Tuesday 24th - Ah, you've done it at last!

Well, it's another lovely day so may as well begin with yet another blue sky photo, this time with the view towards the station and Langley Hill.

 

Initially focussing on Winter maintenance and the sorry plight of the decor underneath the tables in TSO 4763, we definitely need to get this sorted out.

Stu tackles the first job i.e. giving it all a wash over to remove scuff marks and other grime. 

With that done painting can get underway, firstly starting with fresh black gloss on the wood tops to the heater covers. Normally we would start at the top and work down but there are several options for dealing with the cream panel section which we will discuss on Thursday.

Stu then painted all the seat legs and its already looking better. The next job will be a fresh coat of silver Hammerite on the metal heater covers.

Another very big job will be cleaning all the windows inside the two rakes and understandably Paul and Dennis have asked us to help them. Ian mainly tackled internal windows because, unless the sun was on the glass, the cleaning spray froze as it was still very cold when he started. It improved later but he stayed with the internal windows, here in CK 16195.

While in 16195, a photo of one of the locations where the Upholstery team have removed seat side panels for repairs (as mentioned in last Saturday's post).

 And here are those side panels now fully repaired and ready to go back.

At the bottom of the headshunt is FK 13326 which is now the next coach scheduled to come into the Paintshop for repairs and repaint. The recent exceptional cold weather succeeded in removing some large areas of paint from the Cotswold side. We've never seen anything quite like this before. Even allowing for moisture getting behind the paint and freezing at -14C, it still seems somewhat extreme.

 The two corners on the Cotswold side will need work done on them, this the south one.

Stu top coats the new panel and beading strips for the south vestibule in FO 3132 "Mary". This will now be ready for the Indoor Gang to fit.

With the Malvern side guards door from BSO 9000 now repaired and reinstated, Ainsley attaches the door catch to a new wood block.

Now for the Cotswold side guards door which was also rubbing the floor, being wheeled into the Door Team's workspace by Ainsley and Robert. 

There isn't much need for CK 16122 to be in the Paintshop now as the Painting and Prep team have almost exhausted all available work. Stu finished some minor repairs to the lining out following the recent work on the sticking Malvern side doors, while Phil begins the floor cleaning with a general vac through the coach.

Then using a combination of cleaning products he removed all manner of things that find their way onto the marmoleum despite putting down covers and generally taking care. Phil, later joined by Keith, did a very thorough job and it looks really good now. 

David is making a number of frames for pictures that will be hanging up in 16221's first class compartments. 

 On to the Mogo now with Paul priming another cleaned up section of frame at the north end.

Later on he and Maurice were working on the Cotswold side.

 Robert meanwhile is working on the first of the new doors.

 Some careful cross-checking before proceeding further.

The first door begins to take shape.

 Derek was back preparing more base sections for the new flooring in RBr 1675.

 

More coats of varnish being applied by Keith on the compartment doors from TK 24006.

More sanding down on compartment door 5. While happily pad sanding the main bulk of the door, Dave chooses to hand sand the lower panel on the compartment side of the door. Almost all these internal panels are lighter coloured and are probably the same weathered sycamore that is used for the interior walls of the compartments. 

 

We were very pleased to have a visit from Roger who had to suspend volunteering due to a serious health issue. He is well on the mend and hopes to be back with us soon.

All those tiny holes in the Toddington Station notice board (old woodworm probably the large part of it) are being covered with a light skim of fine grade filler. Alan carefully covers another area. 

And now the explanation behind the blog post title. For quite some time we have lived with dark smudges from dirty overalls on the Mess Room wall and the Painting team have often been asked to do something about it.

Richard did a great job, initially using sugar soap to remove the worst of it, and then a good fresh coat of white emulsion. Sorry it's taken so long Guys, but this should look good for a while now. Richard also sugar soaped the area around our changing room wash basin - we will soon have that looking much better too.