G.W.R. Autotrailer 169 News and Restoration Blog

 16/09/2021 Following on from yesterday's successful operation to remove the tempory cover from the carriage we followed up with a very productive day first fitting the framework of section 3 of the carriage. We were confident the section in isolation was 'good to go ' but until today we had not had the opportunity to see how well it fitted the existing bodywork. Well, by about midday just about all our fears were a distant memory and we were very happy with the outcome. The photographs show most of the woodwork in question with one or 2 small pieces omitted that still require final finishing. Because we can only mark the final fixing holes from underneath we will need to address that before final fixing can take place. We will then be able to erect the bodywork sides before tackling further roof hoop manufacture.                                                ...

15/09/2021 Have you passed our carriage at Williton and wondered what lies beneath the blue and white tarpaulins? Today we have exposed the truth..............nothing! Well, not exactly nothing. When we needed to vacate the Swindon shed we needed to ensure we protected the work we had already completed on the bodywork so we hastily constructed a tent from wooden poles supplied by one of our workers and obtained a large tarpaulin to cover it and protect it from the ravages of the West Somerset weather. today it was time to dismantle it and start preparing for section 3 to be added to the existing 2 parts already there. The driving end partition wall was also extracted and moved back beside the luggage end partition temporarily to allow us more working space. These will both be removed over the next few months to allow all of section 3 to be added. Watch out for further updates coming soon, but in the meantime here's a pic of the space created today and a picture of a piece of the ...

05/09/2021  Door construction update. Last Saturday saw the completion of the first of 4 doors for the Luggage compartment of Auto 169. Built virtually from scratch (you'll spot the original piece) this door has been constructed by copying the best of the remaining original and although it will require fettling and detail added the major construction is complete. There is a photo of it next to the original for comparison but remember that is the best of the 4. Next, we will construct the second of this pair which will include a 'closing' stile. This will be the one that closes first and the first door closes against it. Next time I will include some pictures of the door handles that our resident engineer has expertly created from a range of spare parts. Hopefully, we will be able to show our recent progress to all those visiting the WSR gala on 1st-3rd October. Come and find us at Williton yard.   The original door used as a pattern With droplight frame inserted for info Ma...