Wednesday 20th November 2024 After the snow fall yesterday followed by an overnight frost conditions outside mean interior work so a day on the lights, brush cleaning then a walk down to the line works carriage in the sidings.

                               The view from the workshop door and the Cotswold hills are white

                                        

A bit more work on converting and restoring the gas lights for the line van. refitting the brass screws after a quick polish then onto the dome bezels. 

                                                    A before and after initial clean

                                

                                                                Then a polish

                                                 

                                             All 3 are now getting near and looking a lot better.

Mean while Greg has discovered the paint brushes we need have gone hard and are even after sitting in the bucket of cleaner for a long while so a mass comb and clean task starts and dirty solutions are changed.
                                             

The old BR watering can now has a new bottom and holds water with no leakage it now needs a clean to remove the algae but not damage the galvanised finish.

            

The in was a walk down the line to the Wagon Teams 100 year old line workshop carriage.

First task was to get the left sliding door going full travel with no foul the top rail has already been raised a few mm,

                                           

 but the door stops half way, rotating the bar lifts the rear enough to clear so it runs smoothly so our reasoning is at 100 years old the bar has sagged with the weight on it so screws out turn and screw into it's new position

                     

                              The open view with covers off and the patchy roof paint

                                

                                         Now all back together and the freshly painted roof

                                     

After the adjustments the lock does not click shut to secure the door which is now a must as it freely slides. Closer investigation showed that the spring was weak and the catch was not dropping fully

The catch was stripped and a new spring fitted at the same time metal was removed from the frame to allow the catch to travel down further.

The outer handle ring was broken so this has been stripped and a new piece glued on the side ready for shaping when it is dry                                                                 

                                            

                                              Then it was home to get warm.

 Wednesday 13th October 24 a murky start with fog and about average temp so the workshop fire got lit for the first time this season..

We had Malcomb a potential new member visit to see what we are about and do, so a conducted tour of our area and displays was done but it looks like he may decide to go into the archiving  side of our work not the practical tasks if he does which is useful as photographic donations turn up on a regular basis these need digitising onto the system and researching for date and location before the original is catalogued and stored

We got a C1930's GWR watering can given to us the GWSR were scrapping all in good condition but a rotten bottom so Greg cut the bottom out and made a new disc from a sheet of galvanised steel to lead solder into place.                                                                                                      .

The LED conversion to the Line Wagon interior gas lights continues alongside their restoration.

                                 How they started rusty and dirty with no glass domes.

                     

                             after a full strip rub down and repaint the bases look like this

                                         

The brass screws and fittings have been soaked in brass cleaner then washed off with water before a clean and refit, the bulb holder was a temporary fit to work out a way of securing them centrally before the base plate was fitted

                   

The base plates have been cleaned to see what the  condition the enamel was in under some brush painting, luckily not bad so the rough areas will be sprayed white with an airbrush before assembly

             

                The one nearest completion awaiting the brass ring to be polished but glass is fitted and the base plate can be refitted when painted

Then the most worrying task modifying the glass cake covers that were brought but needed the handles cutting off to make a hole in the bottom replicating the originals that had an hole in to let debris from the lamp fall out,  A diamond disc in a battery drill used under a trickle of water to cool it.

                                                              One down one to go

Then it was down the yard to the Lin rolling stock team who are doing up the parked line side display

                Last light mounting removed and the first restored one ready to be fitted this is were the LED converted gas lights will go.

We are having to rehang the sliding doors as they bind in use making access hard but more to fo;;ow on this next week..

 Wednesday the 6th November 2024 a cool dry day so lots outside now the railway is closed until the Santa specials.

But the first job was on these rocket bodies made from copper plumbing parts that needed 4 grommets in each

Then it was time to install the boosters or bulb holders and feed the wires up the body.

All three completed

All 4 wires in and connected into a terminal strip to get 8 wires down to 2 then a functional test.

Greg has used a rubber and adhesive band to fix the glass into the brass ring which turns out not to be a true circle.

                                                    A test fit of the bulb holders and looms

       The lights need a clean and paint plus polish the brass fixtures and fittings before fitting in the 100 year old coach where they were gas lamps.

Outside time on Honeybourne signal box and there is putty to be replaced on the windows before painting them with a white undercoat.

                                    The frames and sills are nearly ready for some new paint

The Scammell Iron Horse got treated to a gallon of  E5 petrol in the empty fuel tank and the system primed but it did not fire up as expected although the solar panel had kept the battery good enough for cranking over, a quick screwdriver between the points contacts ensured a  good spark  as it has been stood for a few months. Happy days it fired up smartly then needed reversing to free off a seized rear brake however a short drive showed flats on the tyres and a pressure check showed 7 and 12 psi in the rears and 41 in the front so the battery powered inflator was brought out.

A successful few hours working lights and a driving scammell it was then off to the sidings to see the 100 year old wagon the lights are for and look at solving some sticky sliding doors which are on next weeks to do list

 Sunday 3rd November

The last rusted panel to be repaired on GWR Collett 3rd class coach 4777

With no electricity on site, a battery powered anlge grinder was used to remove the old metal,a new panel was cut to pattern and soldered along the join, the screwed with Brass screws to the frame.

Every panel on this heavily rusted vehicle was repaired by welding in new metal.