End of the month so lots of things need to be done.

I had my Covid booster on Saturday and yesterday I felt terrible. Mrs. Woody was unaffected but that seems to be the way it goes with these things. If I am bad she is OK and vice versa. Anyway I woke up today feeling relatively well which was good as this week I need to get on top of preparing the garden for its Winter hibernation. However a 20 mile bike ride first brought my total for this year up to 5461 miles. 

Back at WMD HQ there are some things which should have been done earlier in the year like hedge cutting and tree pruning but with the drought affecting them during the summer I have left them to recover until now. Well with the amount of rain and warmish weather we have had over the last few weeks they have certainly recovered. I should have taken a 'before' picture of this tree but in my haste to get jobs done (please note that Mrs. W) I just went straight in but you get some idea of the fact that about 6 inches of growth all round was cut back from the various bags full of the debris now awaiting to go to the recycling center.

The tree certainly looks more manicured then it did before .

Having done that job I felt I ought to reward myself with a bit of model making. The two Metcalfe viaducts still need finishing - like a lot of things I do! As an aside Metcalfe have sent me the missing part which is great service from them. However because as I have discovered my kit, although bought this year, dates from 2006 the parts references have changed so the sheet sent is the wrong one. However an email to Metcalfe was answered within 30 minutes and the right part is on its way. Apparantly sheet references were changed when the kit was updated a few years ago. Again I have to say great service from this company.

I am building the parapets at the moment and although small parts there is a fair amount of preparation work to do on them. This is the sheet with one of the parapets which is made up of two main parts.

The core of the parts requires bending in half and although the part is partly cut through at the factory to get a neat fold requires scoring the back of the bend.

The core is then overlaid with another part that provides some relief  with inset brick work. All those cut outs required crayoning in to hide the card edge and that took some time but is worth it.

I have been using UHU glue for the substructure but I have bought some DeLuxe Materials card glue which most of the modelling magazines have recommended. Although a little costly I have to admit it is good! It has an instant grip which holds parts together and means I can move the build on quickly - well as quick as I go!

In my usual manner I have temporarily put the two parts I have semi completed so far in place on the main viaduct to see how they look.

Certainly adds to the structure and I only have another 14 sections to make!

Going back in time.

At my age I can do a lot of going back in time posts but for this one I am only going back to around 2012. On holiday with Mrs. Woody in Norfolk that year a trip to Sherringham was undertaken. A walk down the main street towards the sea front saw us pass a model shop which at that time was called AutoLoco. Despite the name implying otherwise the shop had a lot of second hand radio controlled boats of various degrees of quality. However there was model railway stuff in there as well although you sometimes had to search through other stuff to get to it. Over the years I have had several things from that shop searched out amongst the boats but in this particular year something caught my eye in the shop window.  A Bachmann Class 108 2 car DMU in early British rail green. Its price of £79.50 sounds like a real bargain given at the time it was retailed new at £95.15 and at todays prices even more of a bargain with similar models well over £200. Given that it already had had a DCC chip fitted as well made me reach for my wallet. 

I am ashamed to say that apart from having a look at the time at the model it sat in its box for the next 10 years. This weekend however it came out of its box and despite its overlong hibernation it ran superbly at the first application of power. Good job I guess as it would be a bit late to take it back and the shop has changed ownership as well! It is a wonderful model and I recall just why I was captivated when I saw it. Hopefully it will be seeing more of the tracks on my layout where it belongs.

I am not a fan of the so called 'unboxing' posts and videos but I did include a couple of pictures of the box here to remind me of what the model was and its price! You can see my skills at doing a 'unboxing' item are somewhat limited as I have a picture of an empty box. I forgot to take the photo with the model still in the box and I really could not be bothered to pack it away again, take the photo and to then put it back in the box only to get it out again, if that makes sense? So here is the empty box!

You just have to love the description ' With Speed Whiskers"! Wonder if my cats have those?

So without any further delay here are some photos of this beautiful DMU.

It has illuminated destination blinds with Bedford at one end and Hitchin at the other. This was a branch of the Midland Railway where this DMU would have run in the 1960's at which time it would have been a cutting edge train. 60 years later and similar DMUs are now running on Heritage railways. 

 

So that concludes this trip back in time but there are lots more things in the WMD HQ collection yet to be unearthed from back in time so stay tuned - my blog is the ultimate cure for insomnia!

Am I the Paparazzi?

Out on a bike ride this afternoon and going towards a high class wedding venue there was a wedding car stopped at the side of the road with the happy (I presume) couple having their photos taken with the venue in the background. It was certainly a good afternoon for it although I suspect that with all the rain the Bride was probably sinking rapidly into the grass verge if she was wearing high heels. I shouted congratulations as I passed which was acknowledged by the couple and thought nothing more about it apart from wondering if the Groom will have a list of jobs to do after the honeymoon similar to my list from Mrs. Woody. 

However going further up the road I got stopped by one of the staff from the aforementioned wedding venue. Had I seen a white van, was his question. I answered no, but I had seen a newly wed couple having their photo taken further down the road. The response I got was that's OK then - its a Society Wedding but we had reports of some Papparazzi in a white van. I did point out that in my lycra cycling clothes the possibility of successfully hiding a telephoto camera was remote so he should discount me from his concerns. However I had to ask - who were the couple? Apparently that was information too secret, until its probably in the papers tomorrow, to divulge! Apparently they were expecting helicopters later in the day so it must be some famous couple. Having completed conversation I rode but as I headed back the wedding couple were still there having more pictures taken. I did think the Bride looked a little shorter then before - probably was wearing high heels then! Passing by I thought why not. So Pretend Papparazzi Woody took this distance shot with his phone which shows - well it shows very little! Certainly nothing a paper or magazine would pay for and I didn't want it for that. One day though, I may actually find out who the couple were although I am that uninterested in celebrities, their names will probably mean nothing to me but Mrs. W may well know. In the meantime I can say my career as a Paparazzi has been short lived and unsuccessful so Mrs. W can rest easy!

The happy couple - who ever they are.

The zoomed in low resolution shot that shows - well not a lot and that my career as a possible Paparazzi was doomed from the start!

Testing.

With the track laid and fettled on my Last Great Project 00 gauge layout it was time to test it by having an operating play session! Just really a time to run some trains round and through the various point formations to see if there were any issues. A great way to pass an hour after cleaning the house and doing some gardening just in case Mrs. Woody is reading this. If she isn't reading this then the cleaning house and gardening came afterwards! 

Anyway, the result was that it all seems to work as it should - amazing! No doubt some problems will come about as time goes by but I was particularly impressed that the crossovers seemed to work without derailing any stock.

Even in its less than finished state my favorite part of the layout is fast becoming the viaduct section. I think it is because I can look up to the trains or maybe I just have an obsession for viaducts! Either way I do enjoy watching trains cross like this Freightliner Class 66 meeting a Central Trains Class 156 coming the other way. Something that in real life has not happened for nearly 20 years but I can recreate in miniture just as I used to see when I was out and about - oh dear I am showing my age!

Even though it is far from finished I can visualise how this section of the layout will finally look. Just need to make that vision a reality - now that will be a further test for me!

Fettling the track!

A productive few hours today as I fettled the track on my 00 gauge Last Great Project layout. Much as it was before in terms of the overall scheme, I now have most of the track in place and although laid loosely at the moment it is operational although my wires are just literally pushed into place awaiting the time when a full wiring will take place. Wonder how long that will take me!

The one thing that I never got round to on my last version of this layout was placing the loco depot. I have always wanted a turntable since I was a kid and that was a long, long time ago. Finally I have the turntable and a place to put it although it is going to need a large hole cut in the baseboard to house it. I also have a series of cross over points to allow trains to move from one circuit to the other.

The cross overs are replicated at the other end of the layout and there will be a point off on the left eventually leading to some storage sidings - well that is my plan at the moment!

The station area will have two platforms and the goods yard/marshalling sidings are on the left.

The dropped section of the baseboard has had the two viaducts separated a bit more which looks better. The track terminating at the edge of the dropped section on the right will be where a shunting loco will be sited whilst waiting to shunt th gods yard/marshalling sidings.

So far I am happy that everything is more or less as I visualised. I now just need to get the next tasks done but who knows what tomorrow will bring especially if Mrs. Woody finds some 'must be done now' job!

Shattered from yesterdays work? Well start the day with a 28 mile bike ride!

After yesterdays hedge hacking at the Rocks by Rail Museum I was shattered. I must admit I ached all evening but I had a good nights sleep probably induced by all that fresh air and work. You would think I would take it easy today and I did have some intention of that (but don't tell Mrs. Woody). But with some sunny and warm if a but windy weather, I ended up doing a 28 mile bike ride as it was so nice and then had a couple of hours doing some more sorting of the junk in my garage in that never ending quest of a junk free life. Well that is what I am aiming for but the accomplishment of that is a long way off. My problem always has been I have collected stuff as it will come in useful at some time. In addition I still have some of my parents stuff to go through. However I am now realising that time is running out and that VHS tape or the SCART lead are now outdated and should go - along with most of what is in there! It just takes me time to let go as I tell Mrs. W.

Being in the garage on a  sunny day I noted that my gravel driveway has taken on a green tone. It is gravel so it is 'green' from the point of view of drainage. However this green was the amount of grass growing in it. Over the hot summer and drought it was nice and clear but with the recent wet weather I am now trying to understand why the grass grows so well on my drive but not on my lawn! Time for action! I was in the right mood and so a quiet hour of weeding saw me manage to clear about a third of it - not that Mrs. W will notice! An hour of this was all I could stand however before my mood waned so the rest will have to wait another day or another drought!

Well it was turning into a day of variety so back in my Man Cave I had a hour or so looking and fettling the track on my 00 gauge Last Great Project layout. Whilst the track plan is much the same as before, the extra foot of width allows me the ability to install some crossovers between the three circuits. In addition before I finally fasten it all down the various circuits need to be parallel to each other so there is some fiddling to do with to ensure that this is the case. However I am liking the new arrangement of baseboards.

Robin is here but where is Batman?

A day at the Rocks by Rail Museum today where with the site closed to guest we busy ourselves with all those jobs that have built up over the year or in some cases years! For me I was given the job of cutting back a hedge that had been left to its own devices for several years. Luckily garden skill required is minimal - just an ability to use a lopper which is good for me! However it was a big job and ideally someone with the powers of Batman would have made short work of it but unfortunately Batman I am not, much to Mrs. woody's disappointed but I did do my best! Note to self - get a utility belt next time to hang loppers from!

I was on my own initially, so my mind was able to wander in my butterfly fashion until I noticed this little Robin who was hunting for food as I was disturbing the ground clearing the debris away. Either that or he had mistaken me for Batman and wanted to be my Robin!

I started off with this.....

and after five hours finished with this.

You can see just how much I cut back with that pole now fully visible! Next year the hedge should fill out but it will be easier to keep in line and to cut the grass.

Back at WMD HQ although shattered and wanting to put my feet up I have had to put my kitchen utility belt on to cook Mrs. Woody's dinner! Batman at least had Alfred to cook dinner!

Butterfly activity!

I messaged Metcalfe Models yesterday (Sunday) and this morning at just after 9am I got a response saying they were sending the missing sheet of parts. Now that is service! So whilst I wait for this to arrive I have, in my usual butterfly manner of projects, moved to another couple of things that have been hanging about for a while.

Firstly the Heller Scania 144 LB needs the cab finishing. So today the decals for the doors were applied. 

I did have in the back of my mind a few months ago making the doors openable but whilst it is more than possible and I did start making hinges, I am not sure I have the patience to do it. So Plan B is that the doors will be closed! In the meantime once the decals harden the door will be given a coat of gloss varnish to seal and protect them. How far the cab gets after that is anyone's guess and I have no idea!

The other project is the Foden tipper which needed a second coat of paint on the tipper body and cab as well as the interior painting. 

The second coat has been applied and the interior painted in that 1970.s brown that was so popular in its day but from what I understand is now referred to as nappy brown! The seats and steering wheel will be painted black once the brown has dried.

I have no idea where my butterfly activity wil take me next but at least these projects have seen the light of day again and moved on even if only by a bit!

Missing parts!

A really wet and miserable day here in the UK. Woke up full of energy to do a whole list of things including some on Mrs. Woody's list and I think the weather just drained that so I ended up doing not a lot! Even those things I did do went wrong but I guess we all have days like that.

However, I did manage to build up enough enthusiasm to abandon the comfort of the sofa and Lara Croft on the TV to go out to the Man Cave where the day continued to go wrong. Picking up on the building of the Metcalfe viaduct kits I found that one of the sheets of parts is missing! I should have checked all was well when I opened the kit but as most of us do we take it for granted these days that everything is there. The missing part has the side wall to the viaduct so is fairly vital!

There should be four of these sheets and when the main brick wall is cut out two of them are glued to a sub structure box.

This then joins the arched section of the viaduct 

 Hopefully Metcalfe will be able to supply the missing sheet and I have messaged them so I should hear from them soon.

In the meantime and in light of so many things going wrong I think I will just call today a bit of a rest day! Just don't tell Mrs. Woody!

Filling that gap 2

With a bit of work today the arched structure of the second Metcalfe viaduct is built. This means that I can at least run trains without them disappearing into an abyss! More to be done to them yet but things have moved on in the last few days which is unusual for me! Maybe Mrs. Woody's list of jobs to do has not received the attention from me she believes it should, but I have put the time to good use on my to do list!

That gap needs filling!

Back at the Last Great Project layout the trains are running again but that gap in the baseboards where the dropped section is needs filling with the viaducts before I can go much further or a train decides to make a break for it and meets the floor. I have had trains do an Evil Knievel impression before but unlike the great showman those trains did not make a successful landing! So today the second viaduct has been started which will be side by side with the other. Having done the main structure on one viaduct the construction of the second moved on at twice the speed as I supposedly now knew what I was doing! How true that is, is open to some debate as Mrs. Woody would no doubt have a view. Anyway there is the substructure constructed with the underside brick work in place as well. I like the view I can now get of trains going over the viaduct and I am really looking forward to the final scene coming together.

The trains are running!

OK, it may not be all finished. In fact it is far from finished! However it is always a significant moment  and a boost to morale when the first trains run on a layout. In this case a couple of EWS Class 66s circled the layout on the two outer loops without hesitation, deviation or derailment which even surprised me especially given the precarious way I have supported the track over the dropped section of baseboard! Hopefully that will change in the not too ditant future.

Putting the track back.

Moving forward with My Last Great Project now that the baseboard frames are built and installed it is time to put the track back. The baseboard tops are not fully in place and some parts are missing but as they will need some cutting yet I am leaving them like that at the moment so I know where the track will be. 

The basic track plan is the same but there are some changes which mean that I will need to amend certain parts of the layout. For one thing it is a foot wider and secondly the dropped section means what was going to be my locomotive depot will have to move. So far I have only put the track back loosely to get the right pieces in the right places - or as near as I can remember! Luckily I did dismantle it with some thought about organising it so that I had some chance of getting it right! Working smarter not harder as I get older!

Viaduct progress and the price of shirts!

I should clarify that the price of shirts is not connected to the viaduct build I am currently doing. However given the current economic climate and the squeeze on the cost of living I was slightly taken aback by this 'offer' in Stamford today where Mrs. Woody and myself had lunch out and a look around the town today.

I have no doubt that the shirts are of a quality but just how many people can afford £120 for four?  Luckily my wardrobe does not need any further shirts, although, as Mrs. W would claim, most of my shirts could be from the costume department of an 1980s TV program, so my rather thin looking wallet remained shut! 

Anyway back in the sanctuary of the WMD HQ Man Cave, further work took place on the Metcalfe viaduct that is currently being built. The brick sheets have been added to the substructure. As with most Metcalfe kits the fit is good and the parts all went together easily.

The yellow card is a strengthener that goes inside the viaduct's piers.

One of the issues with a card kit is that the edges generally show the white of the card they are made of because the card is scored on the outside to enable a sharp edge to be created. Anything white tends to stick out on a model so the way to hide it is to use an artists pencil in a suitable brick colour and run it along the edges. The 'before' and 'after' photos below show the results.

With a bit of weathering later on those joints will all but disappear. Dropping what is built so far into the dropped baseboard gives me a better idea of how this will eventually look. I'm liking it - certainly more than I would 4 shirts for £120!