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'

 The Cordon gas cylinder gauge.

Whilst working on the GWR Tool Van, I noticed the remains of a gauge fixed to the mainframe.

The gauge recorded the gas pressure in the cordon cylinder that contained the gas for lighting the interior of the van.

Somehow it had remained on the vehicle and deserved  a  bit of a refurb, the face was cleaned revealing the PSF graduations a new needle made, bezel repaired and a new glass cut.

Now mounted back on the vehicle,it can now be appreciated.for what it represents.

The renovated gauge back in place on the tool van underframe

Wednesday 5th March 2015 a lovely  clear day with blue sky and unusually warm for early March.

We had been donated a brass coal scuttle and a gang masters horn so they both had a clean and the horn was reshaped as it had a few dents and was not round at the end.  The scuttle is now in the shop to raise funds  for us priced at £25.

              

                                   The horn now needs a ring soldered on to attach the chord

           

The entrance gate and post were power washed last week to remove the green algae, so time for a rub down and repaint to make it look more inviting to visitors

After  new white coat and some black on the fittings it is ready

The British Rail (Western) draw cupboard now has a full set of draws with some old school railway stickers still om them for the likes of the Paddington line and others

It is now undergoing painting by Greg with grain effect paint

Nearing completion

It was then down to the line wagon with the nice weather it was possible to paint the outer repairs on the side doors

The one end door still needs a copper dressing plate fitted but we found the timber needed trimming first to allow and easy non foul slide action so job on hold as it needs the belt sander to get a mm or two extra clearance on 1 board

The Iron Horse box body got washed off last week and has had some filler work completed before the paint gets a touch up.

The art deco period scales have a new dial face sticker on order so off with the plate for a shot blast then filling and sanding so there is a smooth surface for the new decal

                                 After a shot blast                                      car body filler on

                                                               After a good sanding smooth

                                                        

Whilst the face plate is off the rust inside was treated to a coating of white lithium grease to slow the corrosion down rather than try and de-rust everything and paint it as it would mean disturbing the heavily corroded items that may not like being separated.

The oil lamp cupboard has been filled, smoothed and received a coat of grey primer to seal the filler, it is now awaiting some brown paint

And that was the time up.