Over the last few weeks, we have been pushing-ahead with refurbishment of Hotchley Hill's lever-frame, the parts that are usable. This has involved the usual routine of scrubbing and priming, with which we are all familiar!
The big job has been wire-brushing the beams and base casting in the locking room. These have a great deal of surface area, and can only be worked-on in-situ. For this, our portable genset has proved itself invaluable, supplying multiple power-tools (and a vacuum cleaner!) with ease.
Of course, an inevitable part of scrubbing away so much rust and flakey paint is a cloud of dust. To help manage this, we removed the floorboards above that were put in in the 1970s as part of the building's conversion. These will have to go anyway, but doing it sooner brings airflow and light into the space, both welcome.
Under layers of dirt, we found the number "4883" on the base casting of the frame. Perhaps someone more versed in such things could suggest its significance?
