Wednesday, November 8, 2023

 Wednesday 8th November a dry start then heavy showers started so some outside work was managed.



Greg has been busy on the hand made model of the Garrat  locomotive it is now all in black livery and the motors are driving the wheeks.



He has also got the new bottom plate in the GWR bucket.




It was then into Taylors office for a floor clean and paint it a lighter grey to make it lighter in there.


The assorted bricks had to be moved for the job but they are from some long gone brickworks
they rotared on the phone but will not here so some testing to do. 


Some if the old clay pipes and a hopper from the Taylors supply display have been used to get water away from the workshop onto the station flower beds a good job by Greg.


Next it was outside to start on preparing the 1874 pay office for some much needed painting and tlc.
scraping of the loose peeling paint then rubbing the area down for priming to stop the wet getting into the 149 year old timbers .





                    The Northern end suffers less from the prevailing weather and sun damage



When the first heavy shower stopped play it was time to find other tasks to do and after spending time searching for paint in the myriad of tins in various places a sort out in the storage shed would make future searches easier.
so clean out natures autumn fall debris


clear a shelf or two sort the tins out add some labels and reload the shelves


A bit of worrying advice on this tin



Then it was floor clean in the workshop as again the wind had blown the fallen leaves in by the hundred


with the outside water diversion done and guttering repair the floor can be repaired as the water should stay outside now not flow through.





Wednesday, November 1, 2023

 1st November a dry Wednesday morning the rain arrived as we finished the area of paving.


Greg has been busy on the model train boiler with new boiler bands fitted from sheet plastic


He has also been busy on a vintage suitcase that is nearing completion



And the old GWR station masters megaphone rescued from the shed in Winchcombe is now straight clean and painted.




It was then a walk to the Scammel Iron Horse to remove the plug lead caps and solder brass fittings to the leads it also needed two new leather door check straps as the had broken over the summer.
We then looked at lighting in the museum carriage and treated the metal display items with an oil/graphite mix to slow the rusting process.



It was then back to the workshop to look at the brick paving as some areas had sunk and weeds had grown through.

 Digging out the grout and dirt works but the sunken rows needed lifting and the sub level built up.

A level check

Starting the lift





Some trimming of more bricks was the result of a couple cracking




8 rows later and a few shovels off shot blasting grit we have a level entrance

Just as we finished laying the last brick the rain came so the gap filler will be applied on a dry day.


The old GWR bucket needed a new bottom cut and lead soldered in the first one cut was close but it can now be dropped in and marked where we need a bit extra on cut sheet 2






Wednesday, October 25, 2023

 The former Bishops Cleeve Lamp hut nears completion.

The rusted corrugated iron, at ground level has all been repaired with new,  the interior has been painted, lifting it up from the grim interior it had formerly.

Keith and I have been talking about repairing the rotten Lamp Bench and reinstating the side bench, so the hut is as it was, when made.

As it is in an operational area, it is not going to be available for public access, we tidied it up to give it a future and for it to add to the growing GWR Edwardian ambience.






Whilst working at Toddington Signal box, the temptation was too much,

I had to give the typical GWR electric cabinet a repaint.




 

 Wednesday the 25th October a warm dry day for outside jobs and moving stored display items into the respective museums.


First a quick look at an  old scratch built model of the LNER class U1 2-8-0+0-8-2 Beyer Garratt locomotive that needs work to get it to a display standard.

https://www.lner.info/locos/U/u1.php

A few photos to peruse the rear drive electrical pick up is on top of the wheels the front is on the rear of the wheels.


                                    

                                    



                                        

                            

                        


                            


                                        




                                  It was then onto old tools refurbishment for the Foss Cross display


                                  A rusty GWR post straightener cleaned and treated with graphite oil

                      


                                        A scissor action pop riveter from an aircraft company


                                                                A 24" adjustable spanner

                                                  


         


                           And for the toy and period artefacts museum a omnibus ticket machine.


           

                                        


                                                                A vintage railway carriage, foot warmer (French), in the days before carriages had any form of heating.

                            

                            

                            


The museum carriage door was fouling so a quick look and the bottom hinge screws had rotted out

                                        

The remains of rusty screws and split timber meant dowels and wedges were needed


                                                                                                                            


new brass slot head screws will slow further problems and prevent us revisiting it in the short term. 


                                           




















































 Wednesday 25th September a lovely Autumn day with the threat of rain later which never appeared.                                           ...