Weds 28th/Thurs 29th - The continuing story of 1675, 16221 and the Vanfit.

 Another mid-week merged posting.

Wednesday

This is my half ...... as it happens.

Firstly as I walked through towards the Paintshop I came upon Robert making recesses for the door hinges. The doors are for the Vanfit.

Feeling the ground move, I thought, "Ah a train" ..... I just missed 4270 heading north towards Toddington. Never mind, a cheery wave to our travellers always brings a smile.

The South end roof of 1675 is getting the treatment from Bob M.

A bit of a birds eye view of Bryan and Gerry nudging the second North end panel into place ..... and then firmly clamping in place.

Another from the crows nest, these panels are a very good fit and need very little adjustment from us.

We all agreed it was exactly vertical etc, and close on every support  ..... so by home time it was welded into place. A very satisfying day for us all and another target met.

Thats it from me for 2022, I wish you all a very happy and prosperous New Year. Do come and see us at one of the Galas in 2023.

 

Nick

 

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Thursday

Another small attendance with six of us in.

Alex began his day top coating the outer faces of the Malvern side doors for the Vanfit. He had been in on Wednesday and undercoated them.

In the Barn the Mogo awaits further attention. On Wednesday Alex had also top coated the large hinges from the south end. The body sides will be completely replaced.

Phil did a number of jobs inside CK 16221, including giving the smaller inner skirting boards in the corridor another coat of gloss black.

Later in the day Alex joined me with the initial varnishing of the upper half of the Malvern side of the CK. Just the south section on this side and the repainted door on the Cotswold side left to receive first coats. 

Taking a break from varnishing, I got cracking on the repaint of the new tool cupboard for the Workshop and got most of the initial sanding completed.

May I also wish you all a very happy New Year, and echo Nick's words that we will be open during all three galas next year, so please do visit us and see first hand the continuing progress of our restorations and refurbishments.

Dave C.

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Tuesday 27th - Just the three of us

The final week of the year kicked off with a very small attendance, with just Pam, Paul and myself. Phil S., Paul W. and his son Chris were enjoying a day on the trains and popped in to the Works. Last Saturday had been a day off, so this was the first session since last Thursday and to sum up it was painting and varnishing.

For Pam it was back to her sign boards and extra cream top coat on the lettering and parts of the frames on the most recent three. The first three will be similarly treated the next time she is in. They will then be ready for mounting. Robert will be making a proper easel for her, but for now the converted trestle has been very useful.

The two newly made doors for the Malvern side of the Vanfit were removed and the back given a coat of primer by Paul. 

All remaining work was done on CK 16221 by yours truly, beginning with a repaint of the Cotswold side south door and adjacent upper panel where the varnishing hadn't come out too well. 

With exclusive access to the coach this was an ideal time to do a lot more internal varnishing, beginning with another coat on all seven door backs.

 The Malvern side south door

 The Malvern side north end.

The Malvern side inner First Class door

The Cotswold side centre door.

 The corridor dividing door had somehow escaped a second varnishing.

The new access cupboard doors in the north vestibule had their third coat and now look much better.

The corridor heating surrounds, handrails, bottom parts of the window frames and a number of compartment door frames also received more varnish.

The weather was very mixed with rain and later gusty winds, but it didn't deter what looked to be a good number of passengers on the trains. Alex was guard on the southbound train.

4270, running her last few days before she disappears for her 10-yearly refurb, pulls strongly away on the train for Toddington and Broadway.

21st and 22nd - North end nearly finished

Another 2 day effort from the metalwork team, the aim being to have the main structure 'North End' finished.  We cannot all get in the right place at once, so we do dodge about doing other fixes so as not to waste any time.

A somewhat small group at mid morning tea break.

Bryan proceeded to make sure the crash pillars and buffer plate were all clean enough for the new end panel.

Some discussion with Rex about captive nuts, before the panel goes on.

A request was made to install 2 extra floor bearers, so Derek is painting the underside ready to be welded tomorrow.

Ken A. is welding a new section of outer skin up to the door frame. New lower skirt panels will be integrated with this vertical panel ..... watch this space.

Rex is putting finishing touches to a Roof/Cant rail repair.

Dave A. in the paintshop.

That was Wednesday ........

[Photo : Dave C.]   It was a good day for continuing the first coat of varnish on CK 16221. The entire bottom section below the lower line was initially given a very light sand with 240 paper and then varnished by Bob K., with Dave C. completing the job when Bob had to leave for the day.

[Photo : Dave C.]  16221 from the north end.

[Photo : Dave C.]   Pam works on the initial lettering for the Upholstery Shop board. A second coat of cream will complete the job. The Mess Room board lettering had received its second coat earlier in the day. Some extra paint on the frames and all five will be ready to hang. It will be quite a transformation for the lobby area.

I thought it appropriate to show another team at work ......

With Maurice carrying on from yesterday, painting hinges.

Dave H. always ready with a smile, sanding a panel ( sorry not sure what it is).

One of the two new floor bearers welded into position, Derek can now proceed with new floor panels.

Bryan very kindly offered to paint them, as I said previously this is how we keep out of each others way.

Simon is working in 16221, but here is preparing (not sure what) to go in the carriage. We knew he was in there, as we could hear persuasion instruments in use.

I ventured into the Barn for some steel section and was met by this rather unusual scene. An empty 'Jack Road'.

Evidence of Ian on a dirty job!

Rex is using an in house made jig for drilling holes in floor bearers, this means they are always in the right place.

Ken R. is preparing the South End for re-fitting of the corridor connection.

And so the main event for the team, we must be getting good at this as all the measurements were spot on. With it clamped in position welding can commence.

It looks a bit spotty, but it's there to stay. 

We intend to be in next Wednesday and fit the other side.

Many thanks to Dave C. for his photos and text.

It just leaves me to stay from us all to our readers, A very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Tuesday 20th - Good to be back

The final week before another Christmas is upon us. Where has this year gone?! Still at least we can get about now that the white stuff has disappeared. Last Tuesday was abandoned because of the hazardous road conditions, so it's good to be back.

Before starting today's post, a big "Thank You" from Steve, Eddie and myself for the many very kind compliments about the Woodworking article. The reader count continues to rise. As with all the special articles, it can be consulted at any time from the Blog Home page now that Alex has added a link. We will continue to issue these at intervals and a request has already been made for one on carriage steam heating. So, as the saying goes, watch this space!

Bob S. appeared during the day with his Santa's trousers hat on again. Instead of C&W he was part of the group looking after our Santa visitors - well done Bob! 

CK 16221 is an obvious priority so varnishing window frames was the job today for Richard. Unfortunately the planned varnishing session on more of the main bodyside didn't happen and with the move out of the coach suggested for the week after New Year, we may have a problem. (We'll work something out! -Ed.)

We had exclusive access inside the coach so we had the chance to get a lot of the outstanding painting of the new skirting boards and beading painted. Stu tackles the south vestibule.

Ian stayed one step ahead of Richard and cleaned more of the windows on the Cotswold side.

Two sets of windows sliders have yet to be put back. This gave the opportunity for Keith and Phil to complete the top coating of these.

Job done. Phil carefully removes the masking tape. The back part of each slider has been kept paint free so that should future repainting mean a change of livery, then the sliders don't have to be removed.
 

More varnishing was done inside the stretcher window compartment, but none further in the corridor. We will need to add more here but suffice to say that, with the skirting now painted as well, the overall appearance inside the south vestibule is very pleasing.

The first class corridor is almost finished now that the compartment doors have been reinstated, though we need to get the windows of the doors cleaned up as they are coated in dust.The corridor heater covers are also steadily going back on.

The north end first class compartment still has the table and light bulbs to fit. 

One of the second class compartments, again needing the table and light bulbs as well as the compartment door. 

It's good to see it all coming together after so much hard work.

On now to other activities, firstly with Maurice topcoating the insides of two of the Vanfit's doors. The outer sides had been top coated by Alex at the end of Saturday. Maurice later cleaned up two more of the largen hinges from the south end of the Mogo.

Later in the day Robert was making a new dropdown door for the south end of the Mogo.

 

Keith had a variety of things to prime and paint, besides helping Phil with the window sliders. In the foreground two of the large hinges from the south end of the Mogo - the two which Maurice cleaned up were later added. In the background are more table brackets for 16221, the metal seats for GWR 2-8-0 3850, and two coach ceiling lights.

The wooden tops for 3850's seats were given a final coat of varnish by Keith, who then gave an initial coat to what will be plaque for "The Hooton Trolley".

Prior to the varnishing Pam prepares the template for the plaque to check that the length is correct.

It was good to see Pam back after a couple of weeks away. She soon got stuck into the penultimate signboard for the lobby area. A careful check to ensure the lettering is correctly centred.

 The French chalk letters are in place. Pam very carefully brushes away the excess powder.

 The end of the day with the first top coat completed.

Robert began the day with a very different job, which was to build a protective box for an external pipe from our adjacent toilet building which had recently been damaged.

We get occasional donations of unwanted paint. I did wonder whether we would ever use the unopened tub of shed and garden fence paint, but I was right to have kept it and it has proved ideal for the new pipe cover.

Alex's list on the Paintshop whiteboard grows ever longer. (Shouldn't it be getting shorter!? -Ed.)