Saturday 18th - Hazards of Blogging

 Another productive day today with plenty achieved. Starting on the Dogfish out in the barn, the dirty gang today comprising John, Andy and Ian were engaged in dismantling drawhooks for inspection, as part of our revised wagon FTR (Fitness to Run) process:

Behind the hook a large spring, heavy collar, and chunky washer all sit on the shank, held on by a big nut and split pin. It's all very awkward to get to, and sometimes they're not too keen on coming apart having not budged for probably 30 odd years. Even if they do, everything is heavy and cumbersome, a passing blogger with camera is at high risk of "Ah Alex, perfect timing, here, hold this!"

In the workshop George continued his efforts to clean up the south end of 16221, working on the filler pipe:

Paul and Dennis were taking a look inside, hello Paul!

Still lots to do in there.

Phil was refurbishing some components for toilet cisterns:

Ainsley was sorting out some leather door straps for 34929:

While John was on the grinder sharpening our scrapers, thanks John!

On the painting table Dave was doing one of those essential "Dave jobs" cutting up more rag, while Pam was top-coating the lamps I dug out the other day:

Nick also popped in to do a small welding job, now the French bolt has something to engage with, and a new chain:

For some reason my photos from upholstery didn't come out today, sorry guys! But rest assured they were working hard on the last few seats for TSO 5042, another coach now with a new lease of life.

I missed further door work on 34929 as well as I was focussed on the continuing work on the Queen Mary. Once again we had several people on this. But firstly a photo from Friday when a few of us came in for some overtime:

Maurice started sanding around the north end veranda, while Jo did a final clean-up and got the green primer out to protect the Cotswold side lower metal sides. Greg and Mark also stopped by in the afternoon and by the end of play we had both lower sides fully cleaned and primed, thanks chaps!

Meanwhile I was inside stripping out more plywood to reveal more original planking:

Back to Saturday then, and Bob tackled the other guards lookout stripping it of paint:

Paul cleaned up and then primed the north headstock, after painting the new metal bar sections on the Mink doors:

Richard, Chris and I were in the woodwork shop puzzling over exactly how we were going to make up some of the timber sections for the Veranda sides:

These are the bits in question, clearly in need of replacement:

Eventually we figured it out, making it in 2 parts was the way forward, and Chris set the angle up on the table saw and we boldly went for it:

We were pleased to find that if we cut the angle down the middle it was just the perfect size, so we were very economical with the timber used.

Today's secondment from the loco department came in the form of Bryony, who was dismayed to find herself on the other side of the blogger lens, normally writing the loco department blog. Just another hazard of blogging, sooner or later you'll get captured! I'm told there will be revenge...

Anyway, she set to with the disk cutter removing the last of the bolts that held the planking on the veranda sides before getting the pad sander out to make a start on the south end door.

The final job of the day was to have a bash at taking the metal plating off the Malvern side. This put up more of a fight than last week, but we got there in the end. Sure enough, another large S R was found underneath, very satisfying.