27/1/2021

During the paint stripping exercise today I found  a split in the roof sheets, either side of the beading between the second and third bays at the top of the cant section.  I initially tried aluminium solder to repair the crack but couldn’t get enough heat into the panel without the risk of damage to the inner frame.  So although it is the kind of repair I despise, I tapped the panels down a little with the panel hammer either side of the beading and riveted a repair panel over each crack.  I should be able to fill over the repairs and shape back to the normal roof profile.

25/1/2021

Work has continued on stripping the paint from the roof and by the end of today all that remains to be stripped are the offside cant panels from the third bay forwards and the front dome and destination box.  Along the way various problems have been identified including the dent in the rear dome and one or two small dents that will need to be rectified before painting. One problem is the roof beading, two sections (bay 4 forward and rear)  have sprung screws in a few places, due most likely to wood rot in the roof frame.  John Cora wrote in his article of a roof leak, this was most likely the cause as the roof sheets and beading have started to separate where the screws have lifted out.  The best solution would be to remove the roof sheets and repair or replace the framing, but this would be an enormous task so a reasonable solution is to use 1/4″ diameter rivets through the beading to pull the overlapping roof sheets and the beading together.  I can treat the join with Grenville flexible sealant to waterproof it before painting .  Hopefully this repair will last long enough for someone else to have to pull the roof off.

17/1/2021

Following completion of the door arch top fairing panel and application of a coat of primer and undercoat to the inside of the panel, I stripped and straightened as best I could the drip rail that mounts above the entrance, noticing that it has a slight curve from end to end to ensure that water runs off and doesn’t stand in the rail.  There will need to be a bit of fettling once it’s on the bus, prior to final paint but for now it has had a coat of primer.

Having reached something of a hiatus with the final window still missing off the nearside, I decided I might as well strip the paint of the roof.  This was the job for all of this week and by today a good three-quarters of the roof has been stripped.  The roof panel beading needs attention with rusted screws popping out everywhere but otherwise the roof is in fairly good condition.  The exception is the nearside corner at window level which was full of filler. Digging this out revealed an enormous dent.  I am as yet undecided whether to attempt to pull out the dent as much as possible or rivet a plate over it.