Saturday 4th - Happy Easter

It's Day 2 of our Easter "Bricks" weekend and Winchcombe Station has lots of visitors. Hopefully there will be even more on Sunday and Monday.

[Photo : Paul E.]  Rose had previously mentioned that she was going to set up an Easter Egg hunt for Saturday, and bless her, when we arrived we soon discovered that she had.

[Photo : Paul E]  Thanks to Paul for the two photos. I also took these but mine weren't as good.

Rose had secreted 16 eggs around the Works.  Being brightly coloured it didn't take long to spot them. On opening them up they all had a tiny chocolate egg and in some a little note detailing a further treat. 

Mine didn't have a note, but Robert was lucky.

Maurice proudly displays his extra treat. Thank you Rose for your very kind and thoughtful gesture to keep us all happy.

The first train of the day arrives behind 3850. The weather looks promising.

Alex spends a few minutes retacking the underside of the canvas on the BR Vanfit, which is currently with the Weed Spraying wagon on the Barn through road.

Work on the GW Inspection Saloon gathers pace with the coach body now being raised up on the jacks. Tony hovers with one of the secondary supports. These will be placed under the frame to provide extra security.

Tony begins the bogie maintenance at the north end.

Phil rewires the circuit for the red safety light on the access steps.

James and Alex watch 2807 passing with Rake 2.

Ken cuts the thread on this new section of heating pipe for the Inspection Saloon ..........

....... and is later fastening on the appropriate joints.

One of the vacuum cylinders from under the Inspection Saloon being dismantled by Stu for servicing.

John is making a new handle for the recently acquired roller ...............

....... and demonstrates where it will be fitted. The metal spindle will be covered by a wooden handle which John has already made. The latter will appear on the Paintshop trestles for several coats of varnish.

The three coach Toddington - Winchcombe shuttle appears behind 24081.

Dave has for a while been doing more protective work on FO 3127 in the yard.

A chance to watch the Class 24 on its runaround for the return to Toddington.

On now to James' work on the door from BSK 35308. A nice new weld to be ground down.

When I returned later he was trying to free up a plate on the door back.

Ken is now fitting the recently painted vertical connection supports at the south end of 35308..

Rose's gardening efforts are amazing. She never stops, and the pots and trays just keep on increasing. 

[Photo : Paul]  Maurice applies Evercryl fibre waterproofer to the roof of the Mink D van.

In the Woodwork shop Simon and Tom are making the components for a new bench.

It's bag making again in Upholstery with Laura carefully measuring a new piece of the lining material.

 Carol is steadily sewing another bag.

2807 waits for Train 1 and the token exchange before it can head back to Toddington with Train 2.

 

3850 drifts in with Rake 1. 

I had gone up to the station to say a quick "Hello" to my nephew as he was in the RBr today. He has really taken to the role and rostered himself for this coming Wednesday and every Saturday and Sunday until early May. The next day he was asked by a customer to pass on to us how wonderful the restored buffet had been done. He had noted all the varnish and detail work. A very nice compliment indeed.

rk.

[Photo : Martin Dix]  Martin took a quick photo while travelling through Gotherington. Thanks to Bryan and Savita's efforts the station is already beginning to look colourful.

Taken from the scaffold tower, Jenny dusts the alarm call point, heater controls, etc at the end of the Paintshop. She went round the Works doing the same on all the extinguishers, call points, first aid area, etc.  After that it was the Mess Room floor again. She also cleaned the Mess Room wall where dirty overalls had been leaning. Thanks Jenny!

I noticed Laura and Carol coming out of the Paintshop earlier on. I guess they had been in to SO 4798 to try out a set of curtains with the ties. These had been left on top of the cupboard in the lobby.

Inside 4798 Ian is securing the tops of the seats.

On the Malvern side of 4798 Bob is flatting down the main greyed up area. There is a lot to do but he made good progress. 

Still some sanding of filler to do on the south end, while on the near side an amount of greying needs to be done and a length of gutter put back.

For me it was carrying on the roof work started by Ainsley on Thursday, completing the vacuuming and cleaning the Cotswold side. The photo shows this side of the roof looking towards the north end.

Then began the long top coating job with a roller and the remaining half tin of Light Grey MIO.

I got quite a lot way along the roof, now looking very much better with the MIO. It would probably benefit having two coats. Two new 5 litre tins have been ordered.

Earlier on I captured Jenny from the scaffold. It was now Alex's turn as he second coats the letters on his direction board for Toddington station yard.

Weds 1st / Thurs 2nd - Just when you think you have finished

Wednesday

Many thanks to Gerry for the day's photos.

As will have been seen in previous postings, a lot of repair work has been needed with various door entrances and doors on BSK 35308. Nick finishes his repairs on the Malvern side that he started last week.

Ben cleans up a section of capping strip to be refitted to one of the repaired door entrances.

Trevor is working on a lock for the Discovery coach.

Rex and Ken are sourcing parts for the heating system in the GW Inspection Saloon.

Mike looks at options for the Inspection Saloon's gas valve enclosure.

Other woodwork activities included Simon and Neil sorting out the wood store ready for a new delivery on Thursday [this arrived the next day as planned].

The grab handles on the Weed Spraying wagon were thought to stick out too far. As such they have been modified accordingly by Bryan.

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Thursday

[Photo : Paul W]  For the Easter Weekend and the "Bricks, Bricks and More Bricks" event, in addition to our normal two train running, there is a diesel hauled 3-coach shuttle between Toddington and Winchcombe. The coaches were selected from  Rake 3 and shunted together last week. Paul cleaned the floors throughout.

[Photo : Paul W]

[Photo : Paul W]

Alan, Roger and Steven were working their way through SO 4798, ensuring the sliders move freely (they do love sticking) and making any necessary repairs, and generally cleaning the insides of the windows.

A very necessary job for today was to vac and wipe over the roof in preparation for a top coat (in the last posting I stated that we thought top coating had previously been done). Ainsley did a heroic job, especially with so much climbing up and down and endlessly moving the scaffold. By close of play he was well on the way to completing both sides. The remaining bit of the Cotswold side will be finished on Saturday and top coating with Light Grey MIO will be started. We need to get this done well before top coating the coach sides begins. Two more tins of MIO have been ordered.

Phil began marking up the Malvern side ready for the line tapes to go on. 

However on closer inspection of the regreyed side it soon became obvious that the filling and sanding wasn't over yet. This really is a battered coach!

Bob and Phil got going with the filler and the side was soon covered again.

So back to the 120 and 240 paper. Hopefully this really will be it.

Derek took on the cleaning up and repair of the Cotswold side battery box covers. 

The main cover cleaned up and a new bottom plank fitted.

Richards I and II were on the Weed Spraying wagon sorting out the electrical requirements.

Richard I having bored a hole for the heavy duty cable, now inserts it.

The top coated hardwood vertical connection supports for the south end of 35308. In the background a notice board in the making for the landfill skip.