Tuesday 22nd - Another one leaves the nest

 A plea for help

As you will have read in Roger's Monday posting, our Cleaning Team are in trouble with now just a small group remaining. It's all very well the Works producing lovingly restored and refurbished coaches for our visitors to enjoy travelling in, but their enjoyment will soon diminish if we cannot keep our coaches clean, both inside and out, and especially the inside.

If you are thinking of joining the GWSR as a volunteer, or are already a volunteer in another department, why not give the Monday team some help. As Roger says it will be a great shame if this essential work has to go out to paid contractors and as such more expense for the Railway.

If you would like to help please visit the Volunteering section on the Website: 

https://www.gwrt.org.uk/Volunteering.html

Thank you

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Tuesday

What a lovely warm spring day again, making it very enjoyable for those working outside, and even better, it looks to carry on for a while and so giving us a chance to get outside work completed.

Back to the Gunpowder Van in Platform 2 Bay for three of our staff today. Richard needed the heat gun to remove the red G.P.V. transfers, which proved to be somewhat stubborn to sanding unlike the white lettering.

 Ian worked on the side, continuing the overall sanding and removal of the large painted X.

 

Returning later on, a cheerful greeting from Richard, now working on the south end, and Phil,  continuing his work on the roof panels.

By the end of the day much of the oxided patches had received a coat of undercoat Dark Grey. We should soon be adding the Black gloss, after which Alex can get going with the lettering and the large X.

In the Barn Maurice and Richard S. were back on the Toad refurbishment. The work is now mainly the removal of the rotten planking.

 Another end of day photo showing the good progress made.

 Another job with an excellent end of day result was the painting of the container by Roger.

Roger not only completed this, but also painted the sides of the new roof section on our original container, which had been put on to cure leaks. Reference a comment made recently, yes we do check the roofs of the containers. With the painting completed all three containers now blend in nicely with the Works buildings.

Ainsley continued working on the doorway on CK 16195 where Chris had been removing the hinge screws on Saturday.

Later in the day with Clive and myself helping, the Cotswold side south end door was put back on. The gibbet hoists make this activity so much easier.

Clive had come in for the day to act as shunter, but with that work completed he moved on to a number of small jobs in the Works.

 Dismantling and cleaning the valves from vacuum cylinders.

As Clive said, I wonder how many have noticed that when upside down part of the valve resembles an elephant's head. There's even an "E"on the side!

Upstairs in Upholstery Dave is dismantling another cushion from the Bubblecar. There can't be many left to do now.

Returning later, the old cover and padding are in the bin, and the repairs to the wood frame and base are underway.

In TK 24006 owner Dave is sanding more of the veneer panelling in the final compartment ready for Bob K. to varnish. 

One of the compartments already done with the Weathered Sycamore veneer gleaming nicely. Roll on the day when we can see reupholstered seating, wall lights, and pictures back in place.

Alan and Keith were busy with quite a number of jobs, which included varnishing and painting various items on the trestles at both ends of the Paintshop, and lightly sanding our seats from the yard, one of which is undergoing repairs as previously reported. Both seats will have a fresh coating of teak oil.

Quite a shunt had to take place to extract 3960, which has been sold to the East Somerset Railway, and keeping Neil and Clive busy for some time. 

3960 was at the end of this siding, so the very rare sight of seeing it empty!

 

Hardly had the extraction been completed, when the transport was observed slowly nosing its way along the road by the Works. Returning later to see 3960 loaded and ready to depart.

A coach slowly passing by on a transport is not something regularly seen from our Mess Room as we enjoy our 1100 tea break! It would have been years before we ever got around to restoring 3960, so it's nice to know that it is going to Cranmore to be restored and in use much earlier.

Wow, double headed shunters! Actually, not quite. The 03 is still not working and the limited siding space meant it had to become part of the remaining shunting that was still required.

Job done with TSO 4986 now over this side of the yard and the 03 ready for when the repairs can be made.

The end of a very satisfying day.