Saturday 13th - Wandering elves

Another lovely sunny day, so nice after so much rain over the past few weeks.

It was Santa day again, but with a change to the routine. With racing taking place at Cheltenham this weekend, our happy visitors to the North Pole are travelling from Toddington. 3850 arrives with the first train of the day with happy Mums, Dads and little ones all eagerly looking out of the steamed up windows.

A little later on "Betton Grange" arrives to pick up Rake 2 from Platform 2.

The Grange heads back to Toddington to collect the next train of Santa visitors.

Now a quick flashback to last Saturday's post in the section on the Mink D van where Alex said: "Thanks to Stuart for the help in removing the faulty vac cylinder after I disconnected everything. Still not quite sure how we'll get it all back again! But after a lot of effort we had it all apart."

Well the Elves have done their magic, and lo and behold! 

The vacuum cylinder has been put back together and restored to the Mink D van! 

It was in pieces on Thursday, so when did this happen?!

Now who doesn't believe in Santa and his Elves?!

The FOWS Maintenance Dept Elves have also been busy and two festive barrels have appeared outside our main entrance.

Moving on to Mink D aspects, Paul primes the second pair of vents.

Now the fiddly job of removing bits from the gap between the main frame and plank ends.

More undercoating the main frame in dark grey.

On the subject of wagons, light grey undercoat is now being applied to the inside of the weed spraying wagon. This would have been done last Wednesday. The top coat paints for the wagon have been ordered and should arrive soon.

The final collection of seating components for the third Forest of Dean Railway contract by two members of this delightful railway.

No wonder Laura is smiling. She and her team have done a brilliant job with all the contracts so far completed.

The refurbishment of SO 4798 is progressing well. Laura continues making the new seat side panels for the coach. The team were busy with this on Wednesday.

Ainsley tackles more filling and sanding work on the sides of 4798.

We seem to have been forever working on the prep for 4798, but then it has been very sporadic and more of an overspill job when we have enough staff busy in the Paintshop. This will all change when RMB 1876 and 4798 swap locations.

Pam gives the Cotswold side toilet compartment another coat of varnish.

Bob top coats the remaining ceiling panels inside 4798, bar the ceiling in the final compartment that still needs undercoating. My paint order also includes much needed white undercoat.

Next job entails freshening up all the varnished panelling and woodwork with  fresh coat of varnish.  Bob applies a bit of wood dye to perk up bits of the veneer when needed.

[Photo : Paul E.]    Bob managed to get the various parts of the Malvern side wall with a fresh coat of varnish before leaving for the day. I carried on with the south end wall and Cotswold side of the coach.

With Ian driving the 03, and Andy and Clive as shunters, there was quite a bit of activity in the yard, here involving FK 13337 "Gillian" and some wagons.

Later on the coaches in the far siding were in turn uncoupled and pulled apart ready for the buckeye inspections and servicing.

FO 3132 "Mary" was also pulled out of the Barn and later pushed back in.

Andy and John transport this refurbished vacuum cylinder to the Barn and proceed to fit it under the Malvern side of 3132.

John is back on the lathe and is now producing some larger sized pins. Below the original steel rod is on the left with one of the new pins on the right. We could really do with a larger lathe as the job is fairly laborious with the one we have.

A wide angle shot of the busy Mess Room during the morning break. Over the next week the numbers will decrease with the Christmas and New Year period almost upon us.

We miss Jenny being in Upholstery, but she has done wonders since joining our Works Cleaning team and has rightly won the Gold Award for her excellent standards. The Christmas Elves have been busy again!

And here she is doing another excellent clean up of our entrance hall. 

More good progress was to be seen with RMB 1876. Firstly Simon was busy with the reconstruction of the toilet compartment walls at the north end.

Chris and Robert were working on the north vestibule floor replacement. Chris used the electric chisel to hack away more of the old floor support and threshold on the Malvern side.

Checking the fitting of the new threshold.

[Photo : Robert]  Now looking very much better with the new floor, a heavy length of thick plyboard, now undergoing fitting.

Repainting was also proceeding very well. Phil continues the black lining out on the Cotswold side top line. This was only possible up to the north end door where the flooring work was going on.

Phil then moved to the lower line to repeat the job as far along as he could.

On the Malvern side almost all the initial top coat had previously been flatted, leaving just the untreated north end cream section. Alex flatted this remaining area.

He and I then gave the whole side a good wipe over with dry rags and then with White Spirit.

Alex then began adding the second cream top coat.

It's going well.

Returning much later I was delighted to see he was well into adding the second coat of Crimson.

Two photos taken at the end of the day. Firstly the Cotswold side with the lining out almost completed.

Below the Malvern side with the completed top coat. The line tapes can be removed and the lining out started. Alex intends to get the signwriting done soon. We can then get the varnishing done.

"Betton Grange" brought Rake 2 back to Winchcombe Platform 2, and then with tokens once again exchanged, puffed back into the darkness on its return to Toddington. I couldn't capture that, so took the signalbox instead.

So a very good day. Let's see what we can achieve on Tuesday.

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The next day was spent relaxing in the Cotswold Canals Trust shop at Saul Junction on the Gloucester-Sharpness Canal, where I also volunteer and where I compiled most of today's blog post. Not surprisingly with Christmas rapidly approaching, it was generally quiet with few visitors. On a typical summer's day, we can expect well over 100 visitors in the shop, with the large freezer and chiller half emptied of ice creams, the various lollipops, and cold drinks.

All kinds of things are for sale, including books, various gift items, food bars, chocolate and a range of cold drinks, and for a donation tea, coffee and hot chocolate are available. The shop is also a mini chandlery selling items of interest to the boaters.

Louise loading her handicraft display with her latest efforts. She knits, sews, embroiders, in fact anything with a needle.

Her shelves now nicely restocked. She has made all of this, and as the price range of the many varied items is generally in the range £5 - £15, it is staggering that in the 7 years she has been doing this, to date she has raised over £9000, all of which has gone to the Trust.

Time to take a break and have a walk to the junction. The overhead crane is in the boatyard of R W Davis and Son Ltd, who are both designers and builders of all types of commercial and leisure craft and experienced restorers of traditional steel and wooden vessels.

Looking back in the Sharpness direction with the Trust shop in the distance on the right.

The junction with the stub of the Stroudwater Canal looking in the Stroud direction. In the foreground the display lock gates on the stub of canal which headed towards Framilode and the Severn.

Turning 180 degrees to view the lock chamber and the other set of gates. There is a delightful walk along the former towpath from here to Framilode where the Stroudwater met the Severn through a final set of gates (now part of a private garden). This section of the canal will not be restored.

Junction Bridge House and the swingbridge which are in the care of the Canal and River Trust. The entry to the extensive Saul Marina is just along the Stroudwater Canal on the righthand side.

Finally on to the bridge. Above looking in the Sharpness direction and below in the Gloucester direction.

Saul Junction is a nice place to visit and very popular, especially in the summer.