October 12th

After missing a week I got back onto the scammel and refitted the rear lights all did not go as planned as one bulb holder was longer than the rest and the mounts had been tweaked to suit it. 

But we have gone from this

To this

Then finished off the chassis and did the wheels after a cab clean it looks a lot better

Greg has been busy making architrave and replacing the rotten wood around windows on the buildings it was then time to attack the platform scales for a disassembly coat the mechanism with some used engine oil and a repaint but a light shower interfered with the painting. Greg has photos to add for these tasks as I forgot as normal.

We need a video of the scammel in action now it drives and everything works.

 Is it worth restoring ? This Tin plate GWR rail network map was given to me in the 1970's by Tim Petchey of Winchcombe Railway museum,it had been folded in half, and pulled from a fire during the demolition of Chedworth Station , on the Midland and South western Junction Railway.

It has hung around the workshops for many years, I thought, if I'm not going to do something with it then no one will,

I made a frame, cleaned and protected it with rustproofing wax, Prolan, and fixed it to the inside of the Foss Cross building, we have, out of sentiment as it came from the next station down the line from where it originated.

Did the restoration achieve anything? that will be in the eye of the beholder, the article has a little more meaning, I think.

A recent, Heritage Spot.

This could be a Lancashire Boiler, used in 19th century industry. now seemingly used  as a storage tank, with the firebox apertures plated over, this example is at Kinnersley near Severn Stoke and Croome park Worcester. These boilers were often used to power Beam engines, in mining, blowing houses. 

 Depainting, and then repainting, the Scammell Mechanical horse Chassis.

In order to bring the vehicle back to as near original condition,we have had to remove as much of the red, epoxy paint, as the correct colour would have been black.

The red paint had been, so sadly, often is the case, sprayed over cables wiring rubber trim and dirt, so it had to come off.

Happily, using a high power pressure washer, a lot of the paint blew off.

We then repainted, with a lot more care, using a rust inhibiting black paint, however we will be fettling some of the hard to reach areas for weeks to come.

The Chassis before

Nigel, a visitor from New Zealand, but formerly from Cheltenham, stops by and shares some very interesting anecdotes, with Keith Taylor.

The chassis after some repainting.

We realigned the AA box to into a position for public viewing, and primed and undercoated the inside. We shall reinstate an authentic interior in due course.

Work on the Scammell coupling gear has been taking place as well as repairs to flaking paint on the roller shutter door.

Great Western 3rd class collett coach, has the Dinmore Manor group as new neighbours at Honeybourne Airfield.

The Dinmore lads had been based at another part of the estate, but it is nice that we are all together now.

Pictured is the fitting of a new part of the window frame after the original had rotted away.

Morris Commercial LC4 of 1960, is undergoing a heavy restoration , the nearside wing has received a 2 pack primer coat.

The number plate from the Scammell had started to delaminate, we rebonded it with just a couple of clamps.

 Saving the treadle wood turning lathe in spring 2022.

The lathe stands outside behind platform 2 at Toddington station and the oak had rotted in and around the joints meaning the uprights had come adrift and it was leaning over and getting dangerous with visitors walking near it.

I found some mahogany blocks which were just about the correct size so the job got under way.

It required packing to get the dimensions so everything lined up correctly following repairs and slterations in the past.

New uprights and feet were copied from the rotten originals and dove tailed together but going for the extra depth on the left gave us more stability and the correct height although not 100% accurate it is safer if the lathe is going to be used for wood turning.

The end bearing caps needed repair as one had a wooden wedge to tension it instead of a tapered pin. 

The mechanism was freed up cleaned and painted and is in full working order now with a new drive belt fitted.

The right post has been shaped to the correct profile at the top and bearing alignment done so it all spins freely.

The spoke at 9 o clock on the lower picture is an old unknown repair so has been left as is. 

A photo of it with the new belt and perhaps a video of it working should follow.

The completed working lathe with tool rest and a new drive belt

Northleach Steam Fair

This was a good event, held for the first time at Notgrove.

Here is a collection of sacks saved from obscurity by the owner, you probably won't see anything like this again.

It was a great treat to see Karl Buckingham at the show. Karl restored this Lister generating set, given to the R and A trust, which was a little beyond the resources of the trust to restore. Karl has around a hundred Lister engines so we passed it on to him as it stood a better chance of being restored to working order.

A working engine has a much brighter future than a kit of parts. Clearly from the video below, this was the right decision as Karl had it working within days of taking it away. The set will be going with Karl down to Exeter to power lights at a Christmas event in November, on commercial property owned by the Lister family.

Please excuse the low flying tethered balloon in the top left of the video!

Restoration of 120 year old wooden packing case.

This Chivers Jellies
box has been full of old bits and pieces in the workshop.

It has been in my family for many, many years, and it was about time I restored it for display and for its own good.

The box  suffered from, wood rot, worm, splitting, weathering and, originally, been opened from the bottom.

The top was swapped from the top to the bottom, treated for woodworm and consolidated, with wood hardener.

Brass screws replaced,  rusty nails on the bottom, to avoid future splits and damage.

Spraying the grey wood with Oxalic acid brought the natural colour back (Please note, Oxalic acid is the best chemical ever for restoring, grey, black, and water stained wood, the results are amazing )

Finally a couple of coats of boiled Linseed oil to preserve the appearance, the crate is  now ready for display.

 7th August solo working so cracked on. Took the Fenwicks caravan cleaner and a brush over wash down the Scammel trailer after a few hose pipe alterations and repairs it got washed down so the soot and stains came off also did the others in the fleet.

last weeks safety fit the spring on the trailer leg lock

unable to varnish the cab today as it was threatening rain

Had to do some repair on the AAbox frames as the distortion on tightening caused a couple to crack

started on the platform scales shot blast the linkage and repaint gloss black just needs the numbers painting white and the makers name detailing.