Saturday 19th - Deadlines Approaching

 Another busy Saturday with the beginning of the running season just a fortnight away, there is still lots to be done. So starting off with the dirty gang, they were on vacuum cylinders today, specifically for BSO 9000. Here they are in the cylinder overhaul area refurbishing them:

And later on refitting:

As ever these things are far from straightforward, but they got there in the end, and hopefully it will improve the vacuum holding of the main chocolate and cream set.

Elsewhere on the BSO, Phil was effecting various paint repairs where things had been adjusted or repaired:

Nick's roof repair is now seamless:

(Photo - Dave)

Into the workshop and the RBr, Ken was making sparks cleaning up the welding lines in this area:

Later on he green primed all round this area.

The interior is beginning to come together with Steve and Alan cutting and fitting some of the internal dividing plywood:

Also in the workshop John was milling more door engaging thingies (That is the technical term):

Stamped GWSR 2023, nice touch!

(photo - Dave)

There was excellent progress on the GWR Mogo, which we hope to have ready to run in the goods train during the Steam gala in May. The Wednesday evening gang were at Winchcombe instead of Toddington this week for various reasons, Greg made a start cleaning up the underframe for painting:

While Dan and Rich took care of the North drawbar, dismantling it, cleaning it up, inspecting, and liberal application of grease and copper slip before putting it back together again:

We noted the rather fetching pink colour of the new tub of grease!

After that we did a quick initial trial of the big end doors to see how they fitted together and marked up for drilling:

Beginning to look good!

Saturday rolled round and different arms, but the same idea:

(Photo - Dave)

Paul and I bolted it together:

(Photo - Robert)

A few minor adjustments were required with the planer as you can see on the floor, but altogether we were very pleased:

While that was going on, Maurice was attacking the North headstock with the wire wheel and soon had it back to bare metal and in green primer:

Robert was doing extremely well on the door front, this is the second of the 4 side doors nearing completion:

By mid afternoon we had a pair of side doors ready for fitting, and flushed with our earlier success, I persuaded the gang that we could have go at fitting these too.

Here's basically how we do it, trestles with various planks of wood to set the height right, lift the door on top and nudge into position, swing the hinges round and hopefully they sit flat on the face so you can drill the holes straight through:

(Photo - Paul)

Once again Paul and I bolted it all together:

(Photo - Robert)

It fits!

Well almost. A small amount of adjustment was again necessary, but massive well done to Robert on these, it all went about as smoothly as could be hoped.

By the end of the day, everything was off again for a coat of primer:

Hopefully we'll have these painted up to gloss during the week and we can fit them permanently next Saturday.

Also on the wagon front, at Toddington some of the gang up there were continuing the clean-up of the chaired sleeper wagon, Bryony, Chris, Matt, Dom and Liam doing the honours this week:

(Photo - Bryony)

Also at Toddington were the upholstery gang who were fitting the reupholstered first class seats to the BCK in the third rake:

(Photo - Laura)

Doesn't it look superb! I'm sure it'll be very popular when in use.

In the paintshop team Dave were cracking on with the major sanding on the FK:

Ben had taken door locks off for servicing:

Assisted by Kevin:

Who later on was back refitting a refurbished lock:

(Photo - Dave)

Finally pam had an array of jobs on the painting trestles today, including 16 new wheel scotches:

(Photo - Dave)