Weds 8th / Thurs 9th - The rakes return

 Another two-day posting, with Wednesday's photos once again taken by Gerry.

Wednesday

Rex pauses while working on a new top section for the south end window on the Cotswold side of RBr 1675. All the windows will be taken out and the surrounding metalwork cleaned up and if necessary replaced. And why not? If we are doing the amount of metalwork rebuilding so far tackled, then it's worth going that extra mile and doing a really thorough job. It's thought that RBr 1672 will be an even bigger job so let's get it right first time.

 Chris and Bryan preparing the section of sheet metal used by Rex.

 In the Paintshop David continues the sanding down on the Malvern side of FK 13326.

In the north vestibule the lighting controls and toilet occupancy sign have been dismantled by Phil, allowing Derek to remove the final section of veneer panelling. Further items will be removed from this end of the coach in preparation for its rebuilding with new lower sections of crash piller, base plate and end sections from South Devon Railway Engineering (as used on 1675).

Ben works on another new back panel for one of the two doors taken off the Cotswold side of the FK.

 Ainsley is busy doing some precision work on what looks to be a new door pull.

Geoff and Colin sending a plank through the large saw (sorry - have no info on what this was intended for).

Gerry enjoying a day on the Sherwood Forest Railway, a delightful narrow gauge line near Mansfield. The two locos based on the line come from Cheltenham!

(http://www.sherwoodforestrailway.com)

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Thursday

On now to more progress with the FK, with Martin, Jeff and myself busy on the Cotswold side doing more sanding and filling.

Following the sanding of Tuesday's filling, top ups needed to complete the lower section of this panel are indicated with the chalk circles.

With extra filler applied and now dry, Jeff begins the sanding.

The two doors removed from the FK are well on the way to the completion of their repairs. Rod sands the base section of one of the door backs.

All the woodwork now back in place and gleaming after a coat of varnish..

The Maroon Rake is being taken back to Toddington sometime during the afternoon, so a final opportunity to sort out the sliding window problems in newly restored CK 16221. Roger and Geoff work on one of the three sets that were giving us a headache.

Paul making his way down 16221's finished corridor, which looks really good and a consolation for some of the "last minute" hiccups that will inevitably arise following a very long restoration.

With Paul watching, Geoff and Roger "attack" another of the problem slider sets. It looks to be the one with the missing handle.

Ah, that's who is causing the train lights to go on and off. Richard II conducts some final tests.

 

Into the Barn to catch up on progress with the preparation of Santa coach (former SK 25618) for repainting. In general the coach is in good condition but one of the north end corners needs some corrosion plating over. Having cleaned off the old paint, John measures up the area to be covered.

The relevant area is marked out and cut from a new sheet, and then the long section clamped on to the corner of the SK ready for welding.

Returning later to find that John has spot welded the new plate in place.

The only other corrosion is at the opposite corner on the south end, a small hole on the roof and another just underneath. John has cleaned these up ready for new sheet metal patches.

Back to 1675 and a lot more progress. The crackling sound and shower of sparks betray Nick who is spot welding the inside of the new skirting panels to the coach frame. In the background Bryan removes the temporary securing bolts from a panel that has already been done.

The bolts have been removed from this panel, so the spot welding is no doubt completed.

Rex trims the Cotsold side south end to even up the end panel with the skirting.

The completed Malvern side of the south end.

Job done with a fresh coat of green primer. I wonder how long it will be before this half of the south end is gleaming with two coats of gloss black and GWR Brown?

Gerry bores some more holes in the metalwork surrounding this removed window.

Bryan is not measuring, but using the metal ruler to check that the two separate skirting panels either side of this doorway more or less line up.

Nick spot welds more skirting, this time on the Cotswold side of the coach.

Gerry cutting out a small section of the existing panelling - I didn't check but it's probably a corroded area to be repanelled.

The large end doors ready for trial fitting at the north end of the Mogo.

Pam's PPE sign now mounted on the back of the Changing Room door by Roger, who is our department's H&S manager.

During the afternoon the Class 37 appeared with the 3rd Rake from Toddington. It had been taken up there at the beginning of the Winter Shutdown period to make room for the two main rakes at Winchcombe.

The Maroon Rake returns to Toddington ......................

................. with CK 16221 "Abigail - Charlotte" now part of the rake. The rake's first live run of the season will be next Tuesday when Cheltenham Races begin.

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Overall Thursday had been a very wet day with the remnants of Tuesday and Wednesday's snow disappearing.

But, it's March! And we know what March is like.

So on waking up on Friday morning and opening my bedroom curtains ...............

It had all gone again by mid-morning. Tonight it's back to -3C.