Saturday 30th - Another good idea?

 

Laura plays around on the overlocker with possibly another idea for sale. Bookmarks? As with the recently introduced key rings, bookmarks would be another way to use up scraps of moquette left over from all the seat refurbishment and our current sale products. So, watch this space and we'll see what turns up.

The contract from the NYMR has gone very well with the piles of stacked DMU cushions and seat backs now ready for collection.

Just a single seat back remains to be done.

This will total five contracts now completed. Will there be any more?

A lot of activity today centred on SO 4798. Beginning with Andy adding further black to the table wall supports, and then the two of us sanded the metal brackets on the legs before applying black Hammerite. The next stage will be to apply a fresh coat of varnish.

Ian and Clive went round black glossing footboards and headstocks, ...........

....... and later the front of the Malvern side battery box cover.

That north end half on the Malvern side of the connection still needed some work. Bob gave it all another sanding and then applied a further coat of black gloss.

That's better.

He then applied black gloss around the connection  itself.

Alex added the coach number to both sides. As always, very neatly done.

In the Workshop John and Andy a shaping a piece of sheet metal to replace a corroded section at the base of the U frame from BCK 35308's south corridor connection.

The cut off piece which was used as a template.

Andy demonstrates where the new section will go.

I later captured him welding another repair on the curved part of the U frame.

Yet more cleaning in the south compartment of the GW Inspection Saloon. Jenny gives a wave.

Later on cleaning the mid section corridor.

A look in the Barn at the end of the day to find the Inspection Saloon gone. In the foreground the part reconstructed corridor connection from the south end of BSK 35308.

It is now part of a short three coach train which has been chartered for next Friday (5th June). It will of course come back to the Barn to enable the kitchen rebuild to be completed.

Alan does more welding at the south end of SK 25451. New sheet metal has been added at the base on both sides of the connection.

George is steadily chipping out the rusting rivet line on the Cotswold side of 25451.

 

Quite a bit now cleared. It will need a lot more yet and we may end up doing the whole line.

[Photo : Paul E]   Chris is forming the curved edge of this new Mink D roof plank.

More roof plank priming by Maurice for the Mink D van.

John, Ian and Bob take a well earned break in the shade.

This is the final weekend for this lovely little loco from the KWVR.

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Finally two photos from Robert from our steam gala.

A nice touch to get Bob Mack's memorial plaque in both.

Tues 26th - Thurs 28th. Back to normal - almost

After a very busy and very hot Gala weekend it was sort of back to normal. The heat was still with us so we withered through Tuesday, gradually picking up on Wednesday, and by Thursday with the temperature dropping it was feeling a lot better.

Once again grateful thanks to Nick, Eve, Keith, Roger, David and Maurice for once again helping to look after the Works and chat to the many visitors over the very busy three days.

In about 8 weeks we will be doing it all over again for the three day Cotswold Diesel Gala (24-26 July). With 12 diesels and the Bubblecar it should be quite an event! The website has full details.

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Tuesday

I spent much of the morning dismantling and storing all the Gala barriers and displays, so having not taken many photos, many thanks to Paul (Scouse) for filling in and making up the number.

[Photo : Paul]  Starting with SO 4798, Richard took on the black band painting along the top line on the Cotswold side.

With that completed he removed the tape straight away along the whole length of the coach.

Then on with the lower line and with the south half completed, this just left the centre and north half to do.

[Photo : Paul]  Ainsley sanded the right hand side at the north end and added another coat of black. It will need yet another coat to finish the job. There is still above the connection and the connection itself to do.

[Photo : Paul]  Phil was servicing the wall supports for the tables in 4798.

Four now ready for painting.

[Photo : Paul]  Maurice primes another plank for the roof edge on the Mink D.

[Photo : Paul]  A trial fitting.

Action from the road-rail vehicle as it moves out of the sidings. There are no trains running today.

Time to relax in the cooler shade.

With the heat being 21C (probably more) again, those of us that were left packed up at 3 and sat in the shade between the coaches. Rose joined us.

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Wednesday

Another great set of photos from Gerry.

In the Barn entrance Ken and Nick are reassembling the brake and drive mechanisms on PWays people carrier.

Also in the Barn Bryan is fitting a window drain pipe on SK 25451.

Stu, John and Gerry are changing and and testing the vacuum cylinders under the SK 25451.

Ben and Trevor cleaning and painting table brackets ready for fitting in SO 4798.

Simon pondering the next stage in the rebuilding of the kitchen in the GW Inspection Saloon.

Jim creating the joint sections of the frames for the Mink D doors.

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Thursday

[Photo : Tim]  What a lovely surprise to see 78022 again with the first train of the day. I guess it was in use yesterday too? I wonder how long it is with us.

[Photo : Tim]  I was too late to get a photo, so many thanks Tim for taking these.

On the Cotswold side of SO 4798 the final bit of lining out was the lower black band on the centre door and north half. This was Tim's first go at lining out and he made a good job of it.

The Cotswold side lining out completed. What's left? Signwriting, the BR roundel and two coats of varnish.

There wasn't time to do any lining out on the Malvern side, but we could remove the top line tape. Tim then, using the line template and a pencil, marked out the division between the yellow and black bands on both top and bottom lines.

Rod and I tidied up the table brackets and are currently adding a coat of gloss black.

The two sections of the battery box cover from the Cotswold side of 4798 currently need top coating before they can be reinstated. Even more important is ensuring that the two catches at the ends of the top section move freely. These two needed some serious loosening, but a combination of sandpaper and WD 40 did the trick. They now spin with a flick of a finger.

During the Gala a table in TSO 5042 had come away from the wall. Dave makes some repairs to the wall end of the table. The bad news is that the wall wooden support is in a poor state, so there will be more to do before the table can be reinstated.

Tony gives a final sand to the the latest vacuum cylinder to be refurbishe. The next job will be a coat of Back MIO.

Glyn collects two bags of cushions (and bags, specs cases and keyrings too?). If this is a restock, then the Toddington and Broadway shops must have also done very well with Upholstry's excellent products.

78022 waits in Platform 2 as 2807 drifts in with the Cheltenham train.

This has become a very popular place to relax and, being just outside the Paintshop door, requires little effort to get to. It's also nice and shady when we have hot weather. I sat here on Tuesday afternoon and loaded all my Gala photos to the blog.

Rose's gardening efforts are now truly amazing. Above and below are only part of what there is to see.

The "Happy Gardener" name on the compost bag really sums up what she has achieved.