He keeps his fire engine clean. It's a clean machine.

Spent this afternoon in the company of 326, main job was a good clean of the cab to remove the years of mud, muck and mildew. Quite productive and satisfying really, looks soooo much better now. There's something really satisfying about poking around in corners with a screw driver to remove the years of muck. Perhaps I need to get out more.....

Anyway, did a few other jobs too - measured the windscreen wiper blades so I can get replacements, had a nose at the underneath to see what state it's in, found the locker T key under the bench, checked out the battery terminals which need replacing and adjusted the hinges in the small coolant bonnet so it doesn't catch the bodywork. I also whacked some WD40 on the cut-out relay and cleaned the contacts, so here's hoping that works next time it's fired up.....

Also spoke to a workshop this afternoon about getting the brakes checked and repaired too, which is good. They seemed keen as well, unlike a certain haulier in Rutland who have workshops and a vintage fleet, who were not fussed at all! Oh well....

The repaired mini-bonnet:

Also, some more pics - the minor corrosion around the front:

The dinge at the back that's been there since at least 1992:

Evidence of previous reflective stripes:

And the underneath - a little light corrosion, nothing that a few days with a wire brush and some paint won't sort: