Much courtesy at the Rocks By rail Museum!

Another day at the Rocks By rail Museum see the previously empty new flower containers filled with soil and ready for planting out courtesy of Sue.

The ladies toilets are getting a freshening up courtesy of Pam and Pete.

Barrington steam loco had a green buffer beam when I arrived.

However, by the end of the day courtesy of Alex, it was in red undercoat awaiting its final top coat next week.

For my morning magic and vegetational butchery I turned this...

...into this courtesy of Sammy Strimmer!

I even found that we have a buffer stop at the end of the siding having removed the undergrowth!

The afternoon saw Morris Mower out on duty cutting the front lawns! Not so sure about lawn but it does look a lot better when cut and gives the Museum that 'someone cares' look!

All of this information courtesy of WMD!

Now it is not very often that Woody gets invited to a party or indeed any event - ask Mrs. Woody!

Now it is not very often that Woody gets invited to a party or indeed any event - ask Mrs. Woody! My usual situation is that if I do get invited anywhere I only ever go twice and the second time is to apologise! However, Mrs. W and me were invited to a Birthday Party and not just a run of the mill party. It was a 95th birthday party! You don't see many of those in a lifetime! In this case it was Rocks By Rail hero volunteer Ray's 95th and what a great party it was! And where did he decide to hold it? Well at the Rocks By Rail Museum - his favourite place!

With a family of children, grand children, great grand children and a few great great grand children there were probably more people at the Museum then we see in a normal open day!

It was nice that it was a sunny day and people could overspill outside the cafe enjoying the food and cake that was in abundance!

And how many birthday parties do you go to where you get to have a ride in the cab of a locomotive? Well if you are at the Museum that can happen and it did! 

Nice one Ray and a real privilege to be at your party! I don't even have to go back and apologise - Mrs. W made sure of that ai8ded by loyal blog reader Mrs. B who was also there!

This time though, productivity on the destruction front would be double!

 There has ben a bit of tidying going on at the rocks By rail Museum!

The Restoration Shed was particularly tidy with all the stuff that has found its way onto the rolling stock removed although I am not sure where it has ended up!

 Even the platform planters are being spruced up with new wooden planting boxes replacing the tired plastic ones.

White paint is being applied to various things too!

Even this buffer head got the treatment presumably so that guests see it and don't bump into it!

Continuing with this theme of tidying, it was time to do some more vegetational butchery! This time though, productivity on the destruction front would be double as loyal blog reader Mrs. B was at the Museum looking for something to do. Well, that looking was soon sorted as a quick tutorial on the controls of Morris Mower saw Mrs. B head off into the jungle of vegetation with Morris leaving me to do some much needed strimming with Sammy Strimmer!

So this....

Became this...

It may not look much but there were brambles, ivy and grass engorging the track side and wheels of the rolling stock so it at least looks neater.

More work with Sammy saw this....

become this...

I know that vegetation has not been dealt with for at least five years! Looks neater now though!

You always find odd things when wandering around the site such as this old birds nest made on the chassis of one of the wagons.

I also got a chance to take a look at some of the rolling stock I never normally get to see cloose up such as this bogie flat.

It may not have moved in a few years but it will be needed to move rail and sleepers once the passing loop is started at the end of the line.

Something that probably has no likely future service is this coach which unfortunately was vandalised some years ago.

Something I would like to see come back into service is this rather unique rake of side tipping wagons.

As a rake of 6 wagons they would look stunning restored and running behind one of the locos. The chassis are fine on the wagons but the bodies would need a lot of work to bring them back to life.

Whilst I imagined the fully restored wagons running Mrs. B had run out of petrol for mowing but had done a great job in keeping the place looking tidy. At this rate we may run out of jobs to do!

No flies on this loco!

It may look like Pam had decked John at the Ricks By Rail Museum...

Nut all was well as I just happened to catch John crawling out from under one of the locos as Pam and Pete were passing whilst my camera was out!

Whilst my camera was out I also caught up with the Southern brake van restoration where the two air tanks have been painted smartening things up.

However, the woodwork is not so smart with further cleaning and prodding revealing a fair amount of rot which will need dealing with and new timbers added. 

Steam loco Barrington is slowly coming on with its cosmetic restoration.

Whilst I am aware that insects are attracted to wet paint I thought that the addition of the electronic insect disposal system might be taking things to extremes! A real case of no flies on this loco! However, it appears that this was in the workshop for repair and will be reinstated in the cage once working again!

Loco 1931 is still awaiting the return of its boiler which is away for repairs including additional items found that need dealing with but were not spotted earlier. Always the case but hopefully by mid year it will be back together and steaming away down the track.

My contribution was to steam around the grass areas with Morris Mower. Amazing how quick the grass has grown when its has not been that wet or warm!

Just as we packed up for the say a sudden wind and rain storm hit the site and here Pam is battling to get to her car and shelter. Certainly no flies in that storm!

And for me? Reunited with that point lever!

 With the Easter weekend out of the way the Rocks By rail Museum can look back with some pride in having had a great attendance from visitors and providing a fantastic first show in 2026,

There were brake van rides...

Locomotives running...

Shunting in the quarry...

Excavators digging and cabs to explore...

Bacon cobs and drinks to eat at  the cafe...

A Weighbridge Office that was officially opened...

And for me? Reunited with that point lever! And it must get stiffer each year or I am getting weaker!

But I did manage a ride in the cab of the passenger train!

I was shattered by the end of Monday but it was a great day!

However, both, in their own ways, are very satisfying to do!

If you are reading this on Easter Monday then I am at or have just returned from the Rocks By Rail Museum following a day of shunting so I will be well and truly shattered! Hence I am writing this post in advance so I can just have some dinner and stretch out on the sofa and probably fall asleep! 

I did prepare for my first full scale shunting of 2026 by doing some small scale shunting on my USA Switching Layout. The problem is whilst the small scale shunting allows me to sit in a chair and relax, the full size shunting means dealing with three link couplings, pinned brakes and climbing on and off things! However, both, in their own ways, are very satisfying to do! More on that tomorrow hopefully!

You cant get me I'm part of the union!

More track packing and jacking at the Rocks By Rail Museum as we get ready for the grand opening of the 2026 season on Easter Sunday.

It is a long and labour intensive job with jacks used to left the rail and sleeper until level using sighting boards and then ballast is rammed under using Kangos!

Pam was giving the Plant Room a last coat of paint.

The new Admission Price Board is up in the cafe with a very modest £2 increase just for the Quarry Operating Days.

The locomotives are being tuned up!

And tested with the brake van.

The Weighbridge Office is ready to be opened on Easter Monday with Bill of Quantity ready to answer questions!

The office has some great artefacts from the 1950s such as this clocking in clock.

And this notice board with phone numbers for emergencies!

And even a union membership card! Brings to mind that hot for the Strawbs in the 70s - You cant get me I'm part of the union!

My contribution to getting ready? Well it was out for a session with Morris Mower and Sammy Strimmer who now seem to travel together on my wanderings around the site!

Hopefully it will be a good weekend as long as the weather holds!