Recreating the ambiance of the early 1900's

We on the R and A trust  continue to enhance the much loved,classical Victorian and Edwardian atmosphere that the Great Wester Railway created.

At the entrance to their railway halts the passenger was met with a sign that featured the services that ran from there.

Quite impressed with seeing a rare surviving sign at Kidderminster Railway museum from the Ross and Monmouth line, I created a replica for use at Hayles Abbey Halt.

Using  a former notice board of approximately the same size it was steeped in linseed oil for some time,  to protect it sufficiently for a new, life out doors.

These signs were hand painted to the GWR house style, and just from a photograph Caitlin of Signlink Graphics,  recreated an accurate stencil  which painted through created, this fabulous, nearly, genuine sign you see here.

It just remains to add the destinations of Winchcombe,Gretton, Gotherington,Bishops Cleeve,Cheltenham Racecourse, Cheltenham High street halt, Malvern Road,  and St James Stations,one way, then, Toddington, Laverton, Broadway, Willersey, Weston Sub Edge and Honeybourne in the other direction. 

We have a length of Broad Gauge Bridge rail which will be cleaned, painted and erected, to mount this sign board at  Hayles Abbey Halt.

Artefacts that draw attention to visitors, will feature in personal photographs, videos and print,  socially, promoting the GWSR as a unique place to visit.

 Wednesday  28 august a dry start with a shower dinner time.

Job one finish painting the dock crane and base so it is a job off the to do list completed.

The slew gear box at the bottom required some spray paint as it was very limited access with a brush. Had to make some 8mm hex head bolts into countersunk slot heads to mount the crane id and load plates

It was then Boxford time as the South facing side had deteriorated with the exposure to nature. Greg adjusted the supplied paint colour as it was too light and fawn  so dark brown was mixed in.

Boxford was then rubbed down after being filled in the week so a brush the dust off and it was go painting.

x

Then a coat of the re coloured light stone paint was applied.

A large BR spanner has been donated all nicely rusted so a while on the wire wheel got it ckeaned up.

Now the cast lettering is visible.

It was then treated with a good application of lanolin which was then wiped dry so the spanner could be put in the museum coach.

Job 4 was the Morris floor panel and fitting of rivnuts to secure it. So 2 mm drill then 6.5mm and a 9mm for the final hole to secure the nuts into. 

 A basket, case.  

We have had this old, Exeter City Laundry basket, for some time.

The basket is bound with rawhide that had gone hard. the weave had become brittle, grey and looked quite tawdry.

It was washed, the greyness removed with Oxalic acid and was fed with linseed oil.

The detail, suppleness and colour has returned.

This metal Cabin Trunk looked to be in good order for its age , but it could look a bit better.

Staining, dirt and splashes of paint marred its appearance, old artefacts like this once looked great, with rich colours used in the scumbled finish,

Sugar soap,wire wool and a fresh coat of varnish, make this an eye catching exhibit, to go on to the platform at Toddington  Station.

.

 Had a weekend at Thorpe on the Hill Lincolnshire staying at the Railway Inn but opposite is a Midland Railway cottage dated 1845 over looking the level crossing. The end facing the track uses curved bricks to make a  semi circular end to the room most unusyal never seen one like it before.

 Wednesday 21st August a dry partly sunny day with a cool start so outside it is.

Greg has been continuing with the GWR travel security box reassembly and it is looking good.

     It was then dock crane painting time the post and parts had been painted some more since last week.

                                                            the start of the day.

             

                  during painting and after it just leaves a few hard to access areas to finish off.

It was then Morris 2T 3cwt time the cab floor frame has been completed but needs more paint and preservation before the floor panel goes in.

                                             

the floor plate has been cut to shape with battery access hole, the panel was then marked above the members for drilling and securing.

                                                 

The seats were removed from the base frame so we could drop it into position and mark securing holes

 Wednesday 14th August summer is on vacation drizzle and rain are here and the Cotswolds cannot be seen due to the mist so painting the crane is off.

                         However a fitting of the weight plate to get the screw length required was an easy task.

Natures debris required a sweep out of the buildings

Greg has been painting the 2T 3cwt Morris bonnets

Getting back to the Morris cab rebuild is important whilst the summer is still here so a de-rust and clean up of the repaired under frame is deemed a good task. The wire wheels in the drill causing enough heat from the friction to dry it out for priming.

The starting point

after a good clean up a light coat of primer

Then onto the passenger side

after wire brushing it is nearly ready for painting but two wire wheels are now bare.

The final clean up and a coat of grey primer

The first coat of red oxide applied

Greg is cutting a battery access hole in the new floor panel

The area is getting over grown with the hot weather so a quick trim and tidy up of the access area so it looks more welcoming for visitors.

After

Then it was skip checking for some angle iron but we came away with goodies for the trust shop including an oil spray can, paint spray gun, tilley oil lamp minus glass  and a good pair of mole grips now all priced up and on sale. 

 Wednesday 7Th August summer has gone an overcast day with sporadic showers but still ok for some outside work.

The GWR notice board we obtained from the Narrow Gauge Railway now stored in the dry awaiting work

                                  

         Crane time again Greg has started the re paint to dark rey the original colour

                                        

                    A few hours of cleaning off and painting it is looking a lot better.

While up on te access platform you get different views like the mornings steam service engines arriving to get coupled to the carriages.

                           

                                              Looking better as more turns dark grey

                                        

Greg has finished the grain work on the GWR security box and dropped the lid frame and handles back on.

                                                 

When the rain arrived it was time to go into the museum coach and start fitting the restored metalwork to it a long job with over 180 wood screws to put in by hand after sorting out how the plates went to align the holes correctly as they are not uniformly spaced.