Saturday 12th - we don't JUST wave at trains

We're beginning to get used to the "new normal" in Carriage & Wagon, and after the frantic coach painting out in the yard during the first couple of months we were back, it was good to be back on more familiar territory.

Ah yes, filling and sanding! It was the final hurdle today for RMB 1808, the Cotswold side had all been signed off as ready for painting last Saturday, and completely undercoated by Tuesday, so we thought we'd try and do the same this week on the Malvern side. There was a bit more to do here, Dave was easing out a ridge from where the metal workers had had to grind all the paint off to effect a repair to the door pillar.

Pam, on secondment from upholstery, was working on the door frame at the other end, here she's just finished and starting the great vacuum up, we made a lot of dust over the last few weeks!

I was going over the body side finishing off unsanded filler and finding more rust spots. Several times I proclaimed "I declare this side finished - no, wait apart from that bit...".

We got there in the end, and the last job was to paint the filler patches where the lining would be, so on Tuesday it can all be taped up and undercoated.

Keeping us company were George and Richard, who took an end each.

Still a little way to go on these, but all moving forward nicely.

Moving into the workshop, Steve and Chris were carrying on with the woodwork on BSK 34929

   

Chris test-fitting the woods for the door frame and Steve taking some measurements for the door to the "entrance bay" of the disabled saloon area.

Over in the pipe-wrangling area, Ken was wrestling with a section of steam-heat pipe...

...And John was sorting out a vacuum pipe for the CK.

Andy T assisted with fitting it, and as it proudly proclaims in chalk by the end of the day, "Done"!

4772 was back on the jack road for bogie changes; unfortunately we out-shopped this TSO right as open coaches suddenly went out of vogue...

The bogies were soon out and some shuffling around began in the yard; The two Andys, John and Ian,working on adjusting springs and brake hangers.

Up in the upholstery shop, Jenny and John were continuing ploughing their way through the seats on another TSO, 4763. That is one advantage of compartment carriages suddenly being more popular, it's normally quite difficult to extract a TSO for any length of time as they're high capacity, and thus usually always in service.

Meanwhile Dave H was out in the yard progressing the window frames for 4867, which ought to really help speed things up when its turn comes in the works.

Of course we all take our train-waving duties very seriously, ready to go!

Not for the first time, queries of "Do you ever move from that spot?" emanated from the train crew.

Of course we do, sometimes we watch from the other end of the works! Waving is very important, you don't know who might be on the train...

In this case it was Peter and his wife Jane out for a ride. It was great to see Peter when he popped in later, we all wished him the best and hopefully for some some good news on his health soon.