With the very successful Diesel Gala over, it's back to almost normal working. Our attendance continues to be very variable, but the jobs continue to progess even with the lower numbers.
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Tuesday
With the gala over it was time to clear up. Some stands had been brought in and barriers cleared away at the end of Sunday, but there was still a lot to do. First off was the viewing area with Maurice kindly lending a hand.
Maurice and Richard watch the first train come by with D6948 in charge. We are diesel running full time now with the weather continuing to remain dry.
It's fun getting the large banner down from the side of the Works. Maurice does the gathering while I'm leaping up and down the ladder unhooking. Make a mental note: a couple of the hooks need fresh rawl plugs.
The carefully rolled up banner and large direction stand are stored in a van. On the way back to the Works, a quick photo of Rose's pretty display at the end of that siding.
It took me much of the morning clearing all the gala display and other bits and returning it all to the storage rack. Some bits might be needed for the Model Railway weekend at the end of September, but otherwise that's it until the Mixed Traffic gala in October.
Now on to today's jobs.
Chris and Robert are back on the complex door liner for BSK 35308.
The metal frame has been marked with white undercoat. In turn this will help indicate where raised sections on the liner need to be trimmed.
Much of the day's activity was centred on SK 25451, with David, Richard, and Roger on the Cotswold side and Ian on the Malvern side. Richard worked on the south doorway and door edges - an important job. Ian continued the removal of the old lines, also important, especially the lower triple band.
Roger went along the cleaned out and primed rivet line with fibre paste. It's tricky stuff to apply and takes quite a bit of sanding, but it is waterproof and ideal for this particular job.
David began with some general sanding down of the body side. In general the metal panelling is in relatively good condition with little filler required, the exception being the three underwindow areas where the frames had been removed to insert new sheet metal.
Later on David began sanding down the rock hard fibre paste.
Stu was working in the rebuilt kitchen, initially hand sanding the work tops. The initial coat of varnish on all the hardwood areas - shelves and supports, doors, boxed in pipework - was lightly sanded and then a second coat applied. We will give all this a third coat.
The new panel in the corridor was given it's first coat of varnish. This will also have three.
Some of the old panelling needs to be cleaned up and revarnished. Note the bad area on the right hand side of the photo.
More top coating on the Mink D van by Maurice.
Paul re-whitens the brake handles.
[Photo : Paul] Maurice undercoated the prepared roof battens.
The new roof canvas has been delivered and should soon be going on. New tins of the very hard wearing fibre paint are also now available for coating the canvas.
47105 makes a splendid sight at the head of a (apologies as I am head of the Painting Team, but I have to say it) splendid 6 coach crimson & cream rake.
[Photo taken on Thursday] We had a lot of nice comments about this during the gala. SK 25451 when ready will make the seventh and final coach in this rake. Roll on!
D6948 arrives with Rake 1 and its second round trip of the day.
It shouldn't be long now before our gleaming SO 4798 "Christine" can replace the very faded SO 4787 at the north end of Rake 1.
While we are anxious to repaint our faded coaches, most of these are still very nice on the inside. This is the interior of 4787.
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Wednesday
Another fine set of photos taken by Gerry.
Ceri, Eve, and Laura are busy re-covering another bench seat from SK 25451. Spare moquette is used for the back, hidden section.
Ben and Ainsley are stripping a door in preparation for fitting a new skin.
This chair was left in the lobby. It has been taken into the Woodwork shop and is now being stripped down by Mick for repair.
Simon is altering the workbench for the new saw.
Ken is installing a new vice in the Workshop.
Nick is fabricating some hooks for the outside of the Weed Spraying wagon.
An example is shown above.
The hooks when attached along the sides of the wagon will enable protective tarpiaulins to be attached for when the wagon isn't in use.
With the hooks welded on, Rex, Tony and Gerry set about mounting the first tarpaulin on the Malvern side of the van.
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Phil checks the battery boxes on both sides of SK 25451, ........
........ while Rod works on the Cotswold side rivet line which has now received fibre paste.
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A brief interlude showing SK 25451 when it was last refurbished.
23rd July 2016 - That gleaming corridor with multiple coats of varnish - we must make sure it is like this again.
1st September 2016 - 25451 emerges with its refurbishment complete. Maroon looks good when it's new.
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Now back to today.
Alan returning the top section of a door back to FK 13326 in Rake 3 which the Indoor Gang are sweeping through ready for the weekend.
[Photo : Roger] Alan refits the panel.
[Photo : Roger]
[Photo : Roger] Geoff looks on. These can be tricky things to fit and get right.
Dave busy doing some more general early work on another of our three recent aquisitions - TSO 3961.
Very much a one-man band effort on the Shark ballast plough repairs, Derek primes some of his internal repairs.
A fair bit of repairs work is needed on some of the external planking.
Our Catering Department are forever having cars parked in front of their container access doors despite the area being marked with a cone. The cone has now been driven over (you really couldn't make it up!). Enough is enough, so we are now going to provide then with a sandwich board with appropriate polite request. One of our gala display stands tidied up and painted will suffice as we won't need a replacement until October.
The clouds were beginning to darken and gather. A nice bit of rain to come? Some hope! It all cleared away.
It's always a treat to see former members of the Department when they are able to visit, and Ron Woodruff is no exception. The original Indoor Gang began with Ron and Rog (Whicker), so it was good that Alan was also in to meet him today as he joined them then. Ron was also a TTI and rose to become a Guard and eventually a Guards Inspector. Ron had to leave when his wife who is a vicar was transferred to West Sussex.
Some happy memories
22nd December 2011 Ron as Santa
9th January 2015 Working at the Paintshop trestles.
6th July 2017 Ron's last day. Working with Alan on some windowframe repairs.
Please visit us again Ron. It will be great to see you.
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Back to the present with today being the final one for our visiting Hymek. All our diesels are blue with the exception of D6948 and the Bubblecar 55003, so it's nice to see two green ones together.
The Hymek on a southbound run with D6948 on the northbound.
Nice to catch them both on the reverse.
