Tuesday 15th - Almost a typical Tuesday
Another very busy day even though there were just 12 of us in, and once again presented in time order.
Maurice and I arrived at about 7.30, followed through the gate by our gritblaster who was due to start on the second creosote tank wagon. Stu and Robert were next to arrive with Alex not long after, and the others gradually turning up. The start of the day is always a cup of tea or coffee, and a general chat on happenings, concerns, plans, the day ahead, all things railway, and even things completely different.
0923 : No we weren't in the Mess Room until 0923! By the time I started taking photos, things were well up and running. Maurice was back on Tool Van 4 and, having cleaned up and painted the Cotswold side sole bar and everything underneath, made a start on the Malvern side.
09.25 : Stu and Richard were well into the "MAIL" panel on the Model Railway TPO coach with more filling and sanding. Thank goodness for a nice day; as Alex was saying in the Mess Room, we had hoped to be a bit further with all this by now but the weather hasn't helped.
09.34 : With the "ROYAL" panel now top coated and part lined out, Alex got going with the signwriting, initially overwriting the traced sign to produce the chalk outline of the lettering on the bodyside.
09.36 : In the Workshop Tony was cleaning up another of RBr 1675's windows.
09.37 : By now the gritblasting was well underway.
10.30 : Just under an hour later and out in time to catch the first crossover of the day. Keith watches "P & O" passing with the Maroon Rake.
10.36 : Pam had now arrived in time to watch 78019 leave with the Main Rake on the first return run of the day.
11.03 : In the Mess Room one of the discussions was about the "Use of angle grinders" video that we all have to watch and in it a demonstration of a paint stripper. It was quite a surprise when Bob M., who had also watched the video, turned up having just bought two of them. And we couldn't wait to give one of them a try.
11.05 : The top part of the photo shows the result using a grinder with a standard sanding disk. A quick run over with the paint stripper produced the very smooth surface below. As for taking off the paint and underlying filler, fantastic! How long would they last?
11.30 : Besides angle grinding, we also have to watch a "Manual Handling" video, followed by a simple quiz. Pam watches the latter on our office computer. And the quiz? 100% pass.
A reminder that we have to watch these has been written on our lobby notice board. It doesn't take long for the embellishments to appear!
11.32 : The various parts of the wood inserts for the south end of the first tank wagon had been primed and Keith now undercoats them in Dark Grey.
12.12 : A new project for Derek is to repair the Monster Van wherever needed, a very useful job because vehicles such as these make excellent storage.
12.18 : With the ladder tightly secured with a ratchet strap, Bob M. uses the second of his paint strippers on the side of SK 24949's roof. Again the results were very good.
12.22 : In the Malvern side toilet compartment in 24949 Roger is adding more panelling supports for when the rebuild can begin.
12.42 : The gritblasting is going well with much of the Malvern side of the tank wagon now cleared of old paint and grime.
12.44 : The Woodwork Team have produced a number of reinforced hardboard panels for the seating area ceiling in RBr 1675. Pam tidies up the edges prior to priming them - some of the paper used to separate them had adhered where the glue had seeped out of the sides.
12.48 : With the filling and sanding completed on the "MAIL" panel on the Model Railway coach, Stu adds the lining out tape.
12.49 : A step to the left and - wow! Alex has done the initial painting of "R O Y A L". The chalk lines marking out the highlighting can just be seen both under and slightly to the right of each letter.
13.02 : The lunchtime chime has sounded. Just time to grab a quick photo of the restored scotches, now top coated by Keith - the yellow for outside use, the red for inside the Works.
13.46 : With lunch over, Maurice resumes his work on Tool Van 4. The floor has been swept and vacuumed with all the paint bits and dust removed. The Red Oxide now goes on.
13.50 : One of the nicely cleaned up axleboxes showing the tool van's origin.
13.56 : Robert assesses the fit of the roof section of the liner in one of the Malvern side access doorways on 1675.
14.01 : The large pile of floor boards for the MACAW wagon in the Usk Goods Office siding are given a coating of a mix of old oil and creocote by Ian.
14.05 : Alex now adds a second coat of yellow, slightly darkened with orange.
14.05 : Stepping a few feet to the right to capture Richard undercoating the gutter panel. Stu had completed the undercoating on the lower panel.
14.13 : The general view towards Toddington, with the Cotswold escarpment showing very clearly after so much recent rain.
14.36 : The tests with the angle grinder paint stripper, marked out for the Metalwork team to view the next day. A test was even tried on a previous weld.
14.41 : Robert assessing the fit of liners on the Cotswold side kitchen doorway.
14.42: While Alex was signwriting he met three members of Bracknell Model Railway Society and very kindly offered them a tour of the Works. One member is also a guard on the Mid Hants Railway.
14.50 : Walking back with them later to Platform 2, time to catch 78019 on another southbound run.
14.58 : With their work completed as far as they can go on the Model Railway coach, Richard and Stu came back inside and carried on with the priming on the Cotswold side of Tool Van 4.
15.30 : Another visit, this time by Ian, our HOD, with his wife and two friends, enjoying a day on the Railway.
15.32 : With the day's supply of grit exhausted, our gritblaster has called it a day. He will be returning tomorrow to finish the cleaning up and then giving the vehicle a complete spraying with grey primer.
15.32 : One of the axleboxes with it's origin clearly displayed.
15.34 : The vehicle was constructed at Swindon, but the sole bar was made in Port Talbot.
15.54 : A chair had been brought to the Paintshop trestles for cleaning up and revarnishing, but on stripping off the moquette the frame was found to be in need of repair. Robert glues the loose parts and clamps them tightly.
15.56 : Pam is now well into the priming of the hardboard surfaces of the new ceiling panels for 1675.
16.04 : Time for the weekly fire alarm test. While on the way to the office to phone the Fire Monitoring Station, a quick photo of two more of Upholstery's excellent moquette cushions in the making, which continue to sell incredibly well.
16.15 : Our scaffold towers make great storage places for paint drying.
16.15: Robert replacing worn planking on Tool Van 92.
16.16 : The wood priming on the Cotswold side of Tool Van 4 from the north end.
16.17 : Alex had mentioned that he was returning to the Model Railway coach to begin adding the highlighting on his "R O Y A L", so a quick dash across to Platform 2 to catch him painting the black.
16.17 : It was good timing as 78019 pulled in with its return run and Alex suddenly had an audience!
[Photo : Robert] With S&T staff now gone for the day, I could get back to removing the old paint from the entrance door to their coach (SO 4806), using of course the paint stripping accessory. It was fairly worn after use by either Tony or Bob (I'm not sure who had been using this particular grinder), but by the time I had got to the bottom of the door the disk was very worn.
17.18 : Derek's repairs on the Monster Van now well underway.
17.24 : Alex completes the priming on the Cotswold side of Tool Van 4.
17.25 : Maurice has completed the basic Red Oxide priming on his side of the van.
17.26 : Pam places the final primed ceiling panel on the scaffold tower.
Time to close up the Works, clean up, get changed, and up to the Mess room for that final cup of tea and biscuit, cake slice, or whatever goodies are on hand. We signed out after 18.00, very satisfied with another good day done.
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