Tuesday, so it was a day at the Rocks by Rail Museum. As I drove in I had a lifting experience! There had been talk about a Coles crane being donated to the Museum and it had finally arrived!
It is old. Dates from the mid 1960's and as far as I can ascertain it is built on an AEC Mandator chassis. It certainly needs some work but I am told it does work. Historically it worked in one of the nearby ironstone quarries and when that closed the driver bought it and operated it as his own business. The owners wish on his death was that his crane be donated to the Museum and painted in the dark red of the Colsterworth Quarries so we are fortunate to get it and we now need to plan how we bring it back to its former glory in that livery.
There are certainly a lot of interesting parts to it such as this makers plate.
For me it was a day of vegetational butchery with the front road side grass and hedges being cut back. As the wet warmish weather continues the growth of grass and hedges just increases!
Back in the Museum, the ever resourceful John was demonstrating his experience and skills in making rocker cover gaskets from scratch for Ketton No1 locomotive. His wide range of skills are something that only years of experience can bring.
After a short time two gaskets were made and sitting in place ready to have the rocker covers fastened down after the valve gear has been gapped.
Back in the Restoration shed John has also been busy painting the wood for the three plank wagon. In my last post on the Museum I explained that there were about eight coats of various paints on the wood and you can almost shave such is the gloss now on those pieces of wood. It certainly was not a lifting experience to see my face mirrored in the paint though!
Thomas has almost finished the van paint with the buffer beams and chassis now receiving paint. This must be the best piece of rolling stock that we have at the moment - certainly until the three plank wagon is finished!
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