Today has been really rewarding, after looking on the  internet for a supplier of timber to remake the bed on the Scammell trailer I came across, Oxford Wood recycling at Abingdon.

The visit impressed me, much. Take a look at this info and visit the link.

About Oxford Wood Recycling

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An award-winning Social Enterprise and Charity, Oxford Wood Recycling:

• Offers commercial and domestic wood waste collections around Oxfordshire, maximising recycling and reclaiming wood for reuse.
• Empowers our community to support their environment by purchasing reclaimed and locally sourced timber for DIY and manufactured items from the Wood Shop in Abingdon.
• Transforms lives by supporting people excluded from working to move towards and into employment.
• 
  

 Find out more or get in touch at info@owr.org.uk.

Sadly I was three planks short on my estimation.

On another bright note, the nearside trailer tyre has been flat for years and wouldn't hold air even after changing the valve, however filling the tyre with air to much higher pressure, caused the valve to close. A nice result. 

 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