Tuesday 20th - Not far to go now

Another gloriously sunny day and another great surge foward with the Painting and Prep Team's current project, BG 81049. So much painting was done today that I have had to leave a note for any of the team coming in the next day to request that no more is done until Thursday to let the paint harden. Even this isn't really enough (gloss actually takes a long time to go really hard), but we have to get on and get this completed.

The day started bright and early with Maurice and Stu completing the cream top coat on the Malvern side of the coach, much of which had been done on Saturday. By the time I got around to taking photos, they had finished. Richard had arrived and started the lining out on the Cotswold side, while Maurice touched up a missing bit of cream on the guards door.

Back on the Malvern side our intrepid pair then got going with the crimson top coat and were soon rattling along.

Time for the morning break and a chance to have a look at the marmoleum catalogue to decide on the design to have for the remainder of BSK 34929 (the new seating/disabled compartment has already been done). Phil, Dave and Bob discuss a number of possibilities. It depends on the base colour of the moquette used for the seating when that it is reinstated. We think it is Trojan as there are a number of compartment seat cushions in the Upholsetry shop all ready for fitting (a call to John, our Head of Upholstery, later confirmed this).

Stu, Maurice and Richard taking a well-earned break. For them it has already been a long morning. 

Our morning break time works out nicely for the first return from Cheltenham. Today "Foremarke Hall" is in charge.

At the south end of the BG, Roger had made a good start, initially using the scaffold to do the top section, and connection rain cover and rubber bellows, in gloss black and matt black respectively. In the distance Richard is proceeding quickly with the upper lining out, completing the line with black gloss.

Wow, Maurice and Stu move fast! The Malvern side lower panels are almost completed. Once the main top coating is finished for this side, this just leaves the lining out and then the black glossing of the handles, door stops, droplight top bars, sole bar and steps.

Back to Richard, now taping up more of the top line ready for the black. Alex isn't now the only one with that tell-tale festoon of used tape. Further along this side for a while I also got stuck into doing the lower line and then started blacking the handles, stops, etc.

 

Stu then moved on to glossing the sole bar and steps on the Cotswold side. Richard was completing his lining out and then he also started blacking up the door and other furniture.

With Roger already busy at the south end, Maurice repainted the north end corridor connection door in tan.

By now a large part of the south end had been top coated. The transformation once the black gloss is applied is always amazing. That air extraction unit is scruffy and might benefit from a bit of silver Hammerite. Be nice to "hide" that white box on the right hand side as well.

The north end of the Cotswold side.

A final shot of the south end before locking up for the day. Not to much more to do now. 

Meanwhile some of the inside could do with some paintwork repairs. If we get the chance we will see what we can do, but other things are lining up, so we can't make any promises.

Several other things were in hand today.

Bob was back on the compartment doors for 34929, lightly sanding, rubbing with wood dye if needed, and then revarnishing.

The toilet compartment door was also done.

Dave H. and Robert, once again assisted by Phil, were back in their coach, SK 24006, beginning the long job of removing the heavy compartment seat backs. I helped them move the two that had been released from the first compartment. Being involved in this tricky manual job I forgot to take a photo.

So, what was our choice of marmoleum for 34929? 

"Graphite" - the third one down in the first column, with "Slate Grey", the fourth one down in the third column as the reserve option.