It seems some time since any work was recorded and quite a lot of work has been done. Firstly, both boot doors have been skinned in aluminium. This took a couple of days to complete. Next, applying filler to the boot doors to eradicate hammer marks and minor distortion and starting the sanding process. A couple of days were spent spring-cleaning the railway shed and I decided it was about time to cut the lino for the floor by the entrance steps and for the entrance steps themselves as it had been hanging around in the shed for a while. The floor section has been glued in place and undercoated with copper red floor paint. The nosings for the top of the steps and the second step have been cut but the front flange remains to be trimmed. The lino for the second step has been cut and awaits fitting which will happen after the step bay metalwork has been top-coated.
Continued refitting panelwork in the entrance vestibule area , made a new piece of vertical beading for the forward door pillar and fitted the cladding for the pillar and the window surrounds.
Stripped and derusted to the two steel covers that fit in the corner by the door and over the body mounting. These are steel and were fairly rusty.
I made and fitted the small piece of aluminium cladding that abuts the right hand side of the bulkhead window. Another piece fits below this to match up the beading but the existing piece was to badly damaged by electrolytic corrosion to use so I am in the process of cutting a new piece from sheet metal salvaged from the leftovers of 2636’s restoration. I won’t be able to do much tomorrow so this will likely be finished on Sunday.
Refitted the large panel below the forward bulkhead window today. This included slipping the return flange under the existing panel adjacent to the door then straightening and replacing the beading. This looked as though it was going to be problematic but with a bit of care and taking my time it all went back together, Not quite in the same place though, of course, some holes were out by 1/16″ or more. I drilled and countersunk new holes for the panel fixing screws and was thankful for the time saved by having three power drills, using the Proxxon where I needed pilot holes for the screws.
I added another through bolt between the steps and the forward pillar to close up the gap with the new woodwork at the bottom of the pillar. This needs a piece of aluminium cladding shaping to finish it off, I may do that tomorrow.
Restoration diary of a 70-year old AEC single-deck bus and the trials, tribulations and adventures of our 1966 Bristol bus.
