Tuesday 4th - Ready to go

Today was the last day for working on BG 81049 so we got cracking on the final bit, which was to varnish the crimson painting on the Cotswold side i.e. the side that will be most affected by the sun.

Maurice started on the gutter panel and then joined Roger with the lower panels. More time and we would have done the cream on another occasion, but the crimson was the most important. It was the easy fading of this that made BR give up the Carmine&Cream colour scheme and adopt maroon as standard. 

Considering that the main reason for coming into the Works was simply to fix the roof leaks, everything else on the BG has been a bonus!

81049's place in the Barn will be the blue DMU car on Thursday. Hey, what's happened to this?!

 The returned NYMR SKs have also been brought down from Toddington.

The next most important job was to finish the internal preparation of BSK 34929 ready for the laying of marmoleum. A final check that all the old tacks had been removed from the floor and any large gaps had been plugged, followed by another general sweep through and vac. Both the base of the guards seat and brake column were pretty grotty, so were cleaned up and coated in oxide by Bob. Far better to do the dirty work before the marmoleum goes down.

Our regular contractors will be in the next day to lay the base screeding.

Bob also completed the varnishing of the four compartment doors from the BSK.

The next job was to sand down the internal guards compartment door. Alan (good to see him back) did much of this on both sides before having to depart.

Bob completed the sanding down and, following a good vac and wipe over with thinners, proceeded to give the door a coat of undercoat cream.

We are all getting tired of seeing CK 16221 looking as it does, so with the BG completed and further painting and varnishing currently not worthwhile with 34929, the Painting and Prep team will be making a concerted effort to get the endless filling and sanding completed as far as possible and those parts of the coach greyed up. Roger and Maurice start at the ends and begin to work inwards.

Derek has been doing a great job with the internal woodwork in 16221 and is now replacing the broken sections at the base of the corner panelling of the two toilet compartments.

Back in SK 24006 Dave is now working in the four cleared south end compartments. The veneer is being given a light sanding to remove the old faded varnish.

In one of the north end compartments Dave discovered the type of wood that had been used and its source.

Home time and a final look down the yard as another storm gathers.