Tuesday 13th - It's looking really good!

A brilliant spring day with that niggling cold wind gone at last.

It was a real joy to have the roller shutter up in the cold Barn, especially as this lets the warmth flow in.

Inevitably the main work of the day was the P'Way Mess Coach. With the filling and sanding completed at the south end of the Malvern side, Stu was wiping down with white spirit.

At the north end Maurice finished off the remaining bit of sanding, after which this area was also wiped down.

At the south end of the coach Roger cleaned up the remaining areas above the corridor connection and the outstanding bits of filler were sanded down.

By 1000 we were all ears listening out for the distant whistle drifting down from Toddington. Just over 10 minutes later it was great to see the first train of our new season come by.

As for the TTI at the rear of the train, it was our young painter who had swapped his overalls for his uniform, and while I was taking a photo of him ......................

.................... he was busy photographing us!

Oh what a joy to see to see the trains back after such a long break.

I then had a break from photos while doing my own running around, so my next photo was of the train returning from Cheltenham.

Maurice looks on as the well filled train passes.

Having taken a day off work, Kevin was also back in and began sorting out our storage areas where needed. He later began searching out some of the parts required to enable us to complete BSK 34929 in the Paintshop. The white board in the Paintshop listing the remaining jobs was duly updated, but where are those double-doorway threshold strips? Hopefully we will find them!

Returning to the BG and the lining out tape is going on the Malvern side.

 At the south end Richard was cleaning up the filler that had been put on during Saturday.

Roger had by now progressed to undercoating the south end in Dark Grey.

Stu and Maurice took an early lunch. Who can blame them, they were in just after 8. Great to be able to sit outside again.

On my way back through the Works to get my own lunch, a quick look in CK 16221 to see how Derek was progressing with the re-flooring. This section of the corridor had just temporary flooring and having taken up the boards, Derek is having a good look over the framework.

Ah, so that's what all the earlier banging and drilling was about. A new area of boarding in one of the compartments.

Lunch over and time for the second train of the day.

Roger had progressed well and even though only undercoat, with the adjacent Carmine and Cream top coat, it's all beginning to look good at the south end.

Meanwhile Stu and Maurice had been busy applying Light Grey undercoat to the centre section of the Malvern side. Instead of the usual overall "greying-up" we have decided to go straight to undercoat on this, the non-weather, side and probably never seen when the coach is back in its siding. However to help the subsequent cream paint bed in better, we thought it wise to cover the old maroon with the light grey first.

Alex, back in his casual clothes, had now returned from Toddington and immediately tucked into his very late lunch.

Dave was back in Upholstery repairing one of the chairs from RBr 1672.

Alex was now well stuck into continuing the Cream top coat on the Cotswold side of the BG. This is the kitchen end of the Mess Coach and he could well have been contemplating the goodies that are cooked in here.

Richard has completed the final sanding work at the north end and is now wiping down prior to painting.

The Cream top coating is finished so back onto the Carmine.

One of my jobs for the day was the cleaning up and general sanding down of the Malvern side guards door off BSK 34929. This had been mounted to both check its working and give Chris assistance when inserting the door frame liners. We hate having to do major work on a door when the rest of the coach has reached the undercoat stage, or even worse is in top coat. So it was taken back off and placed in the Workshop so that a proper job could be done.

All greyed-up and ready to go back on to help Chris with his continuing work. Remaining painting can now be done easily with the door back on.

A final look at the BG with the main top coating almost finished. Just that annoying bit of corrosion at the base of the double door for Nick to sort out. We can then get that completed and the lining out done.

Overall a very satisfying day!