Monday 29th - Phantoms

 Four intrepid volunteers made it to Toddington to tidy up the insides of the two Santa rakes. No outside washing today! And your blogger admits we were part of the no-shows. The car was covered in frozen snow and the road was a nice skating rink, so with a 1 hour journey in front of us we decided not this time.

Saturday 27th - Walking in a Winter Wonderland

 We had a bit of a surprise this morning, many of us had made most of our journeys in before the snowstorm got going, and it was quite heavy too, settling despite the wet conditions. As it was the first day of Santa train operations, it couldn't have been timed better really, it made it very atmospheric, and Paul captured a great video of Foremarke coming past in the snow with the first train of the day, which hopefully we can share with you!

It was not an ideal day to be doing outside work, but there was a buckeye training course pencilled in for today, and everyone dutifully turned up regardless, well wrapped up!

This was mainly a loco department affair with David, David and Bryony in fireman training and Chris as their assessor, but our own Bob was instructor, and I gate-crashed too as qualifying as a ground shunter has been on my list of things to do since passing out as guard, and it seemed like a good idea to tag along and get one step closer. We did what we could practising raising and lowering the buckeye coupling in the works but we had to venture outside to have a go at coupling and uncoupling. Yank the chain to release in theory, but not as easy as it sounds! We got the hang of it in the end, but the stream of water from the gutter going down the back of your neck as you leaned under didn't help.

While all that was going on we missed morning tea break, and a visit from former volunteer Ron which Dave captured, sorry we missed you Ron!

Retreating to the shelter of the workshops for the afternoon, it was time to see what else was going on.

With just a small amount of door work left on 34929, CK 16221 is getting most attention now. After cutting the various wooden blocks to size Robert taps them in with a mallet:

While on the coach itself George was out with the undercoat dark grey again, this time on the south end:

Dave had decided he was better off in the workshop than inside 24006 out in the yard and brought some more panelling in to clean up:

Kevin was keeping on top of our stores:

I didn't want to disturb John who was deep in concentration on the milling machine, I think he may have been making up some plates for the locking bolts on doors to engage with:

Meanwhile Phil carried on sorting and cleaning spare light fitting control plates etc. another batch arrived onto the painting trestles later for painting and return to spares storage:

It was more or less as cold in the barn as it was outside, but that didn't deter the dirty gang from continuing the dismantling and overhaul of the pair of bogies on the jack road:

In fact the only properly warm place was upholstery, where they were taking a break from bubble car seats to do some tests for the RBr seating for when the time comes:

One chair partially recovered, looking very neat:

Whilst there's still a reaosnable number of jobs to do on 34929 they're all bits here and there so it's sometimes difficult to get too much done without impacting on other things. Dave did a bit more lining out:

While I carried on with the lettering, giving the thin black outline to the number painted last week (thanks to Dave for the photo), and also labelled the guard's door:

Thursday 25th - Assessments

One of the important jobs planned by Ian, our HOD, for today was for a group of team leaders to have a walk both through and around our coaching stock in the 3rd Rake siding and at Toddington. Besides Ian, there was Clive (Deputy HOD), Steve (Woodwork), Nick (Metalwork), and myself (Painting).

Our records for all our coaches are continually being updated and improved, and Ian has now produced a sheet for each one to list current and longer term requirements. This in turn will help us to assess what needs more urgent attention when a space becomes available in the Works to bring in another coach.

The team began with a walk through the coaches (mainly opens from the First Rake) in the 3rd Rake siding, followed by a walk outside. Internal checking included the toilets, vestibules for water ingress and subsequent damage to veneer panelling, general decorative state of ceilings in particular, the upholstery, floor covering, windows, etc, etc. This was followed by a walk outside to assess the status as far as possible of crash pillars, underfloor cross-struts, general bodywork (especially the coach ends), and roof and bodyside paint condition.

The team then drove up to Toddington to do the same checking on the two rakes stabled within the station. 

We were blessed with a nice sunny day, though the bitterly cold north wind really made itself felt while we were in the shade between the two rakes, so it was a relief to finish and warm up again in the sun. Overall, it was an extremely useful exercise, and will greatly help us. We have already planned to bring in SO 4790 for minor repairs and a repaint when BSK 34929 is finished. From yesterday's observations I believe that TSO 4763 will need to be brought in to resolve a number of issues - there is currently a space in the Barn through road.

Although we were involved with the assessment work for several hours, I was still able to grab a few photos of progress today, though not always with those doing the actual jobs. However I did capture Alan doing some heater cover repairs in FO 3132 "Mary". The 3rd Rake Maintenance team will now be applying all their efforts to the coaches from the two main rakes that are currently with us while the Santa trains are running.

 I did miss Jeff completing the lining out on the Cotswold side south end of the BSK.

I did however catch him doing the white lettering on one of the two makers plates, a job many of us like doing.

I also missed Bob K. adding a second top coat to the north end door and corner, the between window panels, and top panel, all on the Cotswold side. 

Once again our very innovative engineering/metalwork team have come up trumps, this time with a means of securing the emergency ladder in the BSK in what could have been an awkward location. The new creation was made by Rex and, when bolted to the wall of the guards compartment, will secure the ladder using the movable arm. The hook comes between the adjacent rungs of the secured ladder and secures the guards door when it needs to be opened. Absolutely brilliant - well done Rex!

Having finished his work on the BSK, Bob K. moved over to TK 24006 and top coated the first of the north end compartment ceilings, and I managed to miss him here too. The previous day Phil S. had sorted out the electrics and as such there was now lighting and heating available.

Meanwhile in the Paintshop Bob M. was adding silver Hammerite to the back of the underseat grills from 24006. The fronts had been done on Tuesday. Some of the others had previously been glossed black - these will be overpainted in silver to match the rest.

The old scotches were undercoated in madder. These will be painted red of Saturday.

Taking a break from the office computer, Eve was busy filing more delivery notes, including one I have just brought up following a paint delivery.

Returning through Upholstery, nobody was in as it was a Thursday, but a quick photo of another Bubblecar seat with sewing instructions.

Finally, following on from Richard's excellent posting yesterday, a view showing the current status of the Toad brakevan now that a lot more of the old planking has been removed.

Wednesday 24th - Not floored by the flawed floor

 Thanks to Richard for the report today. He and Paul were working on the Toad, so we'll start there, where more timber was being stripped off:

A panoramic view, the first floor planks coming up for investigation, and revealing access for the drawbar. The proposed plan is we strip back the floor planks and replace with new at the veranda end where rot has set in, but probably leave most of the ones inside as they are still sound.

Wednesday is always a good day to catch the door team at work on their benches, Trevor and Rod are both onto doors for the CK in the workshop now:

 

Geoff wields the broom while Trevor makes use of the band saw:

Ainsley was fitting the capping stirp to the last door on 34929:

I'm afraid I'm not quite sure what Phil and Rex were doing, whatever it was was in the vice for both of them!

Note the woolly hats, our heating is overdue a service :(

I'm not quite sure what John was doing on the drill either, but on the right Bryan was painting a bracket to hold the wand for the pressure washer, as that is where it lives, little things to make everything that bit more convenient:

 

Up in upholstery the march of the bubble car seats continues with John and Steven measuring out the next section of material:

Tuesday 23rd - A tricky day

Often when a coach is nearing the end of a restoration or refurbishment, job allocation can become tricky with less jobs available, and those that can be done impacting on each other and volunteers having to work around each other as best as they can. It may not appear like this in the photos, but today work on the BSK was very much in this vogue, especially as we had a good number attending.

The day began quietly with just Stu and myself in early as usual. Stu taped up and completed the lining out on the Malvern side guards door and short panel to the left.

Then it was over to the Cotswold side to begin the lining out at the south end.

We always do the yellow first. Stu adds the first coat to the lower line. The second coat is quickly added after about twenty minutes or when the paint begins to go tacky. The tape is then usually removed either immediately or after a short time.. The black sections of both lines will probably be done on Thursday.

Then back round to the Malvern side to remove the tape from the guards door and panel. While all this is going on, I'm sussing out the jobs that can be done allowing for any restrictions, and generally doing all the tidying up and sorting out before the others arrive.

It's somewhat chilly in the Paintshop while we are waiting for our gas heater to be serviced. Richard has donned his jacket as he is window cleaning on the Malvern side and not doing any painting.

A surprise today was the arrival of Robert and Ainsley to work on the Cotswold side centre passenger doorframe. While this eliminated some of the planned painting on the adjacent guards door and surround, it was good to see more progress on the remaining door to be done.

Ainsley assesses the fitting of the capping strip. This door in particular has been somewhat problematical to say the least.

Just prior to their arrival, Phil had got the lining out tape on the guards door as this is now ready for top coating. This will now be done on Thursday.

Earlier on in the day I had keyed a lot of the Cotswold side to the right of the centre door in  preparation for a second top coat. Roger completed the light sanding and gave the whole area a good wipe over in readiness for when we can go ahead.

Phil took on the job of cleaning the windows on this side. After seeing paint spotted, dusty windows for so long, the work done by Phil and Richard made quite a difference and a distinct improvement, especially the Malvern side where the main painting is now essentially complete.

We hope to resume the internal varnishing soon. Roger went through the coach again giving it another vacuuming. More dust will be created with the final bits of woodworking to be completed, but regular cleaning helps to keep it down.

Keith had a never ending run of jobs on the trestles, initially continuing the work being done by Pam on Saturday. Phil S. had produced a number of ceiling light fittings to be cleaned up and painted. These along with the Hammerited ones in the background will go into our spares store.

On to more goodies from TK 24006, this time underseat grills. Bob cleaned these with a powered brush. Dusty work, but they looked so much better afterwards.

It was then over to Keith to add the silver Hammerite. In the background on the scaffold platform, a load of old scotches to be cleaned up and painted red - these will be kept for internal Works use only.

The final bit of power brushing done by Bob was on the long metal cover that goes over the south end corridor connection in 24006. Roger coats it in red oxide. In later MK 1 coaches this cover is wood.

Inside 24006 owner Dave is priming another cleaned up compartment ceiling.

John came in for an while to work on the wheelset extracted from the south end bogie. This involved a good clean up of the axle to check for wear. All was well and it was subsequently given a coat of oxide.

There was nobody in Upholstery today, but a good pile of seating from the Bubblecar awaits their attention.

A good collection of painted items cleared from the trestles to make room for the underseat grills from 24006. From the top, the removed handrails from 34929, the missing grab rail from the south end of the coach, the four pieces of black painted wood are for the fitting of the coach's four compartment tables, and finally the Hammerited inset light fittings. The inner bowls of the latter will be painted white.