31/12/2024 and year summary for 2024

As this is Christmas and new year week, not much got done but I started the week by completing and testing the wiring of the boot light and its switch.  After Christmas, the first job was to update the plan for 2025.  When I got out to the bus shed, I primed the remaining cab woodwork as a prelude to painting, ready for fitting of the cab window.  I then cleaned and polished the fixed pane of the cab window and cut the remaining piece of steel channel for this pane.  I’m awaiting the arrival of some steel angle to complete this with the draught excluder.  I also primed the aluminium panel below the cab window on the inside of the cab door and some of the woodword on the emrgency door got a second coat.

As this is the last entry of the year, a summary of work completed in the last twelve months is appropriate.

All the offside half-drop windows were assembled and installed.

New window frames were  constructed and new glass fitted for the final  non-opening offside window and the emergency door window.  The cab offside window was glazed.

The emergency door was rebuilt with new exterior panels and the new window, then rehung and externally primed.

Attention was given to cab details, including the grab handles, fire extinguisher and holder, and the interior lights switch box which was repaired and painted.  Paint was stripped from under the front canopy.  A new panel was fitted to the inside of the cab door and the cab window frame  and slam lock repaired.

The seats were removed, and retrimmed in the correct moquette (sourced from Facebook appeals) and brown vinyl by Ifor Evans.  The driver’s seat was also retrimmed by Ifor.

On the electrical side, the indicator switch in the cab was partially cabled, the destination box had the bulb holders installed and wiring through to the cab completed.  The boot lamp was installed and wired up to a the switch and successfully tested.

The wheels had their tyres removed and the rims sandblasted and partially primed.

22/12/2024

Still unable to do much at the start of the week, but towards the middle of the week I was able to start preparing to spray the wheels with primer.  I mixed the paint then laid out five wheels and wire-brushed the deeply pitted remaining rust.  I then sprayed the inside face with zinc phosphate red oxide, applying two coats.  I gave the five a second coat after 24 hours and then started on the remaining two, wire-brushing then a single coat of red oxide, applying a second coat on the following day, laying on as much paint as I could.

I was able to work out what I had once they all had been painted. Two skinny ones for the front, two more of the same pattern but fatter, for the outer rears, two of a identical but different from the others for the rear inners and an odd one for the spare.

Four of the wheels after blasting and rears primed.

15/12/2024

Not much achieved this week.  Acquired a spare tyre.   Retrieved the wheels from Marcel the sand blaster and moved the tyres around to accommodate them in the front shed.  The black cellulose paint for the wheels arrived on Friday but I’m still too unwell to do anything with it yet.  Hopefully next week.