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Wednesday 21st Jan 2026 at day that rapidly deteriorated with wind and rain and minutes later the Cotswold hills vanished from sight..

                                   

So inside the workshop and back on the metal strip stamping machine time to make a ferrous metal stamp die cutter that fits the hole in the letter disc, once done it can be case hardened. The bolt was used to hold the disc while shaping on the belt sander.

Once in place it was drilled ready for tapping the holes for the securing bolts but a 3mm drill is to small for the tap a 3.3 is needed. but the plate was also drilled for the end corners whilst on the drill press.

when tapped and secure the shape can be cut out to match the bat like hole in the wheel.

                                            

It was then a wet walk down to line wagon 2 for the floor and lights. the 3rd light mounting was fixed to the roof then the rotten floor was attacked.

The dust pan and brush got the debris and dust up there was a lot, this went into the skip along with the rotten wood. But we could now see where to work and the remaining rusty screws sticking up that needed removing..

                                             

The porta power was used to lift the heavy metal shelving clear of the boards this took a few attempts and required the pump bleeding before it would lift the weight. so we could remove the boards under them, luckily the bearer beams are sound so we can start cutting and laying new boards both under and top layer. The old boards differ to the new metric ones so carriage and wagon thinned them down by 2mm. 

                                                

The first lower board went in nicely board 2 was more time consuming being 2 piece as per originals and both required thinning over the bearers to sit level with the originals.

                   

Then it was time to start on the top layer folks will see and walk on.

These are quite long time consuming jobs so not much to report.

 Wednesday 14th Jan 26 a clear frosty start with minus 1.5C on arrival.

                                     

So inside it is the rof light mountings for line wagon number 2 they needed stripping of paint and smoothing down a longer job than expected as we wanted all the white off so they will take a stain.

                                               

But later on we took them down to the wagon and screwed them to the roof  ready for sourcing so glass bowl lights to go up on them.

first job was to cut the old studded lamp rods from the roof to give us a flat surface.

                                               

                                                    Oiled and screwed up they look good.

                                               

The metal strip stamping machine has been on the back burner some time requiring us to cut out the shape in the stainless steel plate for the cutter, however 2 cobalt drill bits made little impression in the drill press so a change to mild steel and hardening after the shaping may be the way forwards.

                                                         

The coffee grinder had to stand by the fire to warm up so lacquer could be applied before being put on display.

                                                 

The old GWR notice board is progressing nicely with new edging where needed and the inner moulding done. This needs more preservative then painting before going down to the waiting shed at Hayles Abbey.

                                         

Whilst down the line wagon it was a look at the rotten floor from underneath, this proved productive as a bearer runs across just over a metre from the end so we have something to rest boards on without going full width as they are laid at a 45 degree angle.

So inside we started removing the top boards and checking how the metal shelving frames would come out for access a stroke of luck we found under the detritus the boards were cut and screwed not full length..

 The top layer was well rotted and crumbling but luckily we can get away with just 2 x 1.5m bottom layer ones

This repair although a big job looks like it will be a lot easier than we thought.

Then time was up.

 Wednesday 7th Jan 2026 a cold clear start.

                         

Back to the Victorian coffee grinder refurbishment and no whitworth nuts had been located so some 10mm threaded bar replaced one of the through bolts so it could be tightened up and pull the machine together. the long stud removed was taken down the engine shed where they had a 3/8 whit nut and a die and holder to clean up the threads on the stud this was then used to replace the othrt stud that was in poor condition.

                                                 

The recently acquired agricultural cast flywheel fits onto the shaft not the tapered square end the original was on.

                              

With the original handle removed the flywheel was clamped in the vice outside and got back to near bare metal  using a wire wheel in an electric drill.

                        

After a warm in front of the fire for the wheel and paint a coat of grey primer followed by a few of gloss black top coat were applied, it clamps onto the shaft but it is away from the original nut so a spacing tube was fitted and the nut tightened.

 The wooden handle was stained with walnut colour  dye and then 2 coats of clear varnish were applied..

                                                        

The Morris 2T lorry cab has been worked on and is getting a lot better  but an attempt to work on it was thwarted by the cold and damp metal.

An old GWR notice board saved from the narrow gauge railway needed 3" of the rotten bottom edge trimming off and some new strengtheners fitted to the rear, new side pieces will be made and fitted.

Whilst doing this a member of the GWSR management was spotted driving the diesel shunter so permission to fit the repaired board at Hales Abbey Halt corrugated waiting room was acquired.

The board will be painted with old oil and left to dry for a while then topcoated some period posters will be used after installation.

The floor in lineside wagon 2 was looked at as one end is rotten this will be a major task as there are heavy angle iron shelving units bolted in above it and the floor is 2 layers of board in opposite directions the width of the wagon.

And we again ran out of time.

Wednesday   31st December a minus 3.5C start but clear blue sky when out of the fog.

After a day off for Christmas Eve last week we are onto the final day of 2025. being New Years Eve the railway was operating and the engines were been prepared as I pulled in.

                                

The view from the workshop told the tale of a cold night but promised a nice day.

                                    

The first job was outside as the 1920's fuel pump was leaning to the right so we straightened it up as it is bolted to the blue bricks this meant a bigger gap opened up so we dropped a packing piece in by way of an 8mm nut the filled the gap with dry sand that had been standing in front of the electric fire to dry it out.

                  

        

We have had a Victorian coffee grinder that was half done a long time ago but it has sat outside on the ground so today it got worked on as Greg had found a suitable hand cranking wheel for it.

                                                                The starting point

                                            

                            After a full strip and shot blast the tape as to protect the brass work.

                                    

                                     A  bare dry assembly to see how it all went together.

                                                 

After warming it up in front of the heater it was then primed and top coated in red and black and the brass parts were polished up..

The oil dispensing can has had a major derusting with a rotary wire brush and looks a lot better  it now needs the pump seal doing then we can use it for old engine oil storage

Two blades off  a rotary planer that were used in the original construction of Toddington station and were unearthed in the gardens of station cottages have had a light shot blast that removed the rust and uncovered  so stamped writing  all that is legible is LEEK but the corrosion has obscured the rest.  

And with that we ran out of time.

 Wednesday 17th December 2025 a cold clear start with rain later on so inthe workshop and a heater on and later the woodburner to warm metal up for painting.

The 87 to 92mm pipe clamps have been collected from Screw Fix these are a good fit on the stand we made for the coffee machine so tools in hand the assembled machine was taken to the museum coach.

The predetermined space was cleared and a 5.7mm hole drilled into the carriage boards then an 8mm bolt as screwed in to cut a thread once done this was removed and an 8mm stud screwed in for the pipe clamp to screw onto., one clamped the machine was bolted on top to get it upright. 

once satisfied it looked ok the stand was screwed in position to the outer floor board and the clamp secured.

         

There are numerous old packages stored and lying around so these need some attention a before and after clean then after this some careful gluing and strengthening get them fit for display.

                                                A battery terminal oiler is a new one on me.

              

The Salter goods scales have been hanging around outside for a while well a few years anyway but previous work has failed so into the shop to warm up and have the black paint and original paint removed as the black has not bonded to the green.

                   

A couple of coats of primer applied after a warming in front of the woodburner.

Then a few coats of satin black to get back to where we were, locate 7 countersunk brass machine screws that fit the dial head, then after some final touching up the face was fitted

            

discussion followed about getting a heavy cast iron scale down a flight of steps along one platform over the tracks and back upon the other platform to get it into the museum coach a car was a possibility but in the end muscle power won so it was manhandled down the step and pushed a couple of hundred yards it went easier then expected. 

The goods transportation display was moved around to site the scales then a full sack was added.

                                                 

A small picture frame had disintegrated so this was unscrewed and taken back to the workshop where it was fully stripped thena new side piece was cut from some old timber.

                         

 Then time was up but we had completed moved two large display objects from outside to final display positions so happy times.