Saturday 22nd - Upholstery saved the day

This post has only happened thanks to Jenny and Laura, who wanted me to take some photos in Upholstery. With Alex undergoing his annual reassessment as a Guard and so based on the Maroon Rake all day, and loads of jobs to do in the Paintshop, I decided to have a break and forget a Saturday blog. However, having got the Upholstery Shop photos, I then decided to make a go of it and scurried around in the afternoon gathering what I could. Apologies to those I missed.

On initially arriving at the Works I took this shot of the two replica nameplates being made for the "Last Hurrah" day on 9th May. Alex had been in the previous day and started to paint the surround and lettering in brass paint. A note had been left for Pam with instructions.

It was a very cold morning with much of the driving to the Works being done in thick fog (Cheltenham was very bad). Great steam effects though with the first returning train.

 

I captured Laura and Jenny measuring up a large piece of foam. However at this point I decided to get back to the Paintshop work and forget the blog. There was just too much to done.

*********************************************** 

The first completed seat for the Dean Forest Railway is what they wanted me to photograph, and having taken this, .......................

...................... Jenny showed me the pieces that they had cut from the original large sheet, next to which pieces of shaped foam have been marked "DFR".

A large restocking delivery had taken place on Wednesday.

The neatly laid out progress plan for the DFR contract.

*********************************************** 

So having decided to do the blog post after all, time to see what could be captured. The photos are in the order taken.

Ben sorting out the middle hinge on 1675's Door - er 2, 3? I can never get used to the numbering system. It's the single access door to the counter on the Cotswold side. Nice to see the new capping strips in place. Ben has spent a lot of time on this door, making sure it fitted well.

Climbing into 1675 to find Alan and Simon erecting the ceiling supports in the kitchen.

After all the floorboard preparation for 1675 over the past few weeks, the north end of the Paintshop is now back to the extended trestle area to cater for the painting of the two new battery boxes and the passenger area lighting channels for 1675. Jeff completes almost all the undercoating of the outsides of the boxes in dark grey undercoat. The insides have been painted in white undercoat. The lighting channels have been undercoated.

It was just George working on the Santa coach today, sorting out more filling and sanding. With FK 13326's initial preparation more or less completed, the concentration will now be on the Santa coach.

 

Pam was now well into the brass painting on the loco nameplate.

The hiss of steam and a whistle outside had us running out to watch Dinmore Manor passing on the Maroon Rake, with Alex guarding. The weather had considerably improved and, being much warmer, lunchtime for several of us had been taken outside.

Ben and Ainsley ponder the fit of this Malvern side door on 1675. I had earlier helped Ainsley mount it and when tested the fit wasn't quite right.

Ainsley works on the back plate of a hinge, presumably the centre one from the above door.

Andy and Ian in discussion following the day's shunting activities. The Mink A is now outside the Barn, and the good news is that CK 16221 is now back at the south end of the Maroon Rake.

Pam looks happy. "Capel" has been painted and much of the outer border too.The fiddly bit with the letters is the careful painting required when coating the sides, often with the paint doing its best to run off onto the black base.

In the Woodshop Robert is setting up a tool to help with making the curved lengths of wood; part of one can be seen in the background.

Above and below, the two emergency doors from 1675 with the bases now repaired.

A happy Pam with the top section of the first nameplate completed. She thinks some of the letters may need a second coat, but overall it looks good. The bottom section still has to be done. And then there's the second nameplate, the main face of which I undercoated in dark grey while Pam was finishing her plate.