Wednesday 25th June nother lovely warm summers day.

The constant battle against nature goes on the block paving area needed another clean up and another application of weed killer in areas as we are trying to get it to look used not abandoned.

                                         

The buildings with windows needed a duster around the panes of glass to remove spiders webs and insect carcases.

                                                         

The Station workers jacket has been in one window for years this was covered in cobwebs and dust so needed a gentle beating and hoovering but the back has faded in the sun so it needs a proper clean and dying before putting back on display..

                                                 

The plinth under the AA box got pushed apart when it was sited so a gravel out job realign and rescrew the timbers was called for plus reaffix the surround under one of the Andoversford windows.

                                               

The weather has ravaged the museum coach with water and temperature having a detrimental effect.

The gutters move and water gets in behind the sides resulting in the timber frame moving and steel screws fitted over the 103 year this coach has survived rotting in the wood, the constant expansion and contraction pushes the filler covering the screw heads out into blisters.

Removing any screws that will not tighten or are not crosshead brass is a big job but then the oversize holes can be filled with wooden cocktail sticks and chop sticks secured with glue before brass crossheads are fitted..

Once all the screws are in and tight the heads are covered over with car body filler the areas can then be sanded down and patch painted

 

 A Stitch in Time saves nine !

Repair that one loose stitch when  it happens, you will save nine stitches when it starts  to fall apart.

The same could be said this evening when i noticed the deteriorating paint work at the southern end of Collet museum coach at Toddington.

We had some epic paint peel, so a quick sand with 180 grit and a new coat of Yacht varnish that will stabilise   the surface for another couple of years, if it had been left any longer  a total new repaint would have been necessary, it took just 40 minutes











 

Wednesday the 18th of June a lovely hot summers day 

Nature has been busy with weeds growing and the trees shedding leaves due to the hot dry spell so a clean out in Foss Cross and remove weed growth from the paved areas we had cleaned and regrouted just a few months ago. We also cut down some shrubs that obscured our area from the station and train carriages so exhibits can be seen easier and visits prompted by visual interest..

                                  And after a trim and tidy around it looks more inviting.

                      

The job of emptying the scammel box body continues this week it was lights, candles and oil cans out for a clean repair and display we also got another hessian sack for the transport display.

               

After a session on the wire wheel most were ready for a coat of preservative but a GWR boiler inspection lamp needed it's spout soldering back on.

                         

                      The freshly filled sack ready for the museum coach transport display.

                                                        

A southern Railway level crossing light was also washed off with soap, water and stiff brush before a coat of lanolin was applied,  this also had wood cut and bolted on like a crossing gate so it stands up.

                      

                           

                                                                               The lamp ready for display
                                                                

We had a slight delay in delivering the items to their new locations due to the arrival of the Cheltenham bound train so had to ask if we could cross the line

                                                

A cast iron post top from the original GWR station square gate posts was rescued from the ground at Toddington station this has had a clean with a rotary wire brush and had a white undercoat applied.

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The Tewkesbury Group have been busy on Tuesday evenings stripping the paint off the line side hut which when sited and painted will house the lamp and oil displays.

The Temperature was now mid to high 20's

 Wednesday 4th June a nice summers morning.

Today is a enamel sign day as they have been stored in the Scammell box body and we need to move it sometime. So out wash with soapy water ,dry then lanolin and wire wool to clean off any marks before a wipe down and a clean lanolin treatment.

                                                           Fixing them up on display

 The double sided ones went on the Trusts shop and walking over the tea sign looked dirty so a quick clean and lanolin,

The inside of the scammel box body which needs emptying so some will be restored and used some stored for the future and other stuff dumped or sold in the shop.

                                                    

A slide jack was found so a quick clean and paint it is on display in the museum.

The Slater scales which were green was not the factory colour so it has gone to photos found online

A manual cross drill for railway line has been cleaned up and put in the museum coach

A spider infestation needed cleaning out of the AA box and the floor sealing.

Then time was up.