Changes!

Having returned from my bike ride this afternoon (it had dried up from this mornings downpour) I got caught in another downpour! Wet and soggy I thought where has summer gone? Looking back two years ago I blogged this on the 16th July 2022.....

With warnings of a hot weekend I still had to remind myself that it was only mid July whilst out on my bike ride this morning seeing harvested fields, hay stacks and tractors out ploughing - sights normally for late August and September!!

How times change with this today! Wet, wet and to avoid the pop group cliché, more wet!

And talking of change the 3D printed engine shed has changed a bit! The rook trusses have been fitted to the underside of the corrugated iron roof sheets

 

And it is a nice tight fit on the shed itself whilst still being able to be lifted off.

I have also fettled the window frames by removing some flash as well as on the doors.

 Next stage is to think about some paint and then it will really have changed!

Barge boards on!

A busy day with jobs plus I had a puncture on my bike ride  means just a small amount of model making time - enough to put the barge boards cut yesterday on the 3d printed engine shed roof. Once the glue has hardened I will sand the joints smooth and then think about the ridge that I need to put on.

Spur of the moment!

Well my spur of the moment idea led to very little model making but another YouTube video!

I just needed to cut six strips of plasticard to the identical width. So I did my usual of measuring the first one and cutting it. If I then tried to accurately measure and cut the remaining five I can guarantee they would all vary in width. But I did have a hack! That is to butt up a piece of wood to the edge of the plasticard, place the 'master' already cut strip against the block over the plasticard, then butt up my steel edge cutting strip against the 'master' and hold it tight as I remove wood and the 'master'. Result is that the steel edge is placed exactly right to be able to cut another strip identical to the 'master' strip. Saves time in measuring and gives accurate results. 

As I started cutting I thought that was a hint that I had never seen anywhere else so why not share it via YouTube. So this is the result!

I did however get the six strips cut and glued the two parts of the roof together!

Once finished, it will go on Chalkdon my 009 layout  and I think this location is ideal opposite the quarry unless I have any more spur of the moment thoughts!

Back to some model making with some coincidence!

I have actually got back to some model making - at last. Last night I picked up the narrow gauge 3D printed engine shed that I bought from the 3D Printing For Charity stand at the recent Sleaford model railway exhibition and started to make the roof - the one part not included in the kit. Profits from the sale of 3D models from the stand go to the Lincs and Notts Air Ambulance which is a charitable organisation and a very worthy cause and one where my model making has actually made a small contribution to that charity. The coincidence is that this morning I watched as the Air Ambulance land in a nearby field. Obviously someone was in need of their attention which is not good but equally it was able to attend as the charitable funding allowed it to and who ever is in need stands a much greater chance of survival and recovery because of it. Just hope that the mission is a successful one and recovery will result.

So with that thought in my mind it was back to the engine shed. I had last night gone the WMD stores for some suitable roofing material which I had decided would be corrugated in some form. I had both packs of Wills corrugated iron and asbestos sheeting in stock.

I decided on the iron sheeting. With the choice made it was time to cut to size which is not always the easiest to do with Wills products. In general the sheeting is very thick but the secret is to score the back of the sheet and it will semi snap when you bend it. You then turn it over and a light cut on the surface which is clearly marked by the bend marks is usually enough to break the join.

With the sheets cut to length and width a trial fitting reveals all looks well! Next stage is to smooth and thin the edges and then think about joining them together. I want to be able to lift the roof off to see the interior I am hoping to put inside the shed so that will influence how everything is joined together.

What started it all? The U28B Union Pacific HO loco, that's what!

 

This is what started it all - my journey with DCC sound. I bought this U28B Union Pacific HO loco in about 2003 having already tried out DCC control with some of my UK outline stock and adding sound was the next logical step. At the time DCC sound for UK outline locos was something that was a specialist area with the main manufacturers yet to release anything ready to run. Whilst attending the Nottingham Model Railway Show a traders stand had several USA outline locos with 'factory installed DCC & sound'! That was the magic phrase and I was interested in looking further - but as I told Mrs. Woody, I was not going to buy! I had some USA n gauge but no HO at the time so this was a completely new territory for me. Then it happened. That moment sense goes out of the window and two things came to mind. Firstly was the loco - a Union Pacific U25B loco. Suddenly I was back in Boise, Idaho, where I can recall parking near to the freight yard in the blistering summer heat and seeing one of these idling awaiting its next duty and I could hear the despatchers radio from the open cab window. With that memory reawakened the second thing came into play - the price - £112. 

Now that was a lot in 2003 but for what this loco was and the memories it reawaken it was a bargain. I still recall trips to the USA every time I look a this and operate it and it has an awesome set of sounds including a really loud horn!  There is something about the Union Pacific livery and diesel locos that just go together so well in my view and I will leave you with some photos to make up your own mind. In the mean time I am glad I started on the DCC sound journey started with this special loco.

Talking 30 minutes about a model railway controller?

Talking about a model railway controller for nearly 30 minutes might seem impossible but somehow I manage to do just that in my latest WMD YouTube video!

Meanwhile, back in the reality of the Rocks By Rail Museum, my task today was once again to battle with nature - this time on the site's nature trail which a few weeks ago was more akin to a jungle trail. Cutting grass was one thing but cutting back the brambles and overhanging vegetation was the other but as these before and after pictures show it did make a difference..

At least I did not have to talk for 30 minutes about the lawn mower!

The problem with Summer!

The trouble with Summer is that I get involved in outside jobs (some of which even appear on Mrs. Woody's list of tasks for me) as you need the better weather to do them although at the moment the weather is not exactly glorious! However it does mean that model making time is limited so at the moment not a great deal is getting done in the Man Cave. However I do at least have the satisfaction of  getting some big outside projects done. Last week was the log store completed and filled and this week the old log store has been partially demolished and a wood store (for useful wood that I could use one day!) half the size has been built from the best bits. 

There is still a lot of rubbish to sort out and a trip to the scrap yard to weigh in my scrap metal is needed but it is looking better. Hopefully it will be a long summer!

I did find some time to do a WMD YouTube video but more on that tomorrow - hopefully!

On the track!

The Hornby Transport for Wales train pack is finally on the track for its first run. Having DCC fitted the loco and detailed the buffer beam I thought that was all that was required. However, I do need to add a DCC chip to the DVT (Driving Van Trailer) so that the lights which are fitted to it, turn red or white depending on its direction of travel. At the moment they just stay white which is not right if the DVT is at the rear of the train rather than heading it. There is also some buffer beam detail to add. I decided the desire to run the train was too much to be delayed by these jobs so I will, in my inevitable way, do those later!

As a six vehicle train it is just the right size for my 00 gauge layout and I really do like the livery which is simple but in my view stunning!

 The DVT looks good too and the train can run in either direction without having to run the loco round the train.

It looks really great on the track - I like that!

A surprise find!

I was searching for something in the usual chaos of the Man Cave when I came across this box.

I do tend to forget about things I have but once rediscovered I can usually recall the story behind them. In this case I bought them at the Nottingham Model Railway Show back in about 2004. I had just bought a Union Pacific sound fitted loco at the show, which was the firs sound loco I ever had, and wanted something for it to haul. This box was on the Club second hand stall and £15 bought it.

So what did I get. Well this is a Kato kit for three wagons which had all been built. 

The box still had the instructions which showed that they were a relatively easy kit with no glue required as the box states.

You can tell these were produced in a different era - take a look at the last page of the instructions with contact details for Kato in the USA. No email, no website, just an address for snail mail and phone and fax numbers!

These are the three hopper cars that were in the box.

Well put together and rather attractive - well to me anyway!

Even though they depict 70 ton capacity hoppers they are small in comparison with my other freight cars, as you can see in the photo above, but that makes them even more attractive!

They also come with Kadee couplers which is great and means they can get working on my USA switching layout straight away after 20 years in their box - certainly a surprise find!.

Meanwhile, I rest my back, from a day of filling the new log store. That lot should keep Mrs. Woody warm for a few weeks at least but I will be surprised if she finds the log store on a cold wet day - that is my job!

 

Buffer beam detail.

Most modern model locos come with a detailing pack that includes parts for the buffer beam - hoses, couplings and similar. Usually I do not fit these but having looked at the Class 67 in the Hornby Transport for Wales Train Pack having fitted the DCC chip I thought that it was worth having a go.

This is what the loco looks like before any details are added.

This is the content of the detailing pack with enough parts for both ends of the loco. However you cannot have a working coupling to couple up to the coaches if you fit the details. However as the loco will only ever run with the coaches in one direction I decided to detail the front end that is seen and fit the coupling at the other, relatively, unseen end.

Using a few spots of superglue, the various parts were added and they do make a noticeable difference. Well worth the effort!