Tuesday 10th - Expect the unexpected

Well that was a surprise! While the others were enjoying their early cuppa I walked through RMB 1876 and identified a number of internal jobs for the Painting team, particularly because I was expecting a good attendence. When I came back down from the Mess Room I found a pile of flooring materials and a grinning Bob. The floor screeding was going to be done today! 

So Plan A was out of the window. But actually I was delighted to see Bob and Pete as it meant that they had been able to bring forward the flooring job in 1876.

After we had cleared out everything on the floor, Bob went through applying a primer.

With the first batch of screed mixed, Pete soon had the south end vestibule and compartment coated. In the background Richard works on the Cotswold side doorway.

The view through the south corridor connection.

While Bob carefully pours the contest of another bag, Pete activates the electric whisk.

Looking through the north connection.

Pete, having just done both toilet compartments, finishes off the job with the last bit of the north vestibule and connection gangway. I plan to begin my identified internal jobs on Thursday when the screed will be fine to walk on. 

[Subsequent contact from Rod indicated that by lunchtime Wednesday he could begin working in the storage cupboard, so the screed had hardened by then].

There's no hanging about with Stu. The four axlebox covers on the Cotswold side of 1876 were soon topcoated.

Then he was immediately over to the Malvern side to undercoat the axlebox covers there.

Martin repairs a bit of paintwork on this capping strip on the north doorway on the Malvern side.

Richard freshens up the battery box covers on the Malvern side. The opposite side had been done just prior to this.

With the screeding completed and access to the inside now out for the day, Phil took the opportunity to get the north end connection and passcomm system painted. There's still more to do on the connection but, as with the south end, it's looking so much better. The headstocks at both ends are still unpainted.

The data plates from TSO 5023 missed being put back on when the 64 seat coach coach went back out. The north end plate from 1876 advertising 44 seats will also need reinstating. First though will be a fresh coat of gloss black completely over all three. Jeff will be in on Wednesday and picking out the characters in gloss white is his favourite job.

David took on the filling and sanding job on SO 4798, working on both zones 1 and 2. I will check them both and if ok then let's get some grey undercoat painted on. We will then move on to zone 3.

Stu undercoated the three ceiling panels from the south vestibule of 4798. I had previously cleaned all three up, including the very dirty backs.

Ainsley was reconstructing the door destined for BSK 35308.

The droplight now moves up and down perfectly.

Having glossed the fasteners in white, Stu now recoats the battery box covers destined for BCK 16221.

Paul and Maurice continued the rebuilding of the Mink D van, drilling and bolting on more of the painted planks.

Maurice top coating parts of the south end of the van.

Saturday 7th - That's more like it!

A much busier day with 21 attending.

I'm afraid I missed a lot of activity being somewhat busy in the Paintshop. Hopefully enough has been covered to provide a decent posting.

Of course it rained as always. I missed the shunting. When I did step out I think the team were beyond the station, though the shunter was back when I took this photo. Rake 1 is finally back together and ready for the half term week, which begins on Saturday 14th. Rake 3 will be going up to Toddington for the week.

Jenny and Paul W. were busy outside. I couldn't find them, but there was evidence of some thorough cleaning going on in CK 16221 "Abigail/Charlotte".

On my way through the Works I found the Barn empty, with John doing a great job sweeping up. BSK 35308 remains on the through road with the recently repaired door ready to go back on.

Later on SO 4790 was on the jack road and having adjustments made to the south bogie.

Stu is conducting a test on the piston part of a vacuum cylinder.

George doing some filling and sanding on zone 2 on the Cotswold side of SO 4798. I have chalked zones in an attempt to make the team concentrate and  complete a section before moving on to the next.

I missed John S. and James who were doing more work on the tank filler system at the south end of 4798. I also didn't get Simon working in the south vestibule. Simon intends to build new access doors to replace the existing ones where the old veneer is breaking away. 

It certainly wasn't quiet as on and off through the day loud banging emmanated from the Mink D van. Maurice and Paul E. were drilling holes to secure more newly painted planks.

[Photo : Paul E.]

[Photo : Paul E.]

Jenny cleaned almost all the windows on the Cotswold side of RMB 1876.  Paul needed her with the outside cleaning so the remaining windows on the coach will be done next week.

Martin was back in to do more painting on the south end connection.

The ceiling panels for the toilet compartments have been replaced with new ones, but those for the north vestibule and connection corridor have been cleaned up and will be repainted.

Some of the inner doorframe beading has been quite awkward to secure. Robert carefully sorts this one out with its rubber draught seal.

The wooden threshold on the Cotswold side south doorway was misshapen, so Robert trimmed it to the correct shape.

Bob gave both toilet compartments a second coat of varnish.

Alex made a start on the south end coach data.

Bob moved on to the store cupboard and began giving it all a clean. The walls in the shelf area are formica. The rest are painted and will be repainted in Silver Grey, the same as the Servery.

Thursday 5th - Gosh it's quiet!

Thursday used to be a very busy day with good numbers attending, but lately it has dropped down to the Tuesday levels, leaving Wednesday and Saturday as the main days. Saturday now regularly seems to be the best attended.

We do have several who will be away for a while, but today we had just eleven with the Mess Room at both 1100 and 1300 feeling somewhat empty when compared with Saturdays when every seat is taken. After the afternoon tea break just three remained. 

Apologies for the very limited number of photos today, especially as I wasn't able to capture those on the coaches in the main rakes outside. I was also busy with a number of jobs, including a fair bit of tidying up in both RMB 1876 and the Paintshop. So many thanks to Russ and Roger for the extra photos.

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First a photo from Wednesday taken by Russ of the now very clean descaled urn in 1876. 

In relation to this the calor gas servicing for 1876 by our regular engineer has been scheduled for next week.

Also on Wednesday the remaining lino in the seating bays in 1876 was removed. The coach is now ready for new marmoleum to be laid by Bob and Pete, our regular flooring contractors.

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Now on to Thursday. 

[Photo : Roger]   Beginning with the Indoor Gang's work to reinstate the repainted ceiling panels in SO 4798's south vestibule.

That extendable prop acquired mainly for ceilings has always been a very useful tool and certainly needed today. Roger makes some final adjustments before fixing this particular panel into place.

Steven attaches one of the beading strips.

The wider strips used for securing the centre areas being fixed by Roger and Alan.

[Photo : Roger]

[Photo : Roger]

Now on to 1876 where Martin is painting the chequerplate at the south end in Silver Hammerite. It took quite a bit of cleaning before painting could begin. Part of the connection paintwork was also topped up with gloss black.

I later painted more of the inside of the connection, and then decided that we would do the connection face after all. With 1876 destined to go straight into the centre of Rake 2, I originally wasn't going to bother. However it does look so much better when first going back out if the whole coach is done, rather than a gleaming coach with rusty connections.

For Bob it was another grand session of varnishing with the whole of 1876's north vestibule given a fresh coat, which obviously transformed it.

The new veneer access doors in the connection corridor were also given a second coat. He then began adding a second coat in the Cotswold side toilet compartment.

A member from RCS kindly came in today to empty 1876's store cupboard so that it could be repainted. A good clean, followed by a coat of varnish on the wooden shelves and a coat of Silver Grey on the walls should do very nicely. Another job to begin on Saturday.