Saturday 17th - Another busy Saturday

It certainly was a very busy day with a number of our staff sorting out our long term storage. While all that was progressing we were as busy as usual inside.

It was a lovely bright Autumn day with a distinct chill in the air. 2807 drifts into Winchcombe with the first train of the day to Cheltenham.

John doing a bit of on the spot priming with Red Oxide.

Ken rethreads one of the two heating pipes to be reinstated in the Inspection Saloon.

At the north end of TSO 4867 James continues the gradual rebuild with another new piece of sheet metal being welded in.

[Photo : Gerry]  I forgot to include this photo taken on Thursday. With some time to spare at the end of the day, I sanded and filled some of the areas on the side of 4867 that George had previously dug out.

Alan is also doing some great work with the repairs to the south end of TSO 4406. I will get some further photos of the metalwork repairs to both 4867 and 4406 on Tuesday.

And talking of repairs, three of the painting variety to do in BCK 21092. Firstly the panel repair in the north toilet compartment.

Then two ceiling repairs following water ingress, the above in one of the first class compartments, the other in the south end of the corridor.

Walking back from Rake 3 with Paul in time to watch the very popular 45110 pass with, for C & W staff, the very popular Crimson & Cream Rake 2.

Laura demonstrates how we make one of our small items to a new member joining Upholstery? I didn't want to interrupt to ask. We have been advertising for another member to join the Saturday team.

A lovely display of cushions for sale in our Toddington and Broadway shops. At the bottom of the pile on the right are cushion cases ready for filling.

Alex repaints the two sandwich boards destined respectively for Toddington and Broadway.

With almost all the undercoating complete on the sides of SK 25451, it was time to do some light sanding to key the paint surface. The quality of the paintwork is really good and doesn't need a major flatting as we have done previously. Bob gradually works his way along the main section on the Cotswold side.

Ainsley undercoated one of the two remaining windows still in grey.

With the tower set up at the north end Ian completes the preparation about the connection and even the reachable centre section of the roof.

Later with the tower moved back to the Malvern side, Ainsley uses the long brush to continue the roof painting. This very useful item comprises a brush taped to a pole to enable the awkward parts such as cowl backs to be painted when we aren't using the safety wire system or when the coach is outside having some paint repairs.

Ian has now moved on to cleaning up the south bogie ready for painting on Black MIO.

Ah, this is where they all are! That mournful Stanier hoot had everyone, that could, rush outside to watch 45110 pass with Rake 2. As I mentioned previously, both the engine and rake are very popular. It shouldn't be too long before 25451 replaces CK 16221 at the south end of the rake to give us a full set of Crimson and Cream coaches. Actually the first coaches in our new era with this livery were PWay's Mess coach (now needing a repaint) and the Santa coach in Platform 1 Bay.

Now moving outside where Maurice and Scouse are making the most of the good weather to continue what they could with repainting the Shark on the Malvern side.

Two photos taken by Scouse of the repainting on the Cotswold side with the new and refurbished planking in place.

Another batch of fully varnished inner window framing awaits collection, while another four just freshly coated in preservative by myself await varnishing. The sapele with this batch is dark enough not to require any wood dye.

The weather looks to be closing in at the end of another busy day as D6948 rapidly pulls away with the last train of the day.

Weds 14th / Thurs 15th - Windows

It's probably a combination of the holiday season coming to an end and the sort of jobs now available, but it was good to see 20 attending on Thursday as well as the usual good number on Wednesday. Attendance on Thursdays has been quite low in number for quite a while.

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Wednesday 

Many thanks to Gerry for another great set of photos.  

The sequence below actually involves several windows, but it does show the progression from window removal to repair and reinstatement, and this continues with my photos taken on Thursday.

Bob in the process of removing a window on the Malvern side of 4867.

With the window out, some cleaning up of the surrounding panelling, followed by the same for the window.

Now over to Nick to remove some of the excessive number of holes. Three have been marked as not required.

With the welder again set up for aluminium welding Nick infills the unwanted holes.

Next some panel repairs around the window void.

Waterproofing sealant is added and when the void is ready the window will be reinstated and rivetted in place.

Bryan cleans up the void .........

......... and then coats the recess in Red Oxide.

Rex drills the necessary screwholes in the base timbers for the windows being refitted.

Fitting the base timbers in window voids on the Malvern and Cotswold sides respectively. These fit just inside the frames.

Now fitting the glass, followed by the inner varnished hardwood sections.

On now to the Woodwork Team with Nick and Simon dismantling one of the partitions inside 4867.

Simon removes another floor section.

Ken with new primed brackets for steam heating (guess this will be for 4867).

Eve is preparing another bench seat for rebuilding.

Laura looks to be making more of the popular spectacle cases.

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Thursday

Paul of St Blazey had commented at the end of Tuesday's post that he thought he had missed upgraded SO 4798 going into Rake 1. Sadly the coach remains in the sidings awaiting further testing of the steam heating system. The bad leak has been fixed and successfully tested, but Stu wants a further test to ensure that the suspicions of a further minor leak are unfounded. A sensible decision because once the coach joins Rake 1 and is set up by RCS for the Afternoon Teas and other catering events, we want it to stay in, not have to be pulled out again. It will certainly be well publicised when it becomes operational.

Now on to the day's activities. While there were 20 attending, not everyone was around to photograph of course. 

The final four inside frame sections currently on the trestles for SO 4867's windows. Chris and Robert have done a great job making the many pieces that have come into the Paintshop for preservative, dyeing if necessary', and two coats of varnish all round. There must be yet more to do? I must check on Saturday.

Continuing the windows theme, Rex uses the piece of precut plyboard to test the fitting of the main base section of windowframe for this Cotswold side window.

The window complete with the inner hardwood frame sections in place.

The main base hardwood section has been clamped in place.

Rex checks it all from outside.

Out to the Barn and progress with TSO 4406. Alan is now working on the south end repairs to the base, where new sections to the connection support pillars have been welded in.

Futher tidying up before introducing a replacement piece of sheet metal.

The new piece now spot welded in place and already making this side look better.

Cutting out the other side of the connection doorway reveals a ghastly sight. Certainly a bit to do here!

Not forgetting the "joys" of the Malvern side corner!

Richards II and I doing the final work on the improvements to the battery charging system under the GW Insection Saloon.

Now out to the north yard siding and BCK 21092 where the Indoor Gang are doing some internal repairs to the north end toilet compartment. With that completed, the Painting team now need to follow up.

Alan sweeps up wood bits in the centre vestibule ...

..... and empties them in Paul's rubbish sack.

Time for a break from all the cleaning. It was just Paul in Rake 3 today as Jenny is on holiday.

A stroll through this faded coach shows that, as with most of Rakes 3 and 4, the interiors are mainly still very nice, 21092 particularly so. Above is the opened out conversion made from two standard compartments which can seat 10 passengers and is ideal for group visits.

The remaining second class compartment looks lovely in the silver horsechestnut leaf moquette.

The two first class compartments are even better.

Back to the Paintshop and the Painting Team members who are in today. Starting with Graham mixing the Express Red undercoat with thinners to achieve the ideal consistency.

Tim wipes over the north end of 25451 in preparation for undercoating.

I was very pleased to see Tony (Alex's dad) back in after a long time away. Tony finished off the second coat of Grey MIO on the Cotswold side of the roof.

With the demarcation tape reinstated, Graham completed the bottom section of the Malvern side.

Tim undercoated most of the north end, leaving the connection itself and inside it.

Jeff adds a coat of Black Gloss to the Malvern side sole bar that Roger had cleaned on Tuesday.

Graham did a lot to the cream section on both sides of the coach, sanding to flat down the initial undercoating and then adding a second undercoat.

At the end of the day a view of the south end that Tony had partially undercoated and down the Malvern side.

The almost undercoated north end (I quickly painted the connection face just before clearing up) and along the Cotswold side.