Saturday 3rd - A good start

Happy New Year!

With 26 attending today we were really beginning the new year in a big way. 

And to add to that it was a gloriously sunny day! Cold but dry, with remnants of snow on Cleeve Hill.

As to be expected the Barn was somewhat chilly, but there was plenty going on underneath SO 4798 where the steam heating system is being overhauled and new pipework installed where required.  Under the south end were John H. and Ken.

While John S. and Andy were working under the north end.

The replacement at this end appears to be extensive, the green and red primer indicating the new pipework.

More progress with the bodyside repairs to BSK 35308 with James now tackling the Malvern side. I will get a photo of the completed job on Tuesday.

Jeff and Phil, C & W's Finance team, having a mini meeting.

With the last FODR contract completed and, judging by the enormous piles stored on the racks, what appears to be the seating components for SO 4798 also completed (?), Upholstery look to be making a serious start on the DMU seating for the NYMR.

With new member Carol watching, Laura measures the part refurbished seat base.

The next job is to mark out the required area of the Bournemouth Blue moquette.

When I returned later Laura was assisting Carol with stapling the moquette to the base.

Later still on a third visit Laura looks to be working on a seat back (I should have asked!).

Carol was having a go at making a spectacle case. Was this her first? Laura was pleased with the result.

Our long term blog readers will of course remember Jenny as one of our Upholstery team, but now as one of our Works Cleaning team she is just as enthusiastic, always doing a very thorough job.

And talking of enthusiasm, Kevin our Stores Manager, also does a brilliant job. We have often received donations of tools and here Kevin is just beginning to sort out a tub full of spanners.

The Mink D van is now beginning to reappear as the new fully painted planks are steadily added by Ed and Alex.

Meeanwhile the seemingly endless plank preparation continues with Paul adding the chamfers with a plane,  .......

........  Maurice priming,  .........

........ and later adding undercoat.

Later in the day Ed is beginning to clean up the brake linkages.

It's the final weekend of running before the Winter Shutdown period and with the weather being kind, it couldn't be better. "Betton Grange" prepares to leave and then, with that lovely Great Western bark from the chimney, steadily pulls away to Toddington and Broadway.

Jenny happily waves to our passengers on a later southbound run.

Back to the Paintshop and that pesky centre door on the Malvern side of RMB 1876. Alan pulls out the bits of badly corroded metal.

Some cutting and grinding was required to provide clean straight edges. New metal was then inserted and welded in. The striker plate can now be refitted.

Chris and Robert are refitting the base on the Cotswold side south door.

Then on to the opposite door to fit the inner frame and rubber seal.

Robert later returned to work on the Cotswold side door again to work on the inner frame and narrow veneer corner panel.

At the opposite end Phil uses the multitool while in the process of installing the pipework from the  tank for the Malvern side toilet.

Ken secures the connection U frame to the coach body at the north end. We can now begin the filling and painting here.

In the servery area Bob top coats in white gloss the access door and other undercoated parts of the counter frontage.

The brown painted area by the sink was refreshed with a new coat.

Finally Bob undercoated the counter. There is still more painting to do in this area but it's all beginning to look nicely refreshed.

There is still some remaining black lining out to do on bottom line on the Malvern side. Phil begins with the south half.

Jeff goes round the coach with the red paint coating the charging points and fuse box cover.

Then a job he loves, painting the manufacturer's plate.

Phil now tapes up ready to add the lower black band on the north half.

Next job for Jeff, black glossing the door handles and stops, and the droplight top bars as far as possible with the other work going on.

Ian and Clive took on the bogie cleaning up and painting that had been started during the week, initially continuing the wire brushing followed by a good wipe over with thinners.

The bogie was then painted in Black Micaceous Iron Oxide.

The Cotswold side of the south bogie looking much improved.

They then moved to the north bogie Malvern side and began cleaning that. 

It has been really good to have "Pendennis Castle" here again. I wish we could have the loco for longer. The final running will be on the Sunday when it will be doubleheaded with the Grange.

The train leaves with the heavy exhaust beat that proclaims it is a Castle.

Hopefully we will be able to have "Pendennis Castle" back one day.

More excellent models brought in by James. " Lady of Legend" and the Railmotor.