Tuesday 1st - Gala recap and a new month begins

The Mixed Traction Gala proved to be as popular as last year, with very good numbers both on the trains and visiting the Works. The latter I am almost certain was the result of the advertising with our two new banners, because our numerous visitors started appearing almost as soon as we opened up.

Besides our displays in the Paintshop, we had this year quite a drastic extreme with the two coaches in the Works with CK 16221 looking just about completed in the Paintshop and RBr 1645 looking practically skeletal with bare bits of frame coated in oxide and severed panelling. Very much an "after" and "before"!

Saturday

[Photo : Paul W]   Dave H and Phil S with Jenny, John and Steve from Upholstery enjoying a walk around the Works as set up for our visitors.

 [Photo : Paul W]   Ian, Head of C&W, talking to one of our many visitors.

[Photo : Paul W]   Dave E with some more visitors. Although the above photos show just small numbers, at times there were many more scattered around the Paintshop, visiting Upholstery and of course at the viewing/photography area the other side of the Barn.

On Gala Saturdays visitors aren't allowed to walk through the Workshop and Barn because we are working, but at least from the Paintshop and the viewing/photograher's area they can see the vehicles inside and the work going on. On Sundays when we aren't working a taped corridor is erected through the Workshop and Barn, enabling visitors to walk through.

[Photo : Paul W]    While one of our visitors reads the "Currently Going On In Carriage & Wagon" information items, another views the photos of the Mink A van rebuild.

Richard II's bulb comparison proved to be very popular as when previously displayed, with LED on the left and tungsten on the right.

For equivalent light output, it is estimated that the LEDs draw 5 times less current (0.5A) than tungsten (2.5A). As an added benefit, due to the LED lights having internal control circuitry, the light output is fairly consistent with reducing voltage as the batteries lose their charge. To show this, an electronic controller was added which adjusts the voltage applied to the lamps. When the control was turned almost to the off position, the LEDs still showed light whereas the tungsten bulbs were dead.

I wonder how many households, if they aren't already with LEDs, are thinking of changing their lighting after seeing this quite dramatic demonstration of how little power is used with LED! 

Part of the display in the Upholstery workshop, with the lovely Horsechestnut Leaf moquette very much in view.

 

In the previous posting I mentioned that if you were impressed by our framed advert on the end of the bogie by the station crossing, "you ain't seen nothin yet!". 

Well here it is. The size of the sign can be judged by comparing it with "Foremarke Hall" and it certainly explains why we had visitors in the Works as soon as we were open.

Sunday 

 

Another photo of that sign with Foremarke Hall again, and from a slightly different angle the comparison is even more striking.

When we had the opportunity Pam and I went over to the other side of the yard so that the new "Stevie" scotches could be placed on the trailer of the road/rail vehicle.

It was getting a bit chilly as the early evening was creeping in - a noticeable effect of the clocks going back. Our visiting Deltic rumbles by on one of the last trains to Cheltenham.

The Works Gala team for Sunday - Nick, Bryan, Pam and Eve (Keith had already left for the day).

Overall it was a good gala and we met many interesting people. We received many compliments about what we do at C&W and the Railway in general. Pam commented that what was particularly notable was the interest expressed in volunteering, especially from some of our lady visitors. Over the years we have gained a number of our staff from initial gala visits.

Tuesday

So, back to normal (almost) and the activities for the day. It was also the first day of the November shutdown. There are the Race Specials on the 11th and 12th of the month, with a mid-day Fish and Chip special on the latter date, and Santa Specials start with the childrens charity train on the 20th.

The first job in the Paintshop was to remove the planks from the Malvern side and stack them on the Cotswold side out of the way. This was a painting job Pam and I had done during the mornings of the gala, and should have been done last week had the planks arrived the previous weekend as planned instead of Friday. They are for planking over the Workshop skylights (hence the scaffolding erected alongside the Workshop last week).

My main job of the day was dismantling and putting back all the gala display items, which is quite a considerable amount now as we have continually expanded our displays and notices.

In the Barn the Wagon team started on the PWay vanfit, which is basically in for minor repairs and a repaint. Maurice cleans up the south end buffer beam.

Clive begins removing the nuts from one of the lower door hinges.

Paul starts sanding the upper sections on the Cotswold side.

Clean up completed, the buffer beam receives a coat of red oxide.

On one of the Door team's benches, the locking bars from the three quarter doors off RBr 1675 have been coated in what looks like black Hammerite.

Robert takes measurements from the back of quarter door 3B.

Measurements transferred, he chisels out one of the required mortices.

The next stage is to reconstruct the frame with the relevant parts fitting into the new mortices.

On the left, Robert's door. On the right the reverse side of door 3B with the locking bar reinstated.

An earlier photo of door 3B. The skin will be completely sanded back to bare metal. The third quarter door is in the Workshop and in the process of being sanded.

Ainsley fitting the lock to one of the doors for 1675. Another of 1675's doors was on one of the other benches where Ben was also refitting the lock.

In the Workshop Dave was back to attaching more new netting to luggage racks from CK 16221. Almost all the racks have been put inside the compartments and await refitting.

Richard carefully stained the new central panels at the base of the window walls in both the second and first class compartments. The one in the first class compartment on the right blends very well with the upper veneer panels.

Richard did more varnishing at the end of the first class corridor. This is the second coat on this particular panel and it is now beginning to glow.

Already looking good, the entire corridor will receive several more coats before we are finished.

During the morning Richard and Stu completed the second top coat on the Malvern side of 16221.

The end of the day. The line position tapes have been removed and the black along some of the demarcation line replaced where annoyingly the tape had removed it.

Loads for Keith to do today - another coat of brown gloss on the new sign boards, toilet compartment bins and a heating cover to clean up and coat in silver hammerite, some little square jobbies to undercoat (this will be for somewhere inside 16221 - must ask where!), and out of sight a large corner grab handle from 1675 hanging on the hooks to sand and paint in oxide.

Dave H was back in Upholstery (he has been with the SVR Upholstery Dept on Tuesdays for some time now), but I missed him. I think he was working on the headrests for the first class seat back on the next bench.

The detailed plan for the headrests.

The seat back with the headrests temporarily placed on top.