after a week off Wednesday the 19th was a dry start that warmed up so time for outside working.

first task was broom propulsion to clean out Taylors office the pay office and Foss Cross as the trees had been loosing seeds and it was looking untidy so may discourage visitors going in.

A quick check on the Morris showed Greg had been busy with this time consuming job

The rear crossmember is assembled and painted ready to be welded in.

The Scammel Scarab is still hit and miss on starting up so a wiring check and tidy up of the battery leads the cut out switch is now mounted on the seat frame and fragile wiring removed or replaced..

78019 came past bellowing steam.

The water tower valve beat us using spanners with the rust that had formed with over 100 years of being below ground but the large angle grinder with a 2mm cutting disc got in deep enough to cut the bolts and rust out.

Due to the weight of the iron castings it was decided that the pipes would be better removed and than they could sold in the Trust shop as up cycling items for a garden or alike.

Even after cutting through the remaining rust held it all solidly together so a large chisel and lump hammer were needed to separate the parts

Whilst working 78019 came back past looking like it was having fire problems

once all separated and split the valve could be lifted by two people into a car and taken around to the workshop area, this is the top screw with the gate valve removed but the screw is seized solid so now inverted and soaking in oil hoping it will release and there is still with one bolt seized solid in the casting.

The free bolts have had a session on the wire wheel and 100 years of corrosion damage is easily seen but the nuts will not screw on more the 1/2 a turn.

now soaking in oil and lanolin to see if the rust in the threads will break down and soften.

The major castings will be worked on next week so the valve can be assembled and working for visitors to see and use.