Wednesday 7th Jan 2026 a cold clear start.

                         

Back to the Victorian coffee grinder refurbishment and no whitworth nuts had been located so some 10mm threaded bar replaced one of the through bolts so it could be tightened up and pull the machine together. the long stud removed was taken down the engine shed where they had a 3/8 whit nut and a die and holder to clean up the threads on the stud this was then used to replace the othrt stud that was in poor condition.

                                                 

The recently acquired agricultural cast flywheel fits onto the shaft not the tapered square end the original was on.

                              

With the original handle removed the flywheel was clamped in the vice outside and got back to near bare metal  using a wire wheel in an electric drill.

                        

After a warm in front of the fire for the wheel and paint a coat of grey primer followed by a few of gloss black top coat were applied, it clamps onto the shaft but it is away from the original nut so a spacing tube was fitted and the nut tightened.

 The wooden handle was stained with walnut colour  dye and then 2 coats of clear varnish were applied..

                                                        

The Morris 2T lorry cab has been worked on and is getting a lot better  but an attempt to work on it was thwarted by the cold and damp metal.

An old GWR notice board saved from the narrow gauge railway needed 3" of the rotten bottom edge trimming off and some new strengtheners fitted to the rear, new side pieces will be made and fitted.

Whilst doing this a member of the GWSR management was spotted driving the diesel shunter so permission to fit the repaired board at Hales Abbey Halt corrugated waiting room was acquired.

The board will be painted with old oil and left to dry for a while then topcoated some period posters will be used after installation.

The floor in lineside wagon 2 was looked at as one end is rotten this will be a major task as there are heavy angle iron shelving units bolted in above it and the floor is 2 layers of board in opposite directions the width of the wagon.

And we again ran out of time.