Wednesday 19th November winter is here with snow on the hills and decidedly cooler temperature.

                                            

Not the ideal day but the workshop door has been dragging the floor and rotting for years so it was removed for new wood on the bottom and rehanging so it is clear and swings easily.

A new brass lower hinge replaced the heavily corroded steel one and the side and bottom got new wood it just needs treating now to preserve it..

After a couple of hours a fully working door

                                                   

The Morris van has been a dump for parts and mice had moved in at sometime so a clean out and reorganise the contents with some moved to other places for ease of access and future work.

The workshop floor also got a good clean so we can move around freely and find stuff

Smoe old faded AA books got treated to a clean up and a coat of lanolin these are now in the AA box and hopefully the lanolin will stop degradation from the damp weather.

Then the time got the better of us.

 Wednesday 12th Nov after a very wet stormy night we had to change the plans.

The station master coat looks better after the dying done a couple of weeks ago.

The touring England board  has been stained and clean and look new.

The process of refurbing the exhibits in the 1874 building is progressing the cash box has been cleaned off as the stain had gone grey and brass looking sorry.

A strip down and scrape over followed by some new stain and the brass polished it looks better.

                                           

The little stocks style holder also got the same treatment

                 

The bed frame off the Morris got one coat of hammertite on the bottom after it dried before the next rainfall.

The table in 1874 looked very tired so a clean then treat with linseed oil before cleaning and placing the artefacts back on

the drums and bottles on the floor also got a make over but do you preserve the history or make like new, we like to preserve if possible.

A lower shelf also got the full treatment with one iron being stripped to clean leaving one to do.

Then more cleaning of the artefacts on the floor.

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                                 The Morris cab has been treated to interior de rust, preservation and priming.

                                                         

                                                                        The time was up.

 Wednesday 5th November no fireworks today just a damp start and milder than it should be so outside it is.

The Morris bed frame has not been on since we repaired the boards and a trial fit showed the front was a mm or 2 too wide and the rear boards a fraction to long so some planing and cutting ensued.

After a light trim it dropped on nice and snug then came off for de rusting and painting

A rearrangement of work platform and saw bench meant it was at a good height and clear of the floor to enable stripping with a rotary wire wheel  before sanding down. 

It was then sprayed with an undercoat

The drivers door all nicely painted was catching the frame top rear so a simple tweak to get clearance turns into a marathon task every slight adjustment brings foul in other places but we got there in the end'

The ivy on the tree was cut in the summer and has died back ready for removal but the were still some green spurs growing up so some more cutting completed it should all die now.

                                  The falling leaves are still playing havoc and there are plenty more to fall.

                                                   

Three inner light units from signals were found in the scrap bin so saved by RATS and the best one has been cleaned up it now sits inside the outer lamp on display in the museum

                                                             As salvaged with the glass removed

                                                     

                                                                      After stripping 

                                                                     
                                                     After an application of brasso to clean the glass

                                                                    

 

After a clean  wire wheel then a scrubbing pad the GWR Reading was clearly visible,  brass was cleaned with a weak acid then polished. The whole thing got 2 coats of lanolin applied before it got put inside a signal light outer case in the museum coach.

That's all folks time flies when you are busy.

 Tidying up the exhibits, that have deteriorated over time

Even in a museum environment, artefacts will continue to degrade.

So many threats lie in wait, which include Spiders, Mice, Flies, Wasps, Thunderbugs, Birds, Bats, Heat, Cold, Damp, Accidents, People and above all Light. 

We try and keep on top of all this with checks on exhibits and those that need attention we take back, repair and take preventative action where possible to avoid having to repeat the exercise at a later time.

The spectacle case featured here is early 20th century and the cover and lining have parted company with the metal case, so it was duly repaired and now somebody will be pleased to see it in, near original condition.









 

 Wednesday 29th October a damp start with rain moving in so good for inside jobs.

Work on body parts for the Morris 2T5cwt  has been progressing with the air vents, wings and fuel tank freshly painted

Today was a line wagon number 2 job list getting the last of the modern upgrades out so we have the period look it needs.

The sheared off screws for the shelf took some removing but one out of 2 beat us and will remain there as the walls are lined with 2mm steel panels digging a screw out is near impossible so the shelf crossbar now refitted is held by one screw but needs welding to the frame where it had sheared off.

The welder needs carrying down from the workshop but that is a job for another day in the dry..

The boards from a new shelf have been retained to replace the plywood sheet so needed trimming to length and clearancing around the rivets, the centre one needs a trip to the circular saw to get the width right.

The light/liquid refilling shelves needed 40 odd brass screws fitting to the splashback to secure it as the original tacks have mostly fallen out or rotted. away.

Looking better as it is now all flat against the wall but done with a small electricians screwdriver it made the hands ache.

The side shelf again had later plywood shelves so these needed removing but screwed in from both ends and secured by multiple screws in metal strips down the front it was not a 5 minute task.

But they all came out some easier than others one shelf has been retained as a template for some new boards to be acquired and cut

The boards are back on above the doors but we need some more brass screws to finish off securing them.

                    The modern hasp and staple has gone off the side door along with the crosshead screws

More of the walls have been sanded down and given a coat of brown oil based paint.

The top panel off one end wall has also been refitted to save this hole showing.

At packing up time the Navy Class 35006 pulled out of Toddington bellowing steam and smoke on it's way to Cheltenham and it was to good a photo opportunity to miss.

                                                                And that is it for another day