Saturday 22nd - The follow-on

Saturday morning dawned with rain once again on the windows, but what a change in the Works and Yard after the epic work done by the Shunting and Dirty Gang teams the day before. Ian's Update email to everyone contained some interesting reading. To achieve what they did the day had started at 8.45 am, with the the Dirty Gang, who had changed the bogies under the RBr and removed more redundant items, calling it a day at 6.00 pm, while the Shunting Team carried on until 6.30 pm.

Drawing up to my usual parking place, the view had completely changed. Gone were the Gloucester RU Toad and LNWR Van, and in their place the refurbished Santa Coach, looking great even in the rain. This was expected of course, but it was still eye-opening to say the least.

Initially things were still in a bit of a muddle. In the Paintshop the Tool Vans were still linked together, the second tank wagon was in the Workshop and would need removing, the FK was back in its position in the Barn, but the RBr was still on the jacks. Scaffold towers, gibbet hoists and various other items littered the pathways through the Works. However some secondary shunting and shifting within the Works, plus a fair bit of sweeping up, soon had everything in its intended place and the place looking very much better. 

The floor swept and the Tool Vans now nicely spaced apart, all ready for further work, which was soon forthcoming.

Tool Van 4 has had most work done so far on the Cotswold side as when outside this was the safest to sand down. However work could now begin on the Malvern side. Maurice tackles the corroded south corner.

With the mess of bits from his early work swept up, Maurice transferred to sanding down the south end planking and generally removing old paint from the buffer beam area.

Work in the RBr began when the coach was still on the jack road, but obviously it was better when it had been returned to the Workshop. Steve paints creocote on the south end corridor connection floorboarding.

Robert prepares another door liner. I meant to ask where this was destined but it looks like it was for the Malvern side emergency doorway.

Later on Steve was working on one of the fittings lining the north end exit. Out of sight on the left Dave E. was fitting more backing strips for the wall panelling.

 Phil fitting up more lighting units for the seating area.

Later in the day Phil asked me to remove the tarnish from one of the metal strips lining the passenger compartment. He had tried fine wire wool but this had been only partially successful. I tried 240 sandpaper - it took a while, but the strip ended up clean and shiny with no scratches. My jaw dropped when he brought the rest, and apparently there is even more to come!

There is still a little bit of woodwork required with the outshopped Creosote Tank wagon in the form of supports between the tank and stanchions at both ends. Chris carefully shapes another piece on the band saw.

With the insert completed he trudges through the rain to the tank wagon which is now down the yard. Standard Class 2 78019 slowly pulls towards the signal, waiting for the arm to drop................

 ..................... which it soon does, allowing the train to pull forward and on into the station.

While yesterday's shunting was the main event, there was still an amount of follow-up shunting to be done, including wheeling in another set of bogies for refurbishment.

The small group of four wagons is manoeuvred out of the way.

With the two bogies extracted, the 03 returns the remainder back down the Works siding. The wagon group were then also returned here.

Of course it didn't end there as Rake 4 also had to be dealt with. Crimson & cream SK 24804 looks good with its paintwork still gleaming. Hopefully we can soon get its partner SK 25488 into the Paintshop for a repaint and looking the same.

Kevin, who brilliantly takes care of all things storage, was having a major sort out of some of our tool kits with respect to donated tools.

This shot of John S. welding was taken by positioning my phone round the end of a screen, judging the angle and hoping it would come out. I took two shots and both came out well.

John is making something for the trackside - not sure what, but we will no doubt soon see.

Alan and Simon have made a really great job with the creation of the three boot lockers for the changing room. Today it was down to the final bits, including metal banding along the top edges.

Now installed, I added a coat of varnish to the tops and two thirds of the individual compartments. The final third will be done on Tuesday along with a second coat for the tops.

Finally, a wander upstairs to see the latest work being done by our excellent Upholstery team.

We still seem to have plenty of spare moquette with which to carry on making cushions, which continue to sell well. Laura adds more stuffing to this one with Trojan moquette. 

It will soon be joining three others which are awaiting collection. As far as possible the cushions are being placed on the shop shelves in matching pairs, and it is interesting to hear that they are often being bought as such (there is a discount for two).

 Jenny carefully trims the new moquette on another seat back for the FODR.

 John assists Jenny, who is now ready with the electric stapler.

Helen carefully trims a piece of foam with the electric bread knife. 

I have already taken a photo of this fairly recently, but had to take another. I love all the neat stacks, a sign of a very well organised and tidy working team.

 No explanation needed!