Tuesday 2nd - Quite a mix

The day really was quite a mix of different activities, and thankfully with good sunny weather making the outside jobs much easier.

Beginning with Robert finishing off the adjustments to the bases of the two replica nameplates for Capel Dewi Hall. The curve at the base of each needed to match that for the Foremarke Hall plates.

The Mogo is finished - well almost. Maurice completed the final main top coating on the backs of the doors. I think he said there were just a few odd bits still needing the GW Grey.

Early preparations in Upholstery for the Gala opening in just over a week's time. The Works will be open once again to our visitors on all three days.

Progress on the Santa coach is relatively slow at the moment, with two of our team away and trying to keep all the trestle and similar work going. It should pick up once the Gala is over. Richard burns off the old refurbishment date transfer, while in the background Ian carries on the cleaning up of the sole bar and step brackets that I started last week.

We are going to do the bogies as well, so Ian begins brushing these down. That chair ends up all over the Works - nice to have a seat for some work.

 Derek modified the stands in the newly created Workshop area for carriage windows.

The replacement table for one in BSKD 34929 where the laminate was peeling away from the top. The edges were cleaned, restained and revarnished, and the underside cleaned gently with 240 paper. Just the paint on the leg and end support to touch up.

 Tony cleans around the frame of another window from RBr 1675.

Ainsley and Ben work on Door 5 on the Malvern side of 1675, ensuring that it closes as it should.

Now to check the quarter door. Ainsley initially removes the newly made large base to test the fit without this.

Dave was back outside, initially working on the storage BGs, but as the sun became too hot,  he moved down to the bottom of the yard to work in the shade on the old RBr. It will be nice when the unkept appearance is replaced by an overall coat of dark grey paint.

When this bench was offered to us we initially didn't want it as we already have two good ones in our main viewing area at the end of the Barn, plus numerous chairs which can be put out if needed. However it was delivered anyway, and it was then that we knew where it could go. So it was brought into the Paintshop, sanded down and undercoated, and now sits with its first coat of GW Brown. Another coat of gloss and it can go out, another thing ready for the Gala.

With his Mogo work completed, Maurice tackles the items on the hooks that need an initial coat of red oxide. The large grab handle had just been coated in gloss black.

The hiss of steam from 75014 in Platform 2 and rumble as Foremarke Hall approaches from Toddington had us running outside. Richard, Dave, Robert, Pam (who had just arrived), and Ian.

On Sunday at Toddington TSO 5042 on the Main Rake had a droplight shatter when the door was slammed. Bob M. who was guard on the train had the coach removed and put in the siding, and the train has run since with just six coaches.

47376 brought the coach down to Winchcombe during the afternoon and stabled it on the pit road.

Tony and Bob proceed to unscrew the back panel to remove the safety glass fragments and make it ready for Ainsley to put in the replacement droplight.

 When I returned later the new pane was in.

 Ainsley returns to finish off the job. Overall it didn't take long to fix.

Robert was able to demonstrate the tool he had recently made, and I reported in a previous posting, to cut the narrow rebate on the edge of the doorframe stile ready for fitting the capping strip.