Saturday 5th - Twenty busy volunteers

Another bright and cheerful Saturday that started with a touch of the good old days, with a small group of us enjoying an early cup of tea from our flasks and a good chat while standing around our main entrance in the sunshine. We all miss our early cuppa in the Mess Room before starting the day's work. Hopefully it won't be too long now before we can get back in there.

It was certainly a busy day with twenty attending, a number that also had a feeling of the old pre-Covid times.

Walking down the Workshop at just the right moment enabled a series of photos of the dismantling of the draw gear on the Mink Van for inspection and servicing.

 Andy Tu. begins to undo the massive nut.

 Each piece is assembled in the order of removal - very important!

 And now uncoupling the main bar from the drawhook assembly.

Then removing the drawhook assembly from the south end of the van, with Phil and Ian assisting.

Returning later to find all the drawgear assembly completely removed - note the rectangular hole under Andy Th.'s gloved hand. 

In the background Dennis (in hat), Phil and Paul are off to RBr 1672 in the 3rd Rake siding. The water raiser in 1672 is once again giving cause for concern. 

Inside the kitchen area of 1672 Phil pointed out some plumbing that had become detached and which he had just put right. I think the problem with the raiser was sorted out.

Dennis and Paul were in the process of checking the toilet tanks in our out-of-use coaches in preparation for when the rakes can be restored back to their original formations.

Next a photo of the second man door on DMU 51306 that I should have taken on Thursday, though it is now reaasembled and without Steve who did the job (he does however appear later). 51306 was later shunted out and will be returned to Toddington this coming week, where ongoing work on the repaired corner and elsewhere on the vehicle will be done by the DMU Group.

 The first train of the day, with P&O proudly carrying the Canberra headboard.

And of course, knowing Alex was trainee guard, I had to grab a quick photo especially as he is leaning out of the guard's door. During next week he will be taking an exam and being assessed to become a guard, so we wish him all the best and are keeping our fingers crossed that he will soon be looking out of that window officially. 

In the Paintshop Martin is continuing the first top coat on BSK 34929, painting more window frames and the panels that we can get on with. The large lower panels and some of those adjacent to door frames will have to wait until the door frame capping strips have been reinstated.

 At the south end Jeff completed the black glossing........................

................... and then painted the lamp brackets white.

There's something nice about opening up a new tin of paint and giving it an initial thorough stir..................

 

................... and then seeing the result. Just the electrical connections to be reinstated by Phil and this end will be almost completed.

Most of the toilet compartment in 34929 is now in place. Pam began her day lightly sanding the beading and other parts that had been given an initial coat of varnish on Thursday. The sink was then given a clean and the compartment in general a good wipe over and vacuum.

It was then into the main job of varnishing all the beading, window frame and door frame, some of course with a second coat. 

In the disabled vestibule Robert is checking the fit of the back panel for the Malvern side windowed door.

 Just a small adjustment needed.

Later on Robert was working on the new liner for the Cotswold side north door entrance. It is now possible to do this as the door had been mounted on Thursday.

Phil sorted out the underseat heating units. Those on the left have still to be refurbished, while those labelled up on the right are ready to install.

Later on I was able to catch the installation process. Phil in the compartment above had placed both heaters in position and for one of them was tightening up the relevant bolt, while Andy below held the nut firmly with the extended socket.

The heaters securely in place. With this job done our Upholstery Team can now install the re-covered seat cushions. When all the compartments have been completed we will get the compartment doors put back and give the corridor panelling a couple of coats of varnish. So, a bit to do yet, but we are getting there.

Chris and Steve discussing progress with door 8 off 34929.

In the Upholstery Shop Jenny and John are preparing more cuts of moquette for the refurbished seating in TSO 5042.

Then on to the sewing machine. These look like the covers for headpads (I forgot to ask!).

George had returned from a holiday in Cornwall and found that he could continue sanding down all the filler on the north end of CK 16221 that he put on two weeks before. It can be nice to continue and complete a job that you have started, something that usually doesn't happen if you can only attend on one of the four work days.

Doing a heroic job in all the day's heat was Bob, busy top coating in the guards compartment in BG 81049 (P'Way's mess coach). It is now half done, so another session on Tuesday should see the main painting completed. All the extra items such as the brake wheel and column, heaters, etc, will then be painted, and finally the coat hooks put back up. The compartment is now used by P'Way staff as a changing room.

 In SK 24006 Robert was carefully sanding more of the lovely Sycamore veneer panelling.

Out in the yard Andy Th. is busy with the pressure oiler on Dogfish ballast wagon 993061. 

Tony was busy testing the brake wheels and hopper doors. Later I was to discover that the new footboards, which I had top coated in the morning, had been bolted in place. Thankfully the paint had dried quickly in the warmth of the Paintshop, so nobody had paint-covered hands. The reason for the sudden rush was that the two Dogfish wagons are needed and as such will be moved on Monday. The metalwork repairs will now have to wait until they are returned.

Pam watches the last train of the day headed by Foremarke Hall on its way back to Toddington.