Wednesday 23rd March and summer has gone light rain and cooler.

running repairs as somebody has tried to get into the trusts racing pigeons whilst on the platform in their basket awaiting transportation.

The small top flap has been broken in two so brass reinforcing rods have gone in and the buckles have been wired so they cannot be undone.

After an unexpected task it was drilling and bolting down the bed boards on the scarabs flatbed trailer and also derusting and painting the wheel arch brackets ready for the repaired wings to go back on.

Then fit a headboard and we can say it is a complete running wagon and trailer. 

Thinking of a suitable load with and interest factor the GWR water system parts came to mind  so a heavy cast iron pipe was loaded and wheeled to the Trusts work area this was definitely a 2 man job

Once up right it was warmed with the oxy propane to get the remains of the bolts out that we had cut a year or so ago.

After a good heating session a large punch and lump hammer knocked the remains out on down 6 to go.

when all 7 were out the pipe was cleaned with a wire brush on the angle grinder this revealed two things one the original paint was applied with it stood as we have it and the marks from pouring the casting.

It was then loaded back on the trolley for and even longer trip to the Scammell where it will be painted with bitumen and loaded along with the water tower gate valve, a smaller gate valve and the flow gauge which have also been moved to the scammell from the museum.

The large gate valve and pipe will need the telehandler to lift them on before we chain them down if we can find some suitable chains and turnbuckles.

The Salter scales face is progressing well with Greg practising his sign writing

The Morris cab has had loads of filler repairs over holes and rust this is coming off to be replaced with good metal and welding

The good news is the railway are having the AA box up near the entrance so hopefully it will attract some classic car owners for photos.

This is how it started with us the finished box will soon be on display near the GWSR entrance

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 The Scammell box van trailer, has had roof repairs and a repaint.

Many of the steel screws holding the aluminium roof in place had rusted to nothing so all of those were replaced

with brass screws and the whole roof was painted with a good coat of Black Bitumen paint

 The Great Western Railway Tool Van

We also work on other peoples assets

The Gloucestershire Warwickshire railway has a group of young and talented volunteers that work on restoring wagons.

Overlooked, by many heritage railways, wagons can be an asset, not only for railway construction, but as an added attraction.

Freight trains are loved by photographers and public alike.

To  have wagons in good working order means they can be moved at ease to take on useful purpose.

We are starting work on the interior of this historical tool van it was the mainstay of breakdown trains and track maintenance over the at least the last hundred years.

It will become a workshop but be restored sensitively, here are the before photos of the interior.

 There  are many old  artefacts that are in store in the Scammell box trailer, that should be on public display.

This, brass, hand pressurised, garden pressure sprayer, had been in storage, but now, has had a  makeover,

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and looks all the better for it.

 Wednesday 9th April a lovely sunny day with a frost to kick start it.

The flatbed trailer for the Scammel Scarab is on the hit list today as an easy win job to complete on the scale of outstanding works..

Lets start with the wings that seem to have more filler than steel the one has rotted out at the end so new metal is the only option so measure the depth we need and cut a piece to form the shape.

filler removed and it was covering a mess.             replacement piece cut

                                with the rust cut away one wire for the edge rolling was still ok.

                                                

         Attached with welding clamps                 stich welded on and shaped

                  After dressing the welds and a light skim of filler for the rough parts it looks presentable

Wing number 2 was also filler heavy so once ground away a gentle heating and application of hammer and dolly got is straight and only needing minimal welding

both wings were then sanded down ready for a coat of primer which unfortunately reacted with the old paint in several places which needed attention before a light top coat.

The Scarab box body is looking good with more paint applied, thoughts are now convert this to a museum display area with steps up to it from the rear

The flat bed trailer wood has had a coat of preservative prior to drilling and bolting down

A crop sprayer has been saved and after a good clean it has gone into Foss Cross alongside the gardening tools display

Things are getting repaired at a good rate now so plenty of new displays to keep visitors happy and the AA box move to a permanent site should happen in the next few weeks.

 Just do it .

After efforts to recreate the obliterated dial on the, Salter, Albion weighing machine, failed,  where shall  we go next ?

If a solution was not forthcoming, then it was likely the project would stall, and be moth balled.

That is never an option, it needed to be sorted,  I  thought, just get stuck in.

The painted dial plate was screwed onto a wooden base and two concentric circles were drawn, using a Stabilo, Write 4 all, permanent fine point pen. 

Using a strip of Meccano,  an ad hoc compass was  made and  the circles were drawn in proportion

to an original photograph.

A much harder task was to add the degrees which were in pounds, going up to 20 stone.

A photocopy of a dial was stuck to the template and the graduations added by moving the Meccano arm to each line on the scale and  using that as a rule to mark off each segment.

There are  a couple of errors, which are correctable, the next task is to secure the dial under lacquer,

This where the challenge lies, as the lacquer will cause the pen work to bleed, there may be a way round this, but we will find out. 

Update

The dial was heated up and a light spray of lacquer was applied, there was a little bleeding which can be put right later.

The numerals have to be painted on by hand, I am no sign writer but am willing to have a go, knowing i can wipe them off or paint over them again.

When the dial has been fully numbered, i will assess its overall look and make adjustments to any number that looks odd.

  

Getting there slowly

 The Scammell trailer mudguards, need painting in black,I don't like painting over filler at the best of times, A crack in some body filler meant digging it all out, so out it came, to reveal a cover up which would never last.

This needs new metal welding in.

Perfection is for  concourse restorations, here are a couple of photos that tell a story of determination, care and value, you can read the mindset of the clever people who made them.

The screws that fix the roof of the Scammell trailer unit, their threads  have  rusted away and no longer hold the sheet aluminium to the frame, I am replacing the loose ones with brass dome head screws.

  Here, is a successful slice of  new wood I made repairing the door frame of GWR coach 4777 today.

Here I have added a roller bearing to the bottom rail of the roller shutter door on the Scammell unit to hopefully to help it make it slide up and down freely.