Saturday 16th - Enjoying what we do

Another day of glorious weather, but for most in C&W it was another day inside the Works. However, as is often said, we are here because we want to be, and today there was certainly a lot to keep us busy. Besides which on lovely warm days we can have our breaks in the lovely station garden or on our benches in the yard just outside the Barn.

Beginning with Andy and Andy .........oh, er, how about Andy T. and Andy T.......... oh, alright then, Andy Th and Andy Tu. working on one of the DA valves from 1675.

It was causing some bother initially, hence the massive spanner giving plenty of torque, but eventually it was part dismantled for servicing.

It's a long trawl cleaning up the luggage racks from CK 16221 but as ever, we keep going. Dave is busy with yet another.

And once they are cleaned, we want to keep them so - that netting collects a lot of dust and grime, especially in our dusty Workshop. As such Kevin is busy wrapping the cleaned ones in clingfilm.

The cleaned and repainted underseat heating grills all ready for reinstating in 16221.

In the centre vestibule of 16221 Simon wrestles with a large sheet of veneer panelling before securing it in place.

Later on I caught Simon creating some curved sections of battening using the runner for one of the two vestibule sliders.

 Robert is back working on liners for the Cotswold side north end doorframe. 

Inside the kitchen area of RBr 1675 Phil is doing some more dismantling. 

He later appeared with a fairly ancient bar list that had fallen behind what he had removed. It's at least 50 years old with its pre-decimalization (1971) prices. 

 One of the new underfloor cross-bearers inside 1675.

 In Upholstery John trims up a new seat foam pad with the electric breadknife.

 

Another of 1675's chairs nears completion with Laura and Jenny adding the final bits of sewing. 

Maurice is back at the southern end of the Toad brake van cleaning up the vertical girders.

Paul is removing old residue from another of the underfloor ballast bins.

Andy Th. now works on the vacuum cylinder from the Toad brake van. This will also be given a thorough servicing.

In the Paintshop Pam and I worked on the backs of the two toilet doors from TK 24006. Both have been varnished on the outer sides, but the backs need painting. The toilet roll holder on this one proved to be somewhat difficult to remove, especially as half of one of the screw heads had been sheered away. Pam initially uses a punch to create a decent indent to enable the remainder of the broken screw head to be drilled away.

The three dented aluminium strips were also removed and the tiny screw holes and indents filled using a very fine filler. The old tarnished formica also needed roughening up.

The back of the second door had been painted in the past, but before repainting, needed filling where the groves for the old strips still existed and where the old paint had come away.

We now have quite a collection of photos of past members on our stairs wall and Ian thought it would be nice if we had a plaque mounted to state what this was. Steve carefully cuts an ideal piece of planking.

The beautifully shaped end result, ready for varnishing and then Alex's excellent signwriting.

It is often said that we spend all our time working on our coaches without actually getting on the train and enjoying the benefits. So after a bit of initial work, two of us caught the first train from Cheltenham, did the complete round trip sat in luxurious comfort in FO 3132 "Mary", and then returned to work. Wonderful !

Dinmore pulls in with the other train.

Before we left, Alan had been in the final stages of installing the new back lighting on the Cotswold side of the Paintshop.

The work had been completed when we got back. With camera at the ready Alan did the formal switch-on and what a difference.There will be no excuses for any paintwork runs now!