Say cheese!

I do take a few photos of model trains but no matter how life like I think they are I have never said 'Say cheese' to any of them! Well the DJ Class 71 that I recently bought was due to be DCC chipped today but having dragged the ever suffering Mrs. Woody around various model railway shows I thought it was time to delay that task and take her out to something that she was really interested in - The Melton Mowbray Cheese Fest! There was enough cheese there from all over the UK and further afield for everyone who attended to find at least one they liked from the many tasting samples on offer. I had to taste a lot of samples though - and say cheese! 

It was not all cheese, there were all manner of drinks....

...breads, cakes, pies.....

...sweets

...this lemon and lime tart I bought never even made it out of the hall where I bought it before I consumed it!...

...and lots of people enjoying a great day!

It was inevitable that we would buy some cheese as well as a few other goodies, but it would be rude not too!

On the way home with car now like a mobile branch of  Ye Olde Cheese Shoppe, I took the long way in order to put out the Rocks By Rail banners for the next events which are next Bank Holiday weekend! Time flies as they say!

Whilst putting one set of banners out I heard a rather strange skyward emanating sound and looking up say this rather incredible site of 19 similar airplanes flying in formations. They looked like Chipmunk trainers but I am no real expert but no doubt Mr. Beecham will be able to put me right with his vast aircraft knowledge. No where is that cheese????

Wrenching Woody!

Wrenching Woody? A strange title but given that yesterday when I was at the Museum it was somewhat wet outside, a job under cover and in the dry was a preferable option!

That job centred around Mr. D the latest loco now in the restoration shed.

The ever knowledgeable John had a oil tank to relocate under the bonnet and a hydraulic tank to fit in the vacated space. This is the tank!

Luckily John is nimble and could get under the bonnet.

Nicely nestled under the bonnet John could identify what needed to be done . 

My job was to be in the relative comfort of the cab to wrench, or as we say in the UK, spanner (but spanner doesn't rhyme with Woody!) the nuts off and on the old and new bolts.

Some holes also needed drilling so I had to keep an eye on making sure the drill didn't hit any of the wires or pipes on the bulkhead. of which there are a few!

Anyway after a few hours and several holes, nuts, bolts and washers the job was done!

And I was dry - unlike Rob and Richard who were trying to keep the welding gear dry!

Meanwhile, Harriot the JCB, looks good outside with the rain adding some shine to her new paintwork!

Next week, if it is dry, It will be back to Lawn Mowing Woody!

Long Term Projects!

What better way to spend a warm May day than at the Rocks By Rail Museum. Mrs. Woody probably has different ideas but for me it was an ideal day! First off I found that there had been some movements in the Restoration Shed with the long term project by John of the rebuilt 3 plank wagon now in service as a coal wagon. I just hope it looks as good in a few months time!

So what has filled the space in the shed? Well Mr. D, another long term project, is now inside and being worked on.

Main attention is to his engine at the moment.

As with all long term projects where the item was dismantled years ago by people no longer with the Museum it is difficult to pick up what needs to be done and what goes where! However with knowledgeable people about like Richard, Andy, John and John, it should eventually get there....

Especially when Riley the dog is on the case - I think he was wondering when lunch was going to happen!

For me it was another day of the long term project of grass cutting - once I fixed the mower which jammed up doe to a stone!

Things are moving on with Sundew's cab with Pam and Pete getting to grips with the outside paintwork which should make a real difference, again on this long term project!

I have also started to dismantle this slightly oversized pile of branches and hedge bits that has been created over three years - mainly by me as my long term project!

I filled one of those one ton builders bags with off cuts and dragged it down to the burning pit. It is going to be a slow job but if I do a bag a week I might have cleared it by the end of the opening season! Now that is a long term project!

 

Its the volunteers who make the Museum!

A shattering day for the volunteers at the Rocks By Rail Museum today but a good one! I am particularly shattered after a day of shunting so should sleep sound tonight! 

Hard work it may be but there is always the odd moment of humour or relaxation for the volunteers as these pictures show. John certainly dresses appropriately - look at that T shirt and those socks with the British Rail logo! Nice one John!

We are lucky in that we have some young blood in our volunteers with George doing his best to try to keep clean but being Fireman that is not going to be possible!.

Taking a break from operating the dragline Rob enjoys an ice cream - it was getting hot!

Derek was more traditional with a nice cup of tea!

Geoff giving the green flag to another incoming train.

Mick thoughtful as to what the next project he will under take will be like.

Eric looking happy and why not as he is driving the train!

If I didn't volunteer I would never meet all these other people and share a common interest that centres on the Museum but it is the volunteers who make it what it is!

Finding Time!

Things are progressing with my platform, but not as quickly as I thought they might! Finding time to do everything is an issue! The photo below shows my method of joining the two parts, well actually three, of the platform surface. Because of the girder like construction of the base there is no room for a thick piece of card under the platform surface otherwise there would be a hump in the surface! Not having the time to carve chunks out of the base to make room I needed something else. My solution - paper! Just a small piece glued to overlap the two parts and with some glue also applied to the card joint. It wont be strong but as long as it holds until I finish the slabs and then the surface and base are glued together that is all I need.

Part of why progress is not as quick as I would like is that these lighter evenings and good weather (well better weather!) see me cycling a bit more (1400 miles this year so far) and catching up with a mess of a garden. However there are always things that delight like this young blackbird that I took a photo of having had a fill of apple!

Tomorrow wont see much time for model making either. A day of shunting at the Rocks By Rail Museum at the Quarry Day Event and then I need to go and change the banners for the next event a week today which I only just found the time to alter from last years date! That will be a long day then! When will I find the time to do Mrs. Woody's job list!

Lets break in this job!

Its time to fit new brake shoes to Graham the Sentinel Locomotive. Now fitting such things to a car is one thing but the level of work needed to fit to a locomotive is another. Its not so much that there are technical issues its just the sheer mass and awkwardness of fitting heavy metal components in a confined area so its best to break in this job slowly!

David and Derek discuss the breaking in process...

Whilst John just got on with it!

The good news is that the brake shoes are now all fitted meaning that Graham will be running this May Bank Holiday.

Meanwhile at the other end of the Museum site, Pam is continuing the epic paint of Sundews cab. This si not for the faint hearted but she has made som egrea progress.

With both Pam and Pete having strimmed the area and me having butchered the grass with the mower the whole area looks good in this unusual sunshine that we had today!

Meanwhile Rob the Welding Wizard was welding yet more metal into the plant shed roof! That thing will outlast us all!

The Weighbridge Office s looking good with David having cleaned and painted much of the weigh head.

For me the only braking in I did was with my back which suffered as it was a massive grass cutting day but it is one of those jobs where you can see quick and impressionable results like this!

I will be seeing how good Grahams brakes are on Monday when we have a quarry day and I am doing some shunting! That will be great for braking my back in again!