Restoration of a Railway Clock,
Grenville Johns
We welcome a past Chairman of the Branch to undertake his first full presentation of a major project he undertook. Gren is no stranger to giving lectures as he spent some of his professional life as an IT Instructor, teaching amongst many things how the operating system on the large IBM mainframes of the day worked. He also represented his employers at various user group meetings giving presentations on the various projects he was leading at the time.
He enjoyed the handicraft subjects of woodwork and metalwork at school and although following an academic education path, continued to use the artisan skills as a way of relaxing and meeting the demands of DIY in the home when money was tight.
He got into horology as it seemed that wooden cases and metal movements provided a good opportunity to use his handicraft skills, while fulfilling a desire to find something interesting to do in retirement. He foolishly mentioned this to a lady contractor who was working for him at the time and she promptly produced two clocks from a deceased aunt for attention. He undertook some self education and got both clocks working and thus the horological disease took hold, and the rest as they say is history.
While he was Chairman Gren encouraged all members to consider giving a talk to the branch, so he is about to take is own advice. This talk will take you through the tasks of a major project Gren undertook to restore an incomplete auction lot of a railway clock to working order and pride of place in his clock room. The illustrated talk will cover the tasks he undertook to create/obtain the missing case and movement parts as well as a little conjectural history of the clock.
Monthly branch meetings are normally held at the The White Hart Barn in Godstone
THE WHITE HART BARN
(Godstone Village Hall)
GODSTONE
SURREY RH9 8DU
7.30 pm for 8.00 pm Start