Wednesday 19th/Thursday 20th - Feel the pressure

Wow, what a busy couple of days with the pressure mounting to get everything completed in time for the new season. The days and weeks seem to be rushing by.

Beginning with Wednesday, some photos of the ongoing work in the Barn and Upholstery Shop.

(Photo: Nick) A general view of the Barn with RBr 1672 up on the jacks and what looks to be a discussion about the work in hand.

(Photos: Nick) Two shots of Gerry showing the complexities when working underneath an RBr.

(Photo: Nick) Bryan cleaning up some of the metalwork ready for some fresh welding. 

Nick and the team were back in on Thursday as there is a lot to do.

(Photo: Nick) Also in the Barn, John V. continues his frame building for the new oil storage bund. Note the woolly hat - it's freezing in there in the Winter, even with the portable calor gas heaters.

(Photo: Nick) In complete contrast to the cold and noise of the Barn, the quiet and warmth of the Upholstery shop shows as John is on the way to completing the first of the 24 chairs from RBr 1675 in the very popular red chain-link moquette. As always happens these will be finished and in store well before 1675 has been refurbished.

(Photo: Nick) Jenny is working on one of the diesel cab seats. In the background it looks as though John has completed 1675's chair.

Moving on to Thursday, a photo of another of 1675's chairs sanded and re-varnished by David the day before.

It was many hands again on TSO 5042, still in the stages of preparation for its quick repaint, but the progress was very good. Jeff is sanding down the Cotswold side south corner and door area.

Tony was intending to get back to CK 16221, but with the need to get 5042 done, he sanded down the whole of the Malvern side from the centre door to the south end, even going back over the north end to catch any missed bits.

I concentrated on finishing off the filling on the Cotswold side rivet line and other areas requiring filler, especially the rebuild of the base of the north corner. 

Bob K. started on untouched windows, before moving on to the gutter panel and coach ends.

Bob M. initially cleaned up both sides of the roof at the north end before harnessing up for access to the roof top. The roof on the Cotswold side is particularly rough, a lot of it remnants from when BR put bitumen on coach roofs. It can be very difficult to remove.

Richards I and II spent the morning checking all our running coaches to see what was left for fitting LED lights. It was then a check to ensure coaches requiring battery charging were connected to an electrical supply. 5042 was in turn checked - batteries fine but need to seal up that hole in the Malvern side battery box. The lower door bottom edge looks pretty chewed up too, but there isn't time to make a new box, and then paint and fit it.                                                                       

On to CK 16221 with Dave H. continuing with the sanding down of the corridor and vestibule walls. He was later joined by Phil B.

Later in the day Bob S. was making new brackets for 16221's corridor heating covers.

Richard S.was working on the second set of new doors for the Mink A van, helped by David D. He later finished the undercoating on the first set of doors.

A quick breath of fresh air before lunch to capture the view over the station to the Works, south sidings and Cotswold escarpment. It was another beautiful day.

Being very busy with 5042 I wasn't able to get photos of Alan and Roger (Indoor Gang) or Paul, Dennis and Phil S. (3rd Rake Maintenance) working hard with the numerous jobs in both rakes. Apologies chaps.

 The reverse view to the road bridge and embankment repair work in the tunnel cutting.