Thursday 10th - Buckeyes and a whole lot else, and more sad news

Thursday was bright and cheerful which was a blessing because there was a lot of outdoor activity planned.

Certainly the biggest and a very important job to be done today was the annual  buckeye examination programme. Some coaches had already been done, but more were due for inspection and mainly involved the open coaches in the former 3rd Rake siding.

With our HOD Ian driving the 03, there were three from our team of shunters and four of our Friday Maintenance team present.

It was good to see Stu back with the Maintenance Team. As well as being our previous Head of the Lineside Drainage Gang, Stu is also very active with the Cotswold Canals Trust, working along the Water Park, South Cerney and Siddington section of the former Thames & Severn Canal.

It is a while since these coaches were separated, so it meant a dual effort when it came to this particular disconnection.

While the team are busy disconnecting the two coaches, Ian chats to Richard J, our Chairman and former Head of C&W.

Returning later to find the rake now separated and the Maintenance Team busy with the exams.

Ian uses the L-shaped bar to lift the very heavy buckeye so that Stu can lock it in the horizontal position.

Stu uses one of the gauges to check for wear and tear.

 

 

 

 

With the coaches separated, another very useful job being done by Perryn is greasing the lower parts of the connection end plate.

John, Head of the Maintenance Team, updating the relevant sheets. These will end up with our office records and in our computer system.

Some of the coaches in the station also had to be done. Andy couples up ready for another shunt.

Bob M. swapped overalls for his orange coat and took on his signalman role for the various shunting movements during the course of the day.

Over to the Indoor Gang and 3rd Rake Maintenance Team who were continuing with the large list of things to be sorted out. Geoff is cleaning up a tiny lock plate - I meant to ask where this was from.

Later on a visit to the station found them in discussion. On seeing me coming they positioned themselves nicely for a photo - (L to R) Alan, Roger, Paul, Dennis and Geoff.

In one of the first class compartments in CK 16195 Alan sorts out the relevant screws required by Geoff who is making repairs in the neighbouring toilet compartment.

Not a pleasing sight! The toilet compartment referenced above is being brought back into use, but sadly the notice stating "Toilet out of use" when removed has caused some damage. Another job for the Painting Team.

They are in there somewhere, the Indoor Gang now having moved into BCK 21092.

Continuing on from Nick's excellent Wednesday report, Bob S. and Gerry were making excellent progress in RBr 1672 where the floor repairs had been made. Their final job was to sort out the sticking doors. The Painting Team will now move in to complete the repairs.

Phil was back working on the electrics associated with the generator.

 Earlier in the day I caught him reconstructing the fittings to another toilet tank.

 The initial set of new doors for the Mink A van have fitted very well.

During the morning Richards S. top coated the backs of the second pair.

New plates have been made for both the Mink A van and Queen Mary brake van.

A jovial Dave appears at the end of the Paintshop with another set of sanded beading from CK 16221.

 

Having deposited the latest batch on the painting trestles, Dave inspects the varnished items to see what can be taken away. He said that there wasn't much more of this left to do.

Meanwhile inside the second class toilet compartment Robert is busy sanding down more of the panelling.

Dave was soon back to sanding with compartment door pillars now being cleaned up. 16221 will be a varnisher's dream because besides all the panels, everything that has already had several coats of varnish while on the trestles, will have a final coating when back in place.

During the periods when his signabox activities were not required, Bob M. returned to the Paintshop and completed the black glossing of the south end of TSO 5042. 

Internal repainting/revarnishing of the three vestibules was completed by Bob K. Firstly the south vestibule in Executive Light Grey.

 Next the skirting in the north vestibule.

Finally a fresh coat of varnish in the centre vestibule. I love the finish that Bob gets with his varnishing - always a mirror finish without a single brushmark. 

With the vestibules finished, this just left the backs of the six doors to be cleaned, restained where required, and revarnished. Two on the Cotswold side were completed by myself, but the third was only cleaned up as the centre door pull had worked loose. Luckily Rod from the Door Team was in and started on the repair.

Alex had a busy day, initially continuing the lengthy job of renumbering our coach doors and windows. He then moved into the Paintshop to begin adding the numbers, lettering and stars (indicating the position of the vacuum cylinder drawstrings) to 5042.

 With the exception of the GWR roundel, no transfers now - just painting.

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Michael Jackson

Last Monday (7th) our Admin staff were notified with the very sad news that Michael had passed away the day before.  

Michael joined Carriage & Wagon in 1997 on retirement. In his career he had been a lecturer in banking, economics, business studies and marketing, and had taught geography, history and economics. In his time on the Railway he had also been a Director of the GWR Limited Company and a TTI.

He was very much a railway historian and had an interest in the use of railways since September 1939, the start of the Second World War. He wrote a number of articles on different aspects of railways which appeared over the years in the Cornishman magazine, and was very knowlegeable and interesting to talk to when describing our various carriages and goods vehicles.

He said that in the early days of Carriage & Wagon everyone did everything and helped out where they could. However as time passed by and the increasing workforce enabled skilled areas to be established, he often said that he was frustrated that age limited his activities to just painting and varnishing small items. However his work continued to contribute to the overall picture.

What Michael liked best with his life at Carriage & Wagon was meeting and greeting fellow volunteers, and helping to achieve a high standard of repair and renovation. In his latter days he would attend with his sister Sandra and Bryn the Corgi, and while he worked, Sandra would sit in the Mess Room and knit or sew while looking after Bryn. After his retirement it was nice to see him again on several occasions when he visited with Sandra.