Sat 31st Dec/Tue 3rd Jan - Goodbye Old, Hello New

Another two-day post covering the change from the old to new years and allowing our end of year wrap-up to have a good airing before being overtaken by yet more progress.

Saturday 31st

We had a good turn-out with which to end the old year. Some of the work involved preparation for the on-coming two month Winter shutdown. 

There was lot of concentration on the Vanfit with its planned move back into the yard now imminent. The first job of the day was the remounting of the Cotswold side doors following their completed painting. With Paul supporting the propped up door, Richard lines up the top hinge ready for inserting the bolts.

Some adjustments were needed to the locking bar and associated fittings for the Cotswold side. Paul carefully widens the slots at the base of the bar.

Still more was needed so over to John and the milling machine. John carefully positions the drill at the top of the slot.

That's about right, so ready to start. 

One of the Malvern side doors carried by Paul and Alex heads out to the Barn for a trial fitting.  The inner side is still in primer.

 

Later on the locations of the fitments for the Malvern side doors have been marked out and Robert now cuts out the necessary recesses.

Yet more work by Paul to ensure the locking bar has sufficient clearance.

The Malvern side doors are now on and with holes bored the hinges have been given a trial fit.

Alex had already done the lettering on the Cotswold side

The Cotswold side doors now fitted.

An urgent pre-shutdown job was the need to get some of the new first class seating into BCK 21092 to make room in the Upholstery shop. The 3rd Rake will be based at Toddington for the next two months to allow for track relaying so it was today or not at all. So first job - load the hoist trolley.

Then having transferred the load to the large trolley with pneumatic tyres (for easier movement over the rough ground and ballast), Alan and Laura were soon on the way over to the 3rd Rake.

Two of the heavy seat backs were also taken over and joined the seat bases in temporary storage in the disabled area in 21092. The cushions were stored elsewhere in the coach.

 While we were over there, 4270 comes past with another southbound train.

Having stopped, the signal is pulled off and the train pulls away past the Works and into the station. These are the last photos I will take of 4270 for quite some time, assuming of course that the engine eventually returns after her 10-yearly overhaul.

It made sense to strip out as much as possible of the old seating from the two first class compartments. John and Laura head back, with Alan and Dave on trolley duty, and myself when not taking the photos!

A second trip enabled us to bring back some side panels and two of the seat backs. We would have completed the whole job and done a full swap of new for old had the spitting rain not turned into a somewhat heavier session. So that's that, but at least Upholstery have some more space. The old seating will go into outside storage.

We had a very pleasant surprise when James visited during the morning. It's hard to believe that he left almost 3 years ago to join the Navy. Having joined C&W from the former Youth Group, he became one of our metalworkers, specialising in welding and gaining a job in a Cheltenham firm purely based on his experience with us. Hopefully he will return to the team one day.

On to more progress with CK 16221, with Steve carefully fitting a seal around the stretcher window which will hopefully prevent the leakage which caused BR to remove these.

Later on a test with a bucket of water. Ideally a hose will really determine if we have been successful.

Simon had been helping us with 21092's seating, but now returns to assist Steve with the fitting of the first of the compartment doors for the 2nd Class section. This one was proving to be tricky to fit. All the compartment doors for the 1st Class section have been fitted and work well.

Alan also returned to his more normal role and was back on table fitting in 16221. A final adjustment to the last one in the 1st Class section, while the first table for the 2nd Class section awaits fitting.

With the main metalworking at the south end of RBr 1675 completed, Ken attaches the new back plates for the corridor connection.

Now this just had to be captured! This must have been a Wednesday request, but looks to be a good idea. John and Laura trial fitting a cover for the new welder.

The fitting must have gone well as I later caught Laura sewing the various sections while John marks out another section.

With the Vanfit nearing completion, the Mogo is still in the early stages of rebuilding. The stripped main frame at the south end has been power brushed by Maurice and now receives a coat of green primer.

When I wasn't helping our Upholstery team or taking photos, I returned to the clean up and repainting of the new tool cupboard.

After a quiet Tuesday and Thursday, it was nice to see a good number in again - not everyone was in the photo of course. Wednesday had had a good number attending.

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Tuesday 3rd

So into the new year and a very good turnout for a Tuesday with 15 attending.

Beginning with CK 16221 and a load of varnishing was done both inside and out. Stu begins with the central vestibule south wall which benefitted from an extra coat.

Next were the two new cupboard doors in the north vestibule receiving their third coat. Now looking much better, if we have time a fourth coat will be added.

Meanwhile Richard completed the first coat of varnish on the Malvern side of the coach.

Stu varnished the lower part of the south end door (Richard did the top half and adjacent panel), and this completed the first coat of varnish on the Cotswold side, Stu then put another coat of black gloss on all the steps.

Another small job was cleaning up and then painting the chequerplate in the south vestibule.

Next the grab handles. Following a final light sand to remove any remaining paint, Stu black glossed these. In the background are the large hinges for the south end of the Mogo, which he finished in GW Grey.

Pam was back to her sign boards, giving extra coats of cream gloss where needed.

The final two boards, ready to be (carefully) returned to temporary storage on the wall racks to dry. All five signs are now ready to be mounted in the entrance hall.

On a bench in the Woodwork Shop, three diagrams showing the various parts, with dimensions, which make up the backs of the aluminium carriage doors.

Robert and Dave preparing to cut a length of hardwood to create some base sections for the doors for RBr 1675.

Dave checks the results, now ready to be cut to shape when needed.

This appeared during the day - another job for the woodwork team. Our Upholstery team have been busy with the seat and back.

Over the years a lot of "may be useful" stuff is accumulated, but occasionally it's good to have a sort out of what is more likely to be used and what isn't. Kevin tackles this pile of door parts.

Another job done by Stu was completing the initial priming of the new tool cupboard.

On board RBr 1675 Steve was measuring up for the partitioning of the kitchen area ready for when this can be started.

Derek was back on the long job of adding all the floor supports to the new steel crossmembers.

On to our current freight vehicles, beginning with the Vanfit. Richard was on his way back from the Woodwork shop with a repair to the top section of the Malvern side door frame.

The repaired section now installed. This will have been primed and undercoated. The door backs were also undercoated ready for a top coat to be applied the next day. The Vanfit will be returned to the Permanent Way train on Thursday.

Over to the Mogo which is still in the early stages of its rebuild. Maurice is in the process of loosening one of the securing chains.

Clive works at the north end.

Returning later to find Maurice cleaning up more of the south end buffer beam and adjacent pillar ........................

................ prior to more priming.

With very limited work now available on 16221 for the Painting and Prep team, Ian joined the Mogo team and worked with Clive on the Malvern side.

We struggled a bit with the trolley when bringing back the old first class seating from BCK 21092 on Saturday. No wonder with the tyres well down, and one had since gone completely flat - puncture or faulty valve?

Dave H.works on another compartment door from TK 24006. These 70 year old doors have a different type of hand hold in the window from the more common later type.

The distant rumble of a diesel was the first sign that the rakes were on their way down from Toddington ready for the shutdown maintenance. The Main Rake was the first to arrive.

A later check outside confirmed that as planned the 3rd Rake has been transferred to Toddington and replaced with the Maroon Rake. A busy two months lie ahead as we work our way through the lengthy maintenance schedule.

Finally back to Pam with her next project. She spent quite some time carefully positioning the template created by Alex so that the lettering will be in the exact centre of the varnished board.

The French chalk outline is in place and excess chalk carefully brushed clear. Pam is now well into the lettering.

The first stage completed. Another coat of cream for the letters and two coats of varnish will complete the job. The plaque will then be attached to the trolley that Phil Hooton donated to our Toddington-based Cleaning Team before we sadly lost him last year.