Wednesday the 31st Jan a dry day but a cold wind so outside it is.

First task was to refit the ammeter into the Scammel iron horse where a connector had failed, new terminals and wire made it a solid circuit. Greg had got a larger battery from the scrapyard in Cheltenham so this was put on charge.

Greg had rubbed down the gutters on the 1874 pay office so painting time from faded BR brown to GWR dark stone.

repainted the gable ends so apart from the window frames all painting is completed

Walking past Taylors office building the door frame left a lot to be desired so sander and paint in hand another job done.

It was then time to check the battery charging and fit it on the Scammel where a quick prime of the carb and away it went so a little drive around and leave it running at fast idle to keep the dynamo charging. the speed screw under the accelerator pedal had gone tight so Greg oiled it and worked it in and out.

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The Honeybourne signal box door no longer closed as something had moved so the belt sander and finger belt sander came into use followed by adjustment of the door striker plate we now have a fully operational door

Now we have mobile staging from the Engineering department we can access the museum coach roof.

the white paint is peeling, going green with algae as well as been coated in steam train fire and boiler smuts. It needs cleaning, keying and repainting but black this time to hide the debris from the steam trains.

Before removing the peeling paint

The job in hand with paint scrapers attached to broom handles with a jubilee clip for reach

                                 A lot of bare areas after but now ready for the orbital sanders prior to painting

 Wednesday the 24th a lovely day and warmer than it should be so outside it is.

Storm Jocelyn passed through in the night and brought a branch down onto the far side of the shed so with the aid of a broom it was pushed over the roof ready to be cut up.

                               

It was then Scammell time and making a rubber cover for the fuel tank to stop water ingress and reduce condensation as it lives outside.

                                     

An attempt to start it showed no dash lights or any other lights but it turned over, investigation behind the dash with a hand got lights on for a few seconds so dash out time and the connection on the ammeter was faulty so removed and brought home to make a new piece of loom.

                                                

Jane, Wayne and Mike had been busy over the week doing some spring cleaning in the Honeybourne signal box, the museum coach and the pay office ready for the return of visitors in March.

                                              

We have been given a engineers drawing 6 draw unit from the engineering department so this need collection from a container behind the workshops it was two  good walks back to the office up the carpark and over the tracks. Mike got the polish out before putting them into the office where the team will fill them up..

                                    

Then it was time for the connection corridor bellows repair on the museum coach, Greg is busy sewing a tear in the bottom of the left side, easier said than done as it is tough stuff.                   

I have removed a temporary wooden strip and put a metal top retaining arch it the top of the connection.

                           

A tear in the bellows was sewn up.

Many years ago a sign was rescued from the fruit shed at Toddington this was on the top floor of the building, it is now on display in the coach.

                                      

Whilst in the coach a look around showed the window surrounds getting discoloured by water ingress and condensation so a treatment with oxalic acid that will remove the black stains and lighten the wood colour once dried and to a satisfactory colour we will treat them with linseed oil.

For a future project we have a GWR mail/cash security transit box to bring back to good condition one problem is that it is locked and there is no key which may be interesting as it is a solid reinforced box for obvious reasons.

 A great discovery

Our respected colleague Jo Roesen, has been instrumental in achieving much of the authentic detail on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire railway.

Jo and his like minded colleagues have been working on the new  building on platform 2 at Broadway.

To be built in the  Edwardian, Great Western style, this will be another marvel to see on the GWSR.

During ground works, this week Jo dug up this Ink Well with, Go Great Western moulded in to the glass.

This is a remarkable find, hopefully to go on public display sometime soon.

Skip Dipping

Another neat find.

I always check skips for assets, that could be reused, far too much ends up in the ground and I always check with the Skip hirer if I can take items away.

These, small Victorian Sash windows were retrieved  and look as though with a few alterations could be replacements for those missing from the James Taylor Coal office we hope to retrieve from Beckford.

 Wednesday the 17th Jan 2024 a lovely clear day but a bitter cold wind and outside all the time so our hands got cold which made tasks a bit harder handling small nut and screws.

Greg has been busy buying Lidle magnetic tool holder strips these should make tool location easier and save searching once we are used to the relocation.

From last week I did not get a photo of the start of the old tool labeling in the Foss Cross building, carbon print and sealed from the environment so they should last.

The museum coach corridor connection was the first target as Greg had used some old timber just to hold the canvas on, now we had some hardwood strips it was time for a change the outer new one is fitted in this photo.

                                                  

the completed task and a replacement out top cover is being made to go above the top so daylight will not be visible through the wear holes.

                                                 

It was time for a trip to the old railway yard at Beckford to see the owners representative Jim about the possibility of saving Taylors old shed which is from before 1866. A fruitful conversation on it was followed by a look at the old engine/loading shed and a site walk which has prompted the need for a search for old photos and information on the yard area.

The west side of the engine/loading shed wall has a angle in it where the extension was fitted as it was beside the tracks and the extension needed a taper on the side to clear the railway lines

                                     

The original west platform remains the blue curved edging stones were removed by GWSR a long time ago and are now on Toddingtons platform. There is a fully wooden lorry/cart bed on the top of it with shaped edges on the timber which posibly denotes it as pre world war 2.

                             

Looking north up the track bed towards Ashton Underhill and Evesham from the platform area.

                             

The site is surprisingly long and wide for a small village showing how busy it must have been with produce and cattle from the Vale of Evesham. This is the track bed view north from the end of the yard.

                             

A perimeter walk turned up a lot of Dumbleton bricks which were made by Taylors at the Dumbleton village brickworks and a fitted end on and tapered to make an arch.

                                       

https://www.blackcountryhistory.org/collections/getrecord/GB145_p_1701

By Taylors shed is an old waste oil tank this may be available to the trust for restoration

Final task of the day was to refit the modern wiring conduit to the end of the pay office

                                              

 A post I put on the Banbury Cheltenham Direct Railway facebook page (a very good historical source of information and photos)

 Wednesday the 10th Jan and back after the Christmas, New Year break a sunny clear day but a bitter cold NE wind put paid to some outside jobs.

Another skip rescue, a signal arm that had been previously painted but now being tatty it was in the skip

A good going over with a scraper blade got most of the paint off revealing the enamel under it.

A time consuming job but it is getting there, after paint removal a clean with rust remover then a polish with cutting compound and water.

It now looks useable, apparently the painting means green algae starts growing on them so they get binned.

It was then outside for a clean up in Foss Cross building and labeling the tool displays of which I did not get a photo but carbon prints in laminated packets should last. We also refitted all the signs to the pay office

It was then time for the museum coach where the top  trim panels had been removed and refitted by electricians using cross head screws some years ago so it was time for crosshead brass screws to be fitted in keeping with the age of the coach after a good clean and restoration of the wood..

Then it was out in the cold to paint the corridor canvas with thinned down UVA glue, just around the holes and weak spots to strengthen it ready for patching in the future.

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Whilst quiet over the Christmas period Greg has been visiting Lidl stores to purchase the magnetic tool storage strips from the center aisle and has been busy fixing them up and moving tools around.

Last task for the day was a trip to Beckford station yard to assess possible moving of the shed in Gregs last post should we be successful in getting it.