It’s hard to believe it is September already, and Spring upon us. Despite the restrictions in our social lives for the past 5-6 months, the year seems to be shooting by even more quickly than ever!
After some representations, Council finally stirred from its slumber and prepared a Covid-19 safety plan for us volunteers, and we were finally permitted to return to duties on August 4th. However, we have a stringent set of conditions, as I am sure you can imagine, one being that we cannot open any of the museum buildings for the foreseeable future. Council are rightly concerned that all of us are in the age susceptible category! Another condition is that if we engage with members of the public on Tuesdays, we are required to sign them in and out and record contact details. However, it is a great relief to be able to get back to picking up from where we left off.
During our shutdown, a few of us put our heads together to visualise what the body and cabin of the International truck might look like. A plan of sorts emerged, and we turned it into a cutting list for the timber required, totalling in excess of 50 pieces of various sizes and timbers. This has been given to our timber supplier for costing at this stage. We do have a colour scheme for the truck. Engine and gearbox are grey, International red for the chassis and related items, black for the scuttle, mudguards (we have to make these yet), running boards and associated panels, and deep green for bonnet and radiator shroud. Trying to find the right green had eluded us until the other day when our panel beater/ spray painter member turned up with the radiator shroud, which he had extensively repaired, all painted in just the right green. He has concocted this colour himself from Deep Brunswick Green and British Racing Green.
I feature this month the restored Waddell sulky. It had been offered to us during a clean-up at Galston High School about 2014, where it had been poorly stored for a number of years. It was on the property at the time of its acquisition by the Education Department, and its restoration was undertaken by students in the early days of the high school. When we received it, the paint was falling off and it was in a generally dilapidated state. We undertook its restoration and were even able to get the same sign writer who had done it for the school to do it again. It came up very well, and we are proud to have saved this item of local significance.
If you would like to contact us, call Ian 0419 435 475, or Vern 0405 703 413.
