Thursday 29th - It's all gleaming nicely

The progress with the repaint of the Santa coach (former SK) 25618 is now gathering pace as more of the team have become available.

Bob completes the last section of second top coat on the Malvern side, while in the background Martin progresses the yellow band of the top line.

With both Richard and Martin working on the top line the yellow was completed by the end of the day.

Jeff added a second top coat to the corridor connection door and completed the black painting at this end. He had previously added a second top coat to the blanked off doorway at the south end. Other jobs included painting the sole bar on the Malvern side.

Bob initially completed the first coat of varnish on the Cotswold side, before starting the second coat at the south end.

So, not a huge amount left to do now: -

• complete the lining out on the Malvern side
• add the GWR roundel and coach number on the Malvern side
• add the coach dimensions on both ends
  
• complete the varnishing on the Cotswold side (second coat)
  
• varnish the Malvern side (two coats)
  
• complete the black glossing and matt black painting above both corridor connections
• vacuum the dust off the roof

No work was done today on the Creosote Tank wagon, but it is beginning to look good with the undercoat going on.

A walk down the yard to capture the work on the 4th Rake coaches. The wild flower meadow is steadily engulfing the sidings.

Time to catch Dinmore  Manor passing with a well filled Maroon Rake. Judging by the reserved stickers in the windows, we had a good number of coach parties.

The Indoor Gang, Roger, Geoff and Alan, discussing the replacement of the rotten footboards - there were five in all to do.

With the board clamped in position Alan drills the bolt hole through the hole in the metal bracket. The coach is BSK 35308

At the opposite end Roger managed to unscrew the nuts underneath the footboard. Usually they are well rusted and sometimes the anglegrinder is needed.

Geoff returns from the Works with another new footboard. We keep a number of these in various lengths in our Workshop store area, usually in wood primer, and paint them when needed. With the stock running low, a request has gone to the Wood Team for some more.

The battery box covers for the three coaches, BSK 35308 and the two from the NYMR, are off and the internal lights are on, so the Richards will be on the rake somewhere.

I found them in one of the NYMR coaches checking the lights and sharing a joke.

Walking back down the yard I found Paul and Dennis cleaning the inside of another of our 4th Rake coaches.

Moving on I catch Chris, the owner of our 03, working on the compressor again. It's still not completely fixed, but is better than it was.

On reaching the Barn I find Bob, who has completed the first coat of varnish on the Santa Coach and is taking a well earned break. That still doesn't stop all the hey-get-back-to-work banter, of course!

 

It was becoming quite an adventurous walk back to the Paintshop. On entering the Workshop I found Alex taking a group from Vintage Trains on a tour. Having done quite a few excellent trips with VT I recognised at least two of those faces.

Ken was doing more welding on the Malvern side of RBr 1675. 

 Busy inside were Phil, installing more wiring in the passenger corridor, ...........................

........... and Chris, adding more battens within the corridor wall on which the panelling will eventually be attached.

Two photos, of what I meant to include in my previous posting, of the new frames that have been fabricated so that the work benches can have overhead lighting. The one over the general tool bench (above) has been extended since I took my original photos.

 

 

Alex makes out the sandwich board sign for the new Broadway Station shop.

 

Ken has removed the three top sections that will form the support for the north end corridor connection on 1675. The various channels have been carefully cut out and the three parts are now primed ready for painting.