Wednesday 20th August summer has lost grip and a damp moning that dried up later on.

                        The Austin 2T 5cwt has had it's first coat of primer and looks a lot better.

Due to the damp weather it was inside to start so the protruding screws in the museum coach were replaced with screws and nuts with excess thread cut off level with the  nuts.

It is now safe from clothes catching when walking past.

The Morris seat base bottom edge vwas corroded and paint bubbling so mechanically cleaned with angle grinder and wire wheel.

The fuel tank ends got the same treatment but with a drill and wire wheel as the metal is thinner.but this exposed a pin hole in the top which required lead loading to seal it.

As the weather was now dry it was time for the Morris bed boards using a old piece of tongue and groove from somewhere on the railway that somebody had got carried away shooting staples in that protruded out the back. Where possible these were removed before some sanding with 40 grit sanding discs but this was a long job.

The old edge board was cut along it's length to fit, woodworm treatment was applied and the new old board needs staining to match the rest.

The it was museum coach time and more new screws to replace rotten loose ones and more sanding down ready for a coat of paint.

The honeybourne signal box museum deep clean progressed further with the railway station taken outside and attacked with hard surface cleaner and a electric brush to loosen and remove the dust and dirt.

More display cabinets had the exhibits removed from the top and again hard surface cleaner was used this time with a rag then the exhibits were cleaned before replacing them.

two down one to go

Number 4 awaiting a clean.

After replacing the exhibits back on display it looks far better now we need glue to carry out some repairs like on the plane where damage has occured. Some exhibits have gone past their best so need remedial work or disposal the main thing is the steady deep clean makes it look more inviting to go into.

Then it was time for a look in the skips and dsump some rubbish.

 The Leather Suit Case, then and now

Just a little Brass restorer, Mink oil and the result is worth it.

Wednesday 13th August another lovely hot summers day

The day started well as the postal service had delivered a 0.4mm X 15mm roll of aluminium for the BAC stamping machine but the day went down hill 15 mm fits on the carrier spool and on the feed pulley then you notice the feeder pulley is only 14mm wide so a trim is needed a 2mm strip cut of the first 30cm on the roll and hey presto it goes through the pulley and feeds in when the knob is turned the joy was short lived though.

The strip has to pass over the rotary plate and under the number stamp ring which it does everywhere apart from exiting the feeder so now we need a strip down to clear a blockage it may just be rust or debris but you cannot see in.

The 1mm off the width will be coil it up and put it on the belt sander to take one edge down.

The Morris bed needed finishing off remove tongue and groove clean up edges refit and secure after proofing the underside, moving the boards over has allowed room for another full board before trimming the edge one to suit.

The passenger door was fouling at the front when opening so the plan was adjust the hinges, the bottom had one working screw holding the weight, two seized ones and a fourth one that was broken. luckily to good screw was frr so the door was adjusted  then the one seized screw was removed cleaned and greased before refitting so enough to hold the hinge in place.

                                            

Three top hinge screws came undone but the fourth is solid so another old door trick came into play, the block of wood and some brute force applied in the closing direction.

                                                       

                                       This made a clearance between door and A post when opening.

The cab need spraying before another winter sat outside so time to crack on with the dressing of the welded in repairs and loose the weld seam.

                                     

The top of the A pillar was well rotted and has previously .been repaired with lead filler so cannot be welded a good clean then fill with body filler will have to do. 

 

The cab is now structurally solid so time to start rubbing down read for some high build two pack primer

Then it was off to the Toy Museum to remove 2 small cupboards and a shelving unit and put the large display cabinet up on the wall.

                                

                                 

 

A much better display and all items were cleaned before putting in, other cardboard display boxes have been removed for repair. The cabinets and shelving .are now awaiting a clean and relocation

 

 Wednesday 6th August another nice day and warming up.

A vintage leather suitcase has undergone a brass fittings clean and leather rejuvenation it is now tidy enough to go on display the knapsack spray gun tank also got a clean and polish. 

                                            

The BAC stamping machine has been rubbed down and primed along with a chrome and dial clean.

 

Despite the lack of rain nature has been busy with bramble and bindweed growing well so some clearance was needed it does leave a bit more tidying up to do later.

                                                   

Another few hours on the museum coach repair the last few brass crosshead screws are going in followed by filler.

                                                

Whilst in the coach after last weeks clear out we have screws protruding through the partition into the passage way as this iis now accessible we need no sharp points sticking out.

                                                         

Somebody has broken the locking wire stopping the manual rail drilling machine from turning so as this is a finger trap it has had to be locked using screws and nuts through the driven wheel, we also lockwired the drill loading lever so everything is stable and safe..

                                            

The Scammel Scarab is parked alongside the gravel entrance drive and again the dry weather has resulted in a covering of dust so whilst the hose pipe was laying near by it was a wash off using the palm of the hand but we need to do a proper job.

The sides and frame were removed from the Morris to gain access to the rear of the cab so it could be repaired but we have spaces between the bed boards so another added task was  unscrew the boards clean the tongue and groove joints and refit after some preserving agent was painted on the underside.

As an aside not work related the plastic racing pigeons in the basket on platform one do attract attention

 The Aluminium, Label Stamper

This brilliant piece of nostalgia was brought to us, by Jo Roesen, our colleague who has contributed more than anyone to attain an authentic Great Western Railway ambiance on the GWSR.

This label stamping machine, had been bought by the late John Earle ( Head of Friends of Winchcombe Station) and found itself marginalised and offered for disposal.

John had bought it from Tim Petchey of Winchcombe railway museum.

These machines were everywhere at tourist spots in the UK in the 1959's

We are lucky  have this, our intent to get it fully working to stamp out labels for our museum artifacts

Our Main man, Keith Taylor is sourcing a roll of aluminium strip from the internet, meanwhile I have made a new pressing handle from a turned tool handle I bought from the Gloucestershire Extravaganza, that took place at South Cerney, last weekend.

 The Tool Van Roof

I am restoring the interior of the second of Andrew Goodman's Great western Railway tool vans.

Inside, two of the roof supports have split, offering reduced structural security.

The cracks have been reduced after gluing and screwing closing up the splits.