Weds 30th / Thurs 31st - Has it really ended?!

Time for another two-day posting, with grateful thanks to Gerry for providing Wednesday's photos.

Wednesday

What better way to begin than with our heroines in Upholstery, whose cushion making is still flying high. With sales going through the roof, our shops are continually asking for more. Well done team!

"Watch out, he's back with that camera again!". Dave and the Chuckle Brothers on board RBr 1675 while discussing the new oak panelling.

The main reason was the fitting of more internal window frames. Colin looks on while Geoff offers up a length of frame.

 

 Something's tickled Phil. All that wiring in the roof of 1675 is beginning to look complicated.

Chris removes rivets from around this window void on the Malvern side of the coach.

Trevor working on another of the quarter doors for 1675.

When not working on 1675, the Metalwork Team's focus is on the north end of FK 13326. Steve cuts through the heavy support pillar to level it off with the remaining three pillars.

John and Ian working on one of the bogies underneath TSO 5042.

Thursday

Wow! What a way to begin Thursday's efforts. Steven proudly stands by the four skylights that he has made in his workshop at home. They are very well constructed and will certainly last a long time on top of Tool Van 92.

New wood roof supports for Tool Van 92 made by Steven and Chris.

Inside 92 Steven trial fits one of them.

The final day of sanding down the tool vans has at last arrived. Maurice gets going on the south end of 92.

The final bit is done. Is this really it?!              

Maurice begins the big clean up. I later joined in. Everything will be done - floor, walls (as far as can be reached), the tops of cupboards, shelves, conduits and cabling, etc, etc. It will take a couple of sessions, but nice to see it back to normal.

Alex remounts the grab rails on Tool Van 4.

The very large templates for the numbers of both vans.

Chris cuts out a new very large "G".

The Cotswold side of 4 receives its lettering.

And a view from Alex looking nearly finished from this angle - Maurice spent the afternoon blacking the end furniture.

The droplight surrounds weren't up to being stained and varnished so have been painted maroon to pick them out.

Now back to these, which in Tuesday's posting I couldn't remember what they were. These are the spacer tubes for the traction rods and are located on the sides of the bogie. A large pile of new spacer plates await priming.

The south end bogie on TSO 5042.

The spacer plates and rubbers from the tubes on the painting trestles are pretty worn.

The cleaned up rods.

 Stu was fitting a new tail pin at the south end of 5042 ...........

....... which proved to be quite a battle. A heavy length of wood helps drive the pin home.

Next the buckeye coupler to put back.

Job done!

Back to FK 13326 where Phil and Jeff finished the preparation on the Malvern side, painting Light Grey undercoat over the areas that had required extra filler and where the base of the old three-banded line had been further sanded to remove the ridge.

Bob added undercoat Cream to the south end of the Cotswold side, and then began the lower brown panel.

It 's the Blue timetable today. The DMU passes on its first run down to Cheltenham.

A walk down to the 3rd Rake and into SK 24949 where the rebuild of the Malvern side toilet compartment continues. Geoff refits part of the window frame.

Roger is rebuilding the base of the outer wall.

Alan replaces the door hinges, while Geoff refits the beading on the far wall. It shouldn't be too long now before we can repaint the compartment, and do the opposite one as well.

Bob sets up the covers in the first compartment in readiness for top coating the ceiling. Old curtains, especially with the lining still attached, are the best for this as any dropped paint is unlikely to penetrate to the seating underneath.

Also on in the 3rd Rake, but not photographed, were Richards I and II who had replaced the fridge unit in RMB 1808, and Paul and Dennis who were reassessing the rake regarding toilets, seating, etc. We need to try and re-balance our rakes as far as possible, the 3rd Rake for example having mainly corridor coaches, the Main Rake all opens, etc.

[Photo : Gerry]  Nick welding the base of one of the Malvern side doorways on RBr 1675 following some adjustments.

Gerry is reattaching the gutter sections which had been removed for repairs to the cantrail.

The endless rewiring with Richard I and Phil in discussion.

Nick carefully reinstating the communication cord mechanism at the north end so as to establish where more holes are to be drilled.

Phil carefully cutting a number of small wedges to raise the electric cabling where needed.

Derek carefully measures a section of plyboard. So what's this for?

Various attachments are going on the cut board. So what have this ....................

............... and this trolley got in common?

A very useful tool trolley.

With the trolley upgrade completed, Derek returns to his repairs on the Monster Van.