Saturday 17th - Eeeeeuuuuurrggghhhh

 I think that was the most uttered phrase (Sp.?) today on the railway, it was just too hot! Nonetheless, a fair amount of work was achieved.

I started off the day putting the logo on the side of one of our quick outdoor repaints SO 4790 before it got too warm, the old one had not aged well.

On my way back, Paul was coming in the opposite direction armed with a mop and bucket to finish off the preparations for the open rake's return to service:

Upholstery was carrying on with the rolling refurbishment of TSO 5042's seats, although they seemed to have gained an extra member in Phil:

I don't think he made the cut though, as later on he was on the end of BSK 34929 greasing buffers and fitting electrical connections:

The BSK was once again the focus of activity for the door team. Chris here is screwing in one of the door pillars now finally fettled to the right shape:

By the end of the day, the door lock was fitted and success! The door engaged and closed. Finally! It's a really tricky carriage this one on the doors, with lots of replacement metal around the doors and the whole thing being slightly out of square it makes it very challenging.

Meanwhile on the other side Robert was test fitting a capping strip, having earlier opened out some of the holes in it in the workshop:

While Ainsley looks on. Nearby, he was working on assembling the door hinges on another door:

Steve was working on some trim around the double doors for the wheelchair access area:

When he wasn't helping Richard with cutting the wood for the doors on the Mink A. Steady on there, duck!

The big table saw making life easy:

John's project for the day was to refurbish some of our aged G-clamps. Several of them had lost their swivel shoes:

So after a bit of angle-grinding a session on the lathe was called for:

George was the lone worker on CK 16195 today, on secondary filling duties, the grey undercoat doing its job of highlighting all the bits we missed:

On SK 24006 there was quite a production line going on. In the coach itself Robert was carefully sanding down the internal corridor window beading:

While Dave was preparing more bits of trim for cleaning up and varnishing,

Before passing them onto Dave (!), who found a nice cool spot in the shade by the loo block to do the final cleaning up:

Passing them onto Pam for varnishing:

Although I didn't exert myself too much today pottering along with my signwriting (no pictures I'm afraid, I was doing the other sides of the A-boards, they look very similar to the first sides!) it was still a long day for me as I was rostered on the P&O evening special laid on for their members. I was down as TTI but due to other swapsies during the day I ended up swapping with Bryony who was going to be guard, and did the flag waving instead.

It was an extremely pleasant evening, glorious sunshine:

A nice sunset:

All in good company.

In fact we realised all 4 of the traincrew were below 30! Thanks to John for taking the photo and Bryony for sending it on to me.

Finally as darkness falls P&O was tucked up in the shed as it's now the end of her latest running stint, and Dinmore, 4270 and the class 37 are positioned ready for the following few days' services.

Although we're still encouraging pre-booking, it is in effect back to normal services on Tuesday, with the ability to get on and off trains as you please. It'll be great to feel like we're running a proper railway again.