From the drivers seat I had a few surprises. First there was the low flying aircraft on my way to the Rocks By Rail Museum.

The photo doesn't really show just how low this, what I am informed, A400M is. I saw it circling in the distance and then it came in low following the road at what must have been only a few hundred feet in altitude. The noise was incredible! I did wonder if it was in problems but there are no reports so I guess it was all part of what ever operation it was on!

That was surprise number one and number two came as I pulled into the Museum.

Had the A400M dropped a marquee into the Museum? 

Well, the answer was a first for the Museum in that there is a wedding reception! Given the event I did get Morris Mower out and cut the grass in the vicinity so at least any photos of the bride and groom along with guests will show a well, Ok reasonably, manicured grass area!

I did notice on my way out that a play area had been set up for the younger wedding guests and noticed the push along mower. I did wonder if I should have put Morris Mower in there in the hope of encouraging a younger person to cut some grass but I don't think that would have gone down too well!

With the possibility of a TV programme wanting to restore something from the Museum as part of their show, David was removing the chimney from steam loco Uppingham. There are several other possible items but I am guessing the chimney may have a certain appeal!

Meanwhile, back in the restoration shed John is continuing work on the Southern brake van with the veranda floor taking shape. Due to the age and distortion of the underlying metal work there is a need for a lot of packing pieces to get a level floor.

John has also made progress with the inside stripping paintwork ready for the repaint. Must be hot work as he has the fan out!

Also in the restoration shed, Alex has been busy painting the inside of the cab. Not the easiest of areas to work in and the cab roof is always a difficult area to do but Alex is experienced from his work on Ketton No1. so no surprises for him!

The old X04 motor and a replacement!

A few weeks ago I got two old locos back up and running from loyal blog reader Mrs. b's husband. There is a third loco, a Triang Hornby Britannia. Back in the day these were the must have locos for a model railway and even though things have moved on they are still a nice loco. The problem with Mr. B's is that the old X04 motor fitted to the loco has had it! It smokes when power is applied so needs replacing. Whilst you can't buy a new X04 motor anymore you can buy a refurbished one or there are some more modern motors that have been adapted to fit in place of the X04 and that is what I decided would be the best route to go.

The new motor is a 5 pole skew wound motor with a flywheel which is light years better than the old X04 motor. I just need to wire it up which means there will be a need to alter the existing wiring a little. One to look at and plan before doing much else! 

I just now need to find a sharp 6mm drill in the WMD Tool Store!

This glacial progress but with other things to do other than model making any progress is good progress! And todays progress is that the track plan for the control panel has been laminated and cut to size. The holes for where the switches need to go have been punched out and the panel has temporarily been taped to the top of the control panel. 

I have now used those holes to mark where on the control panel I need to drill the corresponding holes for the switches. 

I just now need to find a sharp 6mm drill in the WMD Tool Store! That should be interesting!

I thought back in 2024 that I would go hi-tech with two way centre off switches!

If you are a regular pursuer of this blog you will probably realise my bike rides take me past a canal on occasions. It is always a nice to take a look at what is a little bit of industrial heritage that now is a tranquil recreational place and over the years I have seen the canal almost burst its banks and then turn into little more than a tiny stream. It seems at a mid way point at the moment. It is definitely down in level but not at a level where there is more mud than water! Not sure why it is down so much though. It is not as though we are in a drought. One to keep an eye on during further bike rides. Which reminds me I am just 6 miles short of 1400 this year so far. I was at about 800 at this time last year so a better year so far!

Back at WMD HQ I am still working on the control panel for my Last Great Project Layout and I have raided the WMD Stores to retrieve the pack of switches that I bough back in 2024 when I first started planning this! Nothing like forward planning!

In the past I have used the stud and probe method to control the point motors but I thought back in 2024 that I would go hi-tech with two way centre off switches.  

To fit the switch I will need to drill holes of the right size (6mm) in the top of the control panel. Drilling through paper, even if it is laminated as I will do for the control panel diagram, often leads to tears in the eyes of the driller and tears in the paper! So I broke out my punch set that conveniently had a 6mm punch. I was not sure if it would actually cleanly cut through the paper but it did on the scrap laminated sheet that I had to hand!

And more importantly the switch fits the hole!

Next stage is laminate the track diagram and cut it to size and then punch some holes in it!

It has only taken me about four years to think that one up!

A few more hours working on the control panel diagram that I posted about yesterday. It took some time as I had to move some elements around to make way for the arrows indicating which way the point would be directed by the switch being pushed in one direction or another. I think I now have it sorted though that may change as I actually start mounting switched! 

You may notice a tentative name for the layout too - Woodsville Junction. It has only taken me about four years to think that one up!

Its all in the planning!

Its all in the planning as the experts on various things always explain. Well, for once but don't tell Mrs.  Woody, I have heeded that advice in my control panel project for my 00 gauge Last Great Project layout. 

First off is to number each of the points with its own reference number. 

This may make things clearer on the top of the panel itself but the real advantage is under the surface so to speak. With each point having its own number I can then create the necessary wiring more easily as I can run wires from the actual numbered point and its motor to the control panel switch and be able to identify it much more easily. Well that is the theory! 

Next up I printed off the track plan which stretches across two A4 sheets. I then trimmed it down to see if it would actually fit the control panel top!

And it does! Just like I planned in the planning stage! The space on the right is where the DCC controller plug and socket panel will go - again, just as I planned!

Right, I better plan to do some of Mrs. W's jobs on her 'To do list' before I do nay more on the panel!

The loco runs great, the train looks great so all is well!

Having now got the coach pack to the Hornby EWS  Business Train Pack, I needed to actually get it all on the track.

But, before I could do that I needed to DCC chip the Class 67 loco. 

I have done this before on the Transport For Wales Class 67 so I knew it was fairly simple and with just four screws to undo the body came off easily.

With the body off, the DCC blanking plug was removed and replaced with a 21 pin chip from the WMD Stores.

It was then on with the body, programme the chip and then loco and all the coaches went on the layout.

The first thing that struck me was the beauty of the train. It just looked right! Second thing that struck me was the length. Normally I run 6 coach trains but this one is a seven coach train. One additional coach should not make much of a difference but it does.

The loco runs great, the train looks great so all is well!

It is certainly quicker to see results grass cutting then cosmetically restoring a loco!

What do you do when a local school offers some pupils for a day of 'Giving Back'? Well at the Rocks BY Rail Museum there is always plenty to do and that included wire brushing and painting anti-rust paint onto the footplate of steam loco Uppingham which begins its major cosmetic restoration this year.

The pupils also cleaned and painted some of the fencing which makes the place look smarter.

Talking of looking smarter, the new platform flower planters are beginning to come to life.

And also looking smarter was the grass after taking Morris Mower out for the day!

I do get a sense of satisfaction as unruly grass grass turns from this to this over a comparatively short time.

It is certainly quicker to see results grass cutting then cosmetically restoring a loco! I just need to cut round the wheelsets but that is a job for Sammy Strimmer once he is better and out of the Strimmer Hospital which is hopefully next week!

It may be an old utility but it is simple just like me!

 Back to building my control panel for My Last Great Project 00 gauge layout and I have had to put together a track plan so I can position the various switches. This is the first time I have actually drawn out the track plan which shows just how much track and how many points there are. 

I drew this out using Paint - it may be an old utility but it is simple just like me! I need to add some arrows and wording which should try my patience but at least I have a base to do it on!

Well worth the wait!

Last year Mrs. Woody gave me the Hornby EWS  Business Train Pack which has a Class 67 and three coaches and very nice it is.

On the back of the pack it shows the loco and three coaches and also the four additional coaches which it states are 'available'.

'Available' obviously has differing meanings and in this case the 'available' was actually 13 months after I got the train pack! 

And here it is!

The coaches do look good and will make up a significant train once I get them on the track! Well worth the wait!

Bag of nails or harmonious sounds? The film!

Bag of nails or harmonious sounds? Well to move on from yesterdays post and cut a long story short it all worked out and the Bachmann Class 37 is back to sounding like it should! What is more, is that the WMD Film Crew were on hand to record the process and that is now on YouTube.

Sounds like a bag of nails!

 This is my Bachmann Class 37 with DCC sound and very nice it is.

Up until a few days ago it sounded as good as it looks but then it started to rattle and soon sounded like a bag of nails! I had a feeling it was the speaker rather than anything else as the 'bag of nails' noise stopped if you turned the sound off. Never having had this issue before I thought that I would need a new speaker but decided to investigate further by dismantling the loco and seeing if there was something mechanically wrong with the speaker.

It took a bit of time to get into the loco's innards but eventually the speaker was out and taken apart. That copper coloured ring had come away from the rubber diaphragm under it as evidenced by the strip of loose silicon that I found inside the casing. The use of some UHU general purpose glue seemed a good way to go reattach the copper ring so a bead was run around the edge with a cocktail stick and the ring was pushed into the diaphragm. I decided to leave it over night to dry so tomorrow will be crunch day to see if harmonious sounds have been restored or that bag of nails is still there!

Sound but no chips!

Going back through the photos that I took at the Market Deeping Model Railway Club Exhibition I can only reiterate what I said yesterday that there was no WOW moment. Mrs. Woody is a good indicator of whether a show has that WOW factor when she becomes interested in a layout or two but not this time. That is not to see the layouts were not all really good quality, they all were and my hat off to those who actually put their layouts on show to the public. 

There were a few interesting things though, such as this Swiss based layout, Brusio Viaduct.

Certainly different being Swiss based and set in the Winter. However, this and one other layout were the only overseas layouts at the exhibition.

An 00 gauge layout that I did spend some time looking at was Long Road TMD.

In effect a very large oval with a loco depot. Looked good and ran well with a variety of modern day traction such as this Class 37.

My favourite loco was this Class 66 fictitiously painted up in Rail Freight livery but it looks so right!

Wedmore provided an unusual setting with a preserved line with both standard and narrow gauge in 7mm scale.

Lastly, an n gauge layout that caught my eye and curiosity, Braughing and Standon. 

Based on a real location and utilising the space that modelling in n gauge can release, this 18 foot long layout featured a small eastern region branchline. 

What got my curiosity was the sound system which was not DCC on board the locos. It was sound clips edited onto a mobile phone and then sent to a Bluetooth speaker mounted just above the back scene with the sound then tied in with train movements. All very clever and worked very well. Something to look into!

The layout does have its own website located at https://braughingstandon-railwaylayout.uk/

It will be interesting to see what next years show will be like but as always, Mrs. W and myself should be attending!

My purchase from a model railway show was this 1/35 scale A38 Tortoise tank kit by Meng!

As is usual, I had to take Mrs. Woody to the Market Deeping Model Railway Club Exhibition. She didn't know she wanted to go but I knew she would be upset if she did not attend. Well that is my version of reality! Mrs. w. did indeed come along to the show which to be truthful was not the best show by the club that I have attended. Some great layouts and good traders but there was just not that WOW moment for me or Mrs. W. I did have the chance to chat with some friends and exhibitors and I'll talk about the layouts tomorrow.

As I have always informed Mrs. W, it is the law that you have to make at least one purchase from an exhibition or model shop so my purchase from a model railway show was this 1/35 scale A38 Tortoise tank kit by Meng! 

I have been after one of these for years so was pleased to get hold of it and as a major plus point it has no etched brass parts - oh joy!

Normally I balance out my purchases by getting Mrs. W some cookies from the cookie lady. However, this year she was not there for some reason so I had to take Mrs. W out for something to eat! We stopped at a nearby Ok Diner where they always have a great display of American memorabilia.

Great burgers too followed by for Mrs. W a banana split....

and for me a toffee waffle sundae!

The meal actually cost me more than I spent on the tank kit! I must be loosing it!

 

Sit back, relax and watch!

I go through stages in my model making where I can be creative and productive yet at other times the spirit is willing but the ability is not! At moments like that I tend to sit back a bit and actually get some enjoyment from what I have made. This has been the case just recently and I have been playing operating my 009 narrow gauge layout Chalkdon. I had not realised that I had not run anything on it in about 6 months so there was a need to do some track cleaning but other than that I could sit back, relax and watch! 

Sammy therefore was ambulanced to a local Strimmer Hospital!

 Only seems like a few days ago I was at the Rocks By rail Museum but of course it was! However today was more about doing things rather than providing a show although there is a good show of plants in the platform planters.

In the Restoration Shed work continues on the Southern Region brake van where what was going to be a cosmetic restoration is turning into something much deeper with a lot of wooden and metal parts needing replacing. Work has started on one of the rear verandas. 

I'm not sure. with the obvious nature of missing timber, that notes like this are needed though!

On the missing wood front, it was good to see Andy and Martyn replacing this gate post that had been missing for a while.

The Museum also has been given this wrought Iron panel from the estate of a deceased member.

You cannot see it very well nut it is an industrial loco and two wagons. It needs to be set in the open once repainted where it should look good.

My day saw Sammy Strimmer and me turn this...

into this...

Not bad but then Sammy started to play up. He would run for a minute and then cut out. Back to the Restoration Shed and my thoughts were fuel filter, air filter or a ballast resistor in the magneto. The fuel filter was dirty but I cleaned it out. However the air filter was filthy and wet as was the housing for it.! 

The best way to clean the air filter was to blast it with compressed air. Luckily the Museum has such facilities in the form of this 1939 compressor!

The only problem is that it has such a big tank that it takes about 10 minutes to get to a good pressure!

However, once pressured up an air gun cleaned and dried the air filter which when refitted saw Sammy running smoothly again. However, after 30 minutes Sammy was back to his old tricks! I knew when I was beaten as the problem was probably related to the carburettor which was something that I was not going to start fiddling with! Step away when you know it makes sense. Sammy therefore was ambulanced to a local Strimmer Hospital where it is hoped he will be well in 7 to 10 days!