Compared to last week, a much quieter day, with only three volunteers. A day for odd jobs.
Last week, we piled up all the recovered cranks and wheels from Hotchley Hill in the yard at Ruddington. This week, they were all loaded onto a p-way trolley and pushed down to Fifty Steps for long-term storage.
That done, we headed up to HH signalbox for the afternoon. The first job was to remove the sadly-decayed lamp from the outside wall, and to move the box's nameboard to the right place. The board is only temporary, but moving it clears the way for work on the locking room's windows - which will give us natural light for work inside.
By comparing photographs, it can be seen that the lamp we took down is different from the one that was originally fitted. Although visually-similar sconces are available from consumer retailers, any insight into how and where we might find a good period match for the original lamp would be valuable.
Other work included planning repairs to the locking room floor, which has been damaged by rot and fire. We also continued cutting back the undergrowth which obstructs access to the building's rear wall.
Among this week's photos are the underside of an original coping stone, marked "1940", and the hole in the stairs. This allowed the signalman to easily dispose of ash from the stove into a bin waiting below.
As always, we greatly appreciate any contribution you can make, of information, by volunteering, or financially (through the LNER(GC) Heritage Trust). We would be particularly interested to hear from anyone with experience in woodwork and joinery - but there's plenty to do for volunteers of all abilities. Contact me if you're interested!
