Monday 19th / Tuesday 20th - Changing back to normal (well almost!)

With more restrictions being eased, Monday 19th was scheduled for the "Big Shunt" to bring back our Main and Second rakes, and from Tuesday the return to normal running.

As described in previous postings, major shunting operations need a plan, and as this was one of the biggest, this was definitely essential.

Shunting Plan for Monday 19th July 2021

Completion Formations:

Choc/Cream (C&C):

    South end - 4763/4772/9000/4790/1672/3132/4986 - North end.

Maroon:

    South end - 25451/4614/35308/4787/1876/5023/16195 - North end.

Ex EE (3rd Rake) siding:

    South end - 25488/25743/24949/25341/21092/13337/13329/24804/4798 - stop block.

Starting Position:

Covid sets 1 & 2 at Toddington.

6 C & C pre-assembled vehicles in ex EE siding, Winchcombe.

4614 and 4787/1876 separately in C & W yard. 4614 alongside shed: 4787/1876 in middle siding.

Park Dogfish/Shark brake van from head shunt outside barn - 03 to take out and run round first thing Monday 19th before Covid set 2 arrives.

4 surplus wagons still alongside shed.

Framework Shunting Plan:

1- Assemble Choc/Cream set:

Train Engine to bring Covid set 2 to Winchcombe first and stable in Platform 1 Train engine uncouple, go to ex EE siding and pull core C & C set into P2.

Uncouple train engine

03 out of C & W yard, detach 24804/4986 from Covid set 2 in P1 and attach 4986 to north end of set in P2.

03 attach 24804 back on set in P1 and pull the set into the C & W yard. Train engine run round, attach to set in P2 and take it to Toddington.

2- Between set re-formations:

03 push remains of Covid set 2 (6 vehicles) into P2, run round and push set into the ex EE siding.

03 back into C & W yard, attach 4614 and stable over pit.

Train engine to do what's necessary to stable the newly re-formed Choc/Cream set at Toddington and get in position to bring Covid set 1 to Winchcombe.

3- Assemble Majority of Maroon set:

Train Engine to bring Covid set 1 to Winchcombe and stable in Platform 1

Train engine uncouple 25743/25451 from set and move to P2.

03 push 4614 into P2 and attach to 25451. 03 back into C & W yard.

Train engine take 25743/25451/4614 into P1 and attach to set.

Train engine uncouple 25743, take coach to ex EE siding and stable.

Train engine back into P2 on completion.

03 out from C & W yard into P1, detach 25488 and attach to Train engine in P2.

03 back to C&W

Train engine stable 25488 in ex EE siding, return to P2 and then stand on main line in front of bracket signal.

4- Take 4 Surplus Wagons to Broadway:

03 get 4 wagons from beside the shed and push into P2.

Train engine attach to 4 wagons and take to Broadway. Return to Winchcombe.

5- Complete Assembly of Maroon Set:

Whilst Train engine is away, 03 stable Dogfish/Shark van alongside shed.

03 detach 5023/13326 from set in P1, take into C & W, stable 13326 alongside shed and leave 5023 over pit.

03 collect 1876/4787 from middle siding and park outside shed, fully attach 5023 to them, then wait on pit siding.

On return from Broadway, Train engine detach 16195 from set in P1 and stand on the main line in front of the bracket signal.

03 attach 4787/1876/5023 to set in P1 and return to C & W.

Train engine reattach 16195 to set in P1 and take set to Toddington.

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All went well and we now have two running rakes with the open coaches very much back in the frame. Currently the limit has been set to 7-coach formations, with the former 8th coaches (the two FKs) stabled at Winchcombe along with nearly all the corridor coaches used for the Covid rakes.

So into Tuesday and a stroll down the yard to view the coaches now stabled in the 3rd Rake siding.

 

The sheer number of coaches has meant that one of the FKs is stabled in the Workshop/Barn siding, while recently refurbished RMB 1808 (the 3rd Rake catering coach) remains where it is in the adjacent siding.

We have now been able to obtain the transfers for 1808, although only the Malvern side has had these attached, the current heat wave preventing the Cotswold side being done.

An unrestored brake van has reappeared from the back of the yard, and tucked in the side this lamp. While the van can be restored, the lamp appears to be a little too far gone!

Hardly surprising that there weren't many of us in with the current heatwave continuing. Thankfully with all the doors open and a good through draught, the Paintshop was relatively comfortable. Richard primes two new footboards destined for one of the Dogfish ballast wagons.

 He then moved on to adding second coats of varnish to the compartment blind covers from SK 24006. 

No guesses as to what Alex would be doing. It takes quite some time to do each sandwich board, and I imagine it can be quite daunting at times. While happy to complete a display, there's always the reminder that there are two sides for each board, and there is still a stack waiting to be done. Alex prepares the next board with a coating of blackboard paint. A short spell outside afterwards ensures a very quick drying time!

The Workshop has the large wall fans - one to bring in cool air, the other to extract - and in this weather they create a very comfortable environment. Despite a second greying up, we are determined to remove or ease out the many lumps and bumps on the Cotswold side of CK 16221. Roger, joined by Maurice, Alan and myself, achieved a lot during the time we were working on this.

Derek was back inside the south end of the coach and working on the internal vestibule access doors.

Our 40th Anniversary celebrations have begun and aptly displayed on one of the two loco headboards painted by Alex. This is the initial passenger train of the day, a change to the timetable meaning that the first train travels empty down to Cheltenham to pick up the first passengers. Hopefully, if passenger numbers eventually return to pre-pandemic levels, this will ease the overcrowding experienced on this particular train.

The new timetable is in place and once again trains regularly cross at Winchcombe. Dinmore Manor proudly displays the second headboard.

The Tim Mitchell Building hosted the presentation made to those members of the Railway who had been in right at the start, and one of those is our Dave H., seen with his wife Carol. Included in the celebration for the 40 years group was a round trip of the line and a buffet.

Having heard how good the photographic display was, we all went along to the TMB to see for ourselves. Included was C&W with some very early photos of the old Goods Shed before we moved in and made it our Workshop.

On a very hot day there's always time to relax and enjoy an ice cream (thank you Alan!). We did eventually return to work, but with lots of visitors on the platform there was very much a holiday atmosphere and it really did feel like a return to pre-pandenic days.

The Dinmore Manor crew had the better of it in this heat with the open cab. Working on 4270 was like working on P&O - very hot!

Sometime later the sound of a diesel horn had us looking out of the Works. Another sign that normality was returning with the last train of the day back to diesel haulage. So a quick photo on its return, with the anniversary headboard proudly displayed.