Saturday 11th - Nothing for ages and now two at once

The first Saturday after the Gala weekend - was it really a week ago?!

[Photo: Paul E.]    The Barn was buzzing with the sound of angle grinders and sanders as the cracked and peeling paint was steadily removed from the FOWS Toad brake van. The Malvern side was being sanded down by Paul E.

  [Photo: Paul E.]  While Maurice and Richard were busy with the Cotswold side.

[Photo: Paul E.]   Some good progress with three of the top four panels now back to bare wood.

Following all the shunting to get the four returned Gala freight train vehicles back in their respective locations, the "Cheltenham High St" Toad was pushed into the Barn behind the FOWS Toad. It has been returned so that the roof can be repaired - this is the final stage in its refurbishment.

The freight vehicle gang - Richard, Paul and Maurice pose in front of the FOWS Toad. As the title of the posting says, from nothing in the barn, they now have two vans to work on.

The final bit of the shunt was to return the Mink vans to the PWay train on the Malvern side of the yard. Ian on the 03, with Andy, Tony and Andy as the ground crew.

Still bits from the Gala to clear up. Kevin stores some of the parts from the engineering displays ready for the next Gala at the end of July.

Also hanging over from the Gala was the cleaning inside the coaches that made up the 4th Rake. This was well in progress with Paul and Dennis keeping busy.

The Indoor Gang had removed some of the internal window framing from TSO 4867 where the table supports were being somewhat difficult to take off.

Dave eventually got this one off, but not without a fight. The window drainage tubes have been retained for use with the new framing when that is put in.

Jenny and John rebuild another chair from RBr 1675. In the Paintshop Pam added a coat of varnish to what are probably the final two chairs.

 It was back to more storage for Kevin who does a really great job looking after all this.

Pam undercoated the new vestibule ceiling panels for CK 16221 that Keith had primed last Tuesday. Behind her are the chairs from 1675.

Steve fits some new beading above the window in one of the second class compartments in 16221.

John was busy on the lathe again making new steel pins for part of the mechanism controlling the movement of the connection bellows on 16221.

The pins were made from pieces of the metal scrap that was recovered from the ballast bins in the "Cheltenham High St" Toad when that was being refurbished.

Chris is fitting the homing plate for the budget lock on the Cotswold side south end door frame.

Robert cleans up part of the metal panelling prior to fitting the bottom section of capping strip on the Cotswold side central door.

Towards the end of the day Pam had transferred to 16221 and was adding the first coat of varnish to the back of the central door. Adding the first coat is a very satisfying job with the dark wood beginning to glow as the varnish sinks in.

Tony finishes his day cleaning up another luggage rack.

My main job for the day was finishing off the bonnets at each end of the Bubblecar. We needed to get this done before the second top coat was put on the front and sides of the vehicle. The main part of the roof was completed some time ago.

All that rainwater caught in the bogie covers. Alex and I have a lot of fun getting rid the puddles. It's very therapeutic and great for the finger and lower arm muscles.