Wednesday
Another busy Wednesday with thanks to Gerry for the photos.
Beginning with the GW Inspection saloon, Simon and Mike are planning the requirements for a cover for the gas valve and wider kitchen storage.
Trevor and Ben are fitting capping strips to double doors on the Malvern side of BSK 35308. This work is being done on the recently repaired areas done by Alan on Saturdays. Trevor is using the compressed air riveter.
Rod is back working on SO 4798's Cotswold side south door.
Now reasonably happy with the cleaning up of the edges of both door and frame, the door edges are given another coat of Light Grey undercoat.
Nick is repairing the wood container closing mechanism.
Nick preparing metal with the large saw. This powerful machine replaced a smaller one which we passed on to our Signal & Telegraph Dept. I wonder if they still use it, or even still have it?
The weed spraying wagon is almost ready. Bryan and Rex are fixing the safety railings on both sides and making general preparations. Tomorrow is the big day!
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Thursday
Just nine in today with several of our regulars away.
Firstly a quick look in Upholstery to see how they are faring with the tightening of the moquette on 4798's seating.
It's all gone! Which means that the moquette tightening has been completed and all seating components are back on board 4798.
The empty rack now contains the Bournemouth Blue covered seating so far completed for the NYMR's DMU.
The view on board 4798 with the double seats reinstated and covered. The backs and bases of the single seats are stacked ready for refitting.
Roger, Jeff and Alan begin the job.
A completed single seat looking lovely against the new carpet, and nicely offset by the freshly Hammerited heating pipe cover and revarnished cover support.
The completed north end compartment with protective covers going back on. The protective floor sheets need laying out again.
The main Cotswold side area of 4798 between the two end doors is now having the lower line tape added. The top line tape was added on Tuesday.
I was able to include the north end door, but not the corner where more filler was needed to even up the surface. We can now begin undercoating the taped section.
On board BSK 35308 Richard I is attempting to improve the lighting circuitry to enable the guard to control all the coach lights. Some can be individually switched on and off.
Some much n¹eeded painting jobs on the trestles included the top connection supports for the south end of 35308 and the noticeboard destined for Toddington.
It's the big day for the weed spraying wagon when an initial test run would be carried out.
Bob and Richard load a battery to provide the power for the pumps and related equipment.
All the removable safety railings and hand rails are now in place.
Numbers done in weld ensure the safety rail units are fitted in their correct positions.
Bob has produced a manual containing all the necessary information required to load and operate the spraying system. Having been a farm manager he is fully qualified in the handling of pesticides and the running of spraying equipment. For the test only water will be used.
The equipment controls along with Bob's manual.
Stu on the 03 has pulled the wagon out into the sunshine and Bob can now begin setting everything up for the test. The water container is part filled.
The foam padding just above Bob's head was a good idea.
With the sprayer now working, the 03 slowly pulls the wagon away.
The wet patch steadily expands.
Derek, Richard, Phil and Roger watch the movement. Was the test successful? Only part of the sprayer initially worked, but Bob guessed correctly that a bit of swarf had blocked the feed to the Cotswold side of the sprayer. The whole sprayer worked fine once the problem was removed.
The wet ground following the test, and the wagon gleaming in the sunshine and what will be the official photo for the summer issue of the Cornishman magazine.
[Photo : Gerry] One year ago (9th April 2025) initial work on the conversion had only begun two weeks before during a similar spell of glorious weather. What a contrast!
