Wednesday 2nd of April 2025 a lovely sunny spring day with a chilly wind.

two weeks ago the ivy was cut around the base of the tree so all the small shoots were cut today so hopefully it will now die and be easier to remove from the trunk.

                                                      

Two tasks were in the station yard where a shelf in the toy museum had failed and done some damage  the small shelf supporting it needed removing and repairing. Luckily an oil lamp had stopped it dropping to far.

The flat bed trailer was measured for wood as it needs a bed installed  so 17 2m scaffold planks are required, the outer frame was rubbed down, primed and painted scarlet red.

The unit was started and disconnected the first time it has been done and luckily it worked and the legs went down and locked

We had a spanner donated a number 4 seized solid and rusty so a good shot blast and clean out got it working TH was obviously the owner as the initials are put on with a center punch.

It is now in Fosse Cross on display.

the box body trailer has had the right side cream paining completed so a rub down of the red on both side to key it ready for new paint was the next job followed by a wipe over with a cloth to remove the dust.

The body joint slot head screw were all painted so a clean on the wire wheel got them back to clean stainless or brass finish but the surprise was the quantity of 103 of them

Back to the toy museum and feather duster time to remove the cobwebs that were taking over

 A couple of things for our followers.

The Restoration and Archiving trust rescues  and restores old Railway photographs and the digitalises them for posterity.

You can access our great collection by scanning this QR code.

If you have old railway photos, you think may make a valuable addition to this library please email Mike Dodd; Mikedodd936@icloud.com

Coming soon is the brilliant, Cotswold Festival of Steam, an event painstakingly created to give visitors the best heritage experience around, do come, we look forward to seeing you, and do tell your friends.

 The poster board, found in the skip

Another antiquity, is this Railway notice board, saved in the 1980's and served its time outside the Flag and Whistle Tearoom at Toddington Station.

Suffering a minor patch of rot, it was unduly sent to the skip.

Needless to say, members of the Restoration and Archiving trust saw things differently.

The board was rescued, rot was cut out and a new piece of decent wood was let in. 

The board was sanded flat and some very slow setting 2 pack wood hardener was applied.

The slower the better, because it can penetrate further in to the wood over time.

 Wednesday 26th March a lovely warm spring day so outside it is.

The old GWR notice board has undergone repair and wood treatment.

                                                

                                    One of the Shell petroleum spirit can has been painted.

                                            

We have been left a GWR ratcheting tensioner tool so this needed a session on the wire wheel for the outer parts and a shot blast for the mechanism after which the shot was cleaned out and the tool coated in lanolin for display in Foss Cross.

            

The GWSR wanted their car parking space back where we had the scammel flatbed trailer parked so time to awaken the scammel after winter. The fuel was drained and new put in but the lift pump would not prime. Top off and the seal had shrunk leaving gaps but the pump was dry and full of verdigris so a new piece of PTFE gasket cut to shape and pump removed to tip the debris out followed by a mechanical clean to remove the mess inside.

             checking the fuel lift pump                     the verdigris tipped out

 Thecontam ination left in the pump after tipping  upside down it needed doing to stop contamination blocking the jets in the carburettor

                                     

after a re fit and bleed the carburettor primed and away it went after a few stabs of the starter button proving the solar panel has kept the battery ok. so off over to the flatbed trailer and couple it up, the scammel system is great and easy one man operation.

                        We had a seized brake but this came free after the second reverse attempt.

On the way back to the workshop a visit to the museum coach and a photo of the GWR oil lamp filler station awaiting it's new home to move.

Then it was onto the Scammell box body trailer for a clean of the body seems as somebody in the past had used silicon sealant in the joins, rubbing it down proved awkward with the sealant so a decision to remove all the screw from the panel join was taken making access easier.

                            The joint as it was with no screw slots visible and masses of silicon about

                                                        

After more sanding, scraping and wire brush work the sealant was off removing 20 plus wood screws helped access.

            

A coat of primer was applied to check for any fish eye caused by remaining silicon sealant.

                                                    

                                                    The right side go a new cream top coat

And that was it for the day, time flies by but a lot achieved.

 Wednesday the 19th March a lovely spring day with blue sky and warmer than it should be.

            A quick check on Foss Cross after last weeks cleaning and it is good to go ready for the visitors.

The trailer for the scammell has been rubbed down and filled so today was a sanding day ready for new paint.

after filling

After sanding and ready for paint.

                                  The nearside has already had a new coat of cream paint on

It was then down to the Line Wagon for sanding and repainting the filler in the roof beams.

A quick clean up after and an attack of the vacuum cleaner made it look better

Before photo only.

The Salter scale face has had white top coats applied and is now ready for the decal when it arrives.

A job for the future Taylors office door frame is insecure

Wednesday 12th March 2025 a planned outdoor painting day but with Gold Cup Week at Cheltenham we have some white stuff and it has turned cold so the normal GCW weather but the race trains were busy.. 

                                        

Plan B clean exhibits and inside tasks, the front off Foss Cross building is a large open hole so the metal exhibits are prone to rust these have been taken into the warm workshop where wire wool and wire brushes cleaned the rust off before another coating of lanolin.

                    

                                                

                                       The fire bucket was done 5 years ago so needed a clean up

                                                        

The bottle corker and blacksmith bellows both got a clean and lanolin treatment with linseed oil on the woodwork.

                before                                                                after

    

Then it was down the line coach and filling the gaps between the arches and roof timbers

                                  

The 1874 building exhibits are getting to need work so spring clean time. The brass oil lamp got a major clean

                           After the brass cleaning acid was washed off it looked better.

                                        

The Salter scales dial plate has had several coats of red oxide paint ready for the sticker when it arrives

The oil lamp refilling cupboard has been painted and looks good we just need the lamp hut restored and sited somewhere on Toddington Yard with all the lamps in.

A 1920's jigsaw box lid was repaired and put back on display with a new end

The Scammell trailer has a coat of cream on one side during the week before the weather turned

And this old varnish tin is coming in for some tlc it is in quite good condition but the top conical part and lid have rusted and are perforated

Hopefully the weather will improve for next week so we can get on with more painting'