An old orchard sprayer, dating from the 1920s, will be restored and displayed at the Summerland Museum.
Sharon Stone of the museum said the sprayer was donated in 2004 and at the time, plans were in the works to restore it. However, the plans did not materialize and the wagon has been at the municipal public works yard since that time.
Earlier this year, Stone approached John Topham, who was working on another restoration project for the museum.
Topham said he has already spent around 60 hours restoring the sprayer. The work included sandblasting it to get rid of the rust and damages to the wood.
Despite the rust, Topham said the sprayer was in good condition.
“The integrity of the wagon was good,” he said.
At present, everything on the sprayer is original, including the one-cylinder engine in the rear.
Topham said he tried to get colours which were as close as possible to the original colours of the machine.
The only non-original part of the sprayer will be the hose, which he will acquire from someone else in the community.
Stone said she would like to see the sprayer finished for the Fall Fair in early September.
The cost of the work is estimated at $3,000.
Once it is completed, it will be on display in front of the museum, secured so it cannot be moved.
It will also be used for parades and other community events.
To keep it safe from vandalism, Stone said flood lights will be installed to illuminate it 24 hours a day.
She added that there are still some questions about the vintage wagon.
Although museum staff and volunteers have been researching the wagon, they would like some more information.
“Hopefully, some old orchardist will see it and say, ‘That was mine,’” she said.
In addition to the sprayer, Stone said Topham will also restore a democrat wagon which will also be displayed at the museum when it is completed.
“We wanted to bring the museum to life,” she said.
