Weds 4th / Thurs 5th - Finishing off

Wednesday

Many thanks to Gerry who has again provided all of Wednesday's photos.

Nick is making brackets for radiator pipes.

Bob is finalising the equipment on the weed spraying wagon, which is temporarily on the jack road.

Nick and Rex are also busy with the final setting up. All the side safety railings are now in place [a full photo of the wagon will be in Saturday's posting].

Trevor is sanding a door back panel [this may be from the Cotswold side door currently removed from the disabled compartment in BSK 35308, which is on the bench behind where he is working].

Bryan was making adjustments to the Cotswold side south end door on SO 4798.

Finally on to the GW Inspection Saloon with Tony checking the water tank fittings.

One of the internal window frames being prepared for varnish.

Ken and Tony (underneath) checking the steam heating pipes.

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Thursday

[Photo : Paul W]   With the new season about to start it is still a busy time for Paul (and Jenny at weekends) gradually working through Rake 2 to ensure the interiors are good. The floor of SO 4790 positively gleams having just been washed, and no doubt that of SK 25488 next to it which was also done.

[Photo : Paul W]  The tank of RMB 1876 is filled ready.

In 1876's servery Richards I and II are finishing off the electrics.

All very neat and tidy.

It's never easy trying to paint inside coaches when they are inside the Works. We have some good portable lights but you are often in your own light or it is simply too difficult to shine the light exactly where you need it. Paul reported that the servery ceiling looked very patchy now that the coach was outside and one glance confirmed this. Bob soon got going with a fresh top coat.

Tim went round removing old paint that had strayed onto the ceiling trim.

The recoated ceiling in the foreground looks so much better. I found some other bits in this area where some further top coating was needed and returned later to get these done.

After months of looking through the corridor connection and seeing the interior of the Works, it's very satisfying instead to see another coach interior, in this case the luggage compartment of BSK 21272.

It was a busy time outside for the shunting team with the need to add an eighth coach to both Rakes 2 and 3 ready for Race Week. 

SK 25451 - a truly awful faded maroon which is possibly the next coach in for repairs and a repaint into crimson & cream, which would complete our dreamed of seven coach set in this much preferred livery.

FK 13329 - also very faded and requiring a much needed repaint.

SO 4798 is coming along well. The central section of the Cotswold side still needed more filler, although nearly all this was in the upper half. The major rebuild of the lower area just required a few small areas with some top up filler.

It is essential that door edges and frames are really sanded back, even down to the wood and metal. A lot of work is needed on the Cotswold side south door.

Ainsley was working on building up the Malvern side end section as well as the door frame and door itself.

Tim took on the Cotswold side north end door and was making a good job of it.

The interior north end compartment with the reupholstered seating gradually going back in.

Dave hoists another seat back to where it is needed.

The south compartment still looks bare but Dave is bringing down and fixing where possible more seating components.

Ainsley is repainting one of the nearby windows in the light grey undercoat

We finished the day with Ian and Tony completing their day of shunting with some seat fitting. The coach is already beginning to look lovely with the dark moquette blending in very well with the wood interior.

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Right - the mystery logs with the markings in Tuesday's posting. What are they?

The answer is that the logs are cut vertically in half and then rounded off and drilled to form the saddles at the ends of the coaches for seating the buffer extenders.

One of them can be seen in situ to the right of the covered buffer.

Tuesday 3rd - Filling and sanding

Rake 2 sits in Platform 2 after the megashunt on Saturday.

This is good news because there are still things to be done in RMB 1876 in the north vestibule and toilet compartments. In the former the ceiling beading still needed top coating.

In both toilet compartments various bits of varnishing and black glossing were required. Phil and I shared the jobs, tackling each in turn. Hopefully that's it now, although there is a radiator cover that would benefit from a fresh cost of Hammerite, if we have time and the Rake hasn't been moved to Toddington.

It was good to see Keith back with us after a lengthy spell away. There wasn't quite the usual pile of trestle jobs, but enough to keep him busy. The long pole with the bolt at one end and tie at the other needed priming. The thinned primer dried quickly and Keith managed to follow this with white undercoat. It's going into yellow, so something for the Works, but what is it for?

While Paul is drilling yet another hole at the north end of the Mink D van, Maurice just watches.

To prove he is working Maurice drills a hole on the other side. The planking at this end was attached during the day, so more good progress with the Mink D.

We also made very good progress with SO 4798. Stu continues the filling and sanding on the Cotswold side.

Roger began working on the Malvern side north end doorframe. A lot of sanding, filling and tidying up is needed here, and probably will do for all the other doorframes.

When Stu initially greyed up the two main areas on the Cotswold side, to save time he left out the windows. Richard painted all those still in the old cream paint.

Ian took care of the lower half of the north end, easing out the uneven surface with filler.

David carried on where he left off on the Malvern side with more filling and sanding.

Stu moved to the south end, sanding down filler and adding more where required.

Stu also finished off the sanding of Graham's filler that was put on during Saturday, adding a bit more filler where necessary.

Time to recoat all this with more light grey undercoat. 

It's beginning to look good. The troughs, lumps and bumps seem to have gone.

I think we may have nailed this one. Although the paint is still not quite dry, it already looks very much better.  If so, just the two end doors and corner sections to do on this side.

And your starter for ten as to what these are for. The answer will be in the next post.