awaiting its first use this year.

Having gone down to the oversized washing machine with Sammy Strimmer I could look back up towards the top of the Bone Yard and appreciate just how much undergrowth is still to be cut back.

Being at the other end to Bone Yard with the strimmer, I used the opportunity to do a bit of clearance work and discovered the following in my usual weekly treasure Junk Hunt.

Fist off a dustbin with what looks like a wheel barrow tyre in the water that has filled the bin!

An empty plastic blue barrel.

Some interesting electrical equipment that may have worked but that is now unlikely having been left outside for years!

There was also this sign that says STOP, so I did!

I didn't stop for long though!

A combination of the strimmer and mower cut back undergrowth on the approach to the Museum entrance which brings a bit of symmetry to the approach. The cut back bit is the brown part to the right!

The thing I noticed again was the number of ladybirds that were out. These were down by the oversized washing machine

It should be a good summer!

On the other hand our regular Robin was having a great deal foraging in the cut back areas.

And as I left for the day these two pheasants were fighting out their territorial aspirations!

 

Whilst rummaging in the box I did find this interloper!

Out on todays bike ride and one of the local hot spots for flooding is still flooded. Now, being on a bike is bad enough in dealing with potholes but when you cant even see them under water or know how deep the water is makes me think sensibly and find an alternative route. 

 Unfortunately for a number of motorists this is not their thinking as this collection of number plates and other automotive paraphilia ripped from vehicles as they plunged through the flood testifies! There are going to be some big bills coming to some people soon!

Meanwhile, back in the dryness of WMD HQ work on the Crusader tank has progressed to the point that it is ready for paint!

I did have to replace the aerial but that was a simple job. Whilst rummaging in the box I did find this interloper!

Some form of ladybird which seem to be in abundance at the moment but I have let it where it is so it can fly off when it is ready!

Now that is a nice walk!

And now it begins to look like a tank! Yes, after the complexities of building the Scammell and its tank carrying trailer which has been akin to walking up a steep hill in mud on a windy and wet day, the building of the Crusader tank to go on the trailer is almost like a walk in the park on a warm sunny day!

After a few hours this is where I am up to.

Maybe a couple more sessions should see it built! Now that is a nice walk!

The last component of the kit is the Crusader tank.

 Having got the trailer built up to a stage ready for painting along with the tractor unit it made sense to build all the three components of the kit before getting the airbrush out. Using it once means it only needs cleaning once - working smarter not harder as I get older!

The last component of the kit is the Crusader tank. Not seen this before but the tracks and half the wheels are moulded as one part with the outer wheels to add. Different and not something I am too sure about at the moment but we will see!

A short build session saw the wheels added and part of the hull constructed.

Hopefully this sould not take too long to build but there are some more etched parts to add so where is that sear jar?

Time to add the ramps and what a pain that was!

The trials of etched brass parts on the trailer of the IBG 1.72 Scammel Pioneer Tank Transporter and Crusader tank kit are just about done! Can't say that I am sad either!

It looks interesting in this bare plastic and brass etched state that will later be harmonised with paint.

Additional from the last update is that the jacks are in place along with some sort of frame on the underside. 

Meanwhile, up top some additional pipework is in place but now it is time to add the ramps and what a pain that was!

There were more etched parts in the form of support bars which needed to be fitted to tiny pins on the ramps themselves and the trailer floor - nice!

Its done now and no contributions to the swear jar were made - amazingly! I am leaving the wheels off at the moment as it will be easier to paint them separately and then attach them.

The only way I could actually see the things was with a magnifying glass!

After a couple of warm and amazingly dry days the weather is back to wet! These two pigeons spotted on top of the WMD greenhouse looked particularly fed up with the rain!

In the dryness of the Man Cave, the progress on the IBG 1.72 scale Scammel Pioneer Tank Transporter and Crusader tank kit moves on - slowly! More etched brass parts which are brassing me off due to the literally minute size of some of them.

Look at this bracket that goes on the end of one of the poles on the ramps. You can see the scalpel blade in the background to get an understanding of how small this part is and there are two of them to bend to shape and then attach to the end of the poles. The only way I could actually see the things was with a magnifying glass! 

Anyway, they are now fitted but I suspect they may fall off during the painting process and I probably won't even notice!

These are the ramps that the poles with the brackets fit onto. I had to replace the kit supplied poles with some rod that was in stock as the kit parts were that delicate that trying to clean up the mounting points where they gad been cut from the sprue just broke them! As you will note there are other brass parts that had to be fitted as well. Looking at the sheet of etched parts there are only a few more to add - thank goodness!

So why was I in Oakham?

I got this rather nice shot of a Class 66 going through the level crossing at Oakham Station.

It was pulling a rather long container train much to the annoyance of many waiting to cross but not me!

So why was I in Oakham? Well, Mrs. Woody decided that I needed a trip to a garden centre! We ended up going to Gates Garden Centre just outside Oakham. Now my traditional view of garden centres is that they have rows of plants, pots and compost! However, like most of my views, time has by passed them and modern centres are more like a retail park! 

Never seen this before but a section of shaded parking!

Inside a veritable mass of retail opportunities for Mrs. Woody to peruse but hopefully not take advantage of!

There were some interesting, to me anyway, things such as these tractors.

This second tractor was also hosting a range of Diddly Squat Farm products from Jeremy Clarkson. I actually visited the original Diddly Squat Farm shop days after it opened when all that it sold was vegetables, some meet and T shirts! How things change!

Mrs. Woody would not let me peek at the cards....

But she did point out some possible new friends for me!

And, no, they did not come back to WMD HQ!

This could be a sign of a good summer!

More parts to the Scammel Pioneer Tank Transporter trailer have been fitted including the side strengthening gussets and the end piece to which the loading ramps will be fitted.

Turning it right ways up it even looks like a trailer!

Hopefully I will get some more done soon but Mrs. Woody's list of chores includes tidying the garden so, given the somewhat nice unseasonable weather and rather than paint the Mercedes MP4 cab, i got  the lawnmower out as well as doing some weeding and pruning. What did surprise me more than Mrs. W was surprised I had done some chores, was the fact that there were so many ladybirds about. 

Whether they had survived the Winter or are new born I don't know but this could be a sign of a good summer! Famous last words and all that!

As with previous work in the Bone Yard this session had its share of excitement!

It is only a few weeks until the Rocks By Rail Museum opens its 2026 season of events despite recent weather suggesting that we are still in the midst's of Winter!

Work in the Restoration Shed on the retubing of steam loco 1931 goes on with some the footplate being de-rusted and pipework reinstalled.

John carries on with work to refurbish the Southern brake van with painting of wooden parts...

...whilst work on de-rusting the floors has more or less been completed.

Meanwhile, outside the Restoration Shed, this van awaits some work!

That work mainly will consist of a new roof and floor"

Back in the Bone Yard I was assisted by Gary in the seemingly never ending clearance work of unkept overgrowth or as I like to term it, vegetational butchery!

As with previous work in the Bone Yard this session had its share of excitement with Treasure Junk Hunt and this sign that Gary uncovered was perhaps the best!

Other finds included more sleepers, fence posts and various pieces of what had been good wood but was now rotten!

We also discovered some concrete platform edge blocks which will be useful if we ever get to construct the long planned platform at the end of the line.

We certainly have cleared away a lot of stuff and the back of the cafe is now very visible as well as being able to look through to the Exhibition Centre which is a view that has not been available for many years!

 Stepping back after another hard day of butchery it is looking a lot clearer!