Do what yer like then...

I never do anything particular at the weekend, just go with the proverbial flow.  So, I had a go at the wooden model of Heather Bell which is lined up for the Lantern Yard set-piece.  Another plank in the chine layer on the near side (canals don't do port and starboard, just near and off-sides).
That dried quickly so I cut another two and glued them into the stern post rabbet. I'll leave them now over night to really harden off.  Pear being such a hard, close grained wood, takes a while for PVA glue to reach a decent bond.

The big bits of wood are the engine beds, which were made of solid oak in the real boat, 16" x 6" and the full length of the cabin and engine 'ole.  There was an old, original, chamfer on the insides of these up where the original Petter 15HP semi diesel flywheel was.  You can just see the scarph joint on the end of the plank.  These were 2'-6" long and placed so as not to weaken the hull anywhere.  This pattern of plank ends was known as the shift of butts, except that was on Nelson's ships. I doubt if the canal boat builders at Nurser Bros. gave it a second thought, but when I restored Heather Bell I certainly did.  I still have the scale drawing labelled "Shift of Butts plan".  Pompous sod that I am.

So....that sits on Lantern Yard, glue drying, what next?  

Ah, yes, I do think that the caff is not that obvious a chamber of epicurean delights without some mention of the fact on the structure, so painted "CAFE" on the wall and to make it interesting I put a crooked arrow under the word to indicate that the end door was the one to use, the side door having been permanently blocked to stop people risking life and limb under the wheels of a narrow gauge industrial loco heading for its night's resting place under the shelter next to the caff.

I also set the model more positively into the filler base and added a paved gulley and drain hole at the front as well as behind. The one behind actually drains the sloping area twixt cafe and caravan.  There is no guttering on the cafe, hence the gulley.

Finally, meant to be tomorrow's first job, but I just couldn't wait to see it, I removed the foil wrapped 12mm diameter copper tubes from the Milliput lining of the cylinders in the taped together Vincent crankcase halves to see what had resulted.  Well, not too bad, but some filling will be needed to smooth it all out.

Anyway, here are the two "cylinder barrels" in position. Nice positive location.

Pictured in the bright sun in our lounge this cold day.