Wednesday 31st May a misty damp start with light rain so not ideal for outdoor metal work on the Morris.

Greg has been busy cutting the rust out of the Morris cab floor as the rear mountings had rotted away, we need to get some box section to fabricate a new frame, mountings and a sheet metal for the floor.

The first world war gas attack warning rattle has come up well after the gluing and clamping.

Greg has been busy on an old 12volt bell it is now working and needs adding to a display building.

Some kind visitor left us a small mobile vice which has been cleaned up and preserved along with a hand held vice.

Greg has been busy getting plastic information labels for displays to enlighten visitors to their history.

The scammel decided not to start so a clean up of battery lead joins helped the speed but not the ignition process so again the carb bowl is off and fully stripped, it is now home to make a new pick up plate gasket as the multi layer one has separated and may not be sealing fully.

I started on the corridor joint that has been purchased and thus saved to go on our museum carriage. First job was to remove the heavily rusted hanger that was fitted so another can be sourced or made.

The spring collar took a lot of hammering to break the rust free

Then it was time to remove the fibreglass inner liner that was fitted much later in it’s life as an upgrade now redundant with the carriage going back in time to suit the steam railway

Then it was time to release the canvas and top cover this needed multiple rusted solid screws hammering out and the frame flipping over so the step plate bolts could be cut off as they were so heavily rusted and seized.

The canvas tube.

The top cover and strip.

The empty rusted frame.

The frame was then removed to an area with power for de rusting with an angle grinder and drill fitted with wire wheels when back to bare metal it will be preserved and panted black before being hung on the carriage ready to have the canvas and foot plate installed.