Saturday 11th - Canvas

 Today was the day to fit the canvas on Tool van 92, so while we had a great turnout of people today, I didn't manage to get round everyone as I was pushing scaffold towers hither and thither and climbing up and down, and up and down, a lot.

First job was to give the roof a good vacuum, and chip any lumps of glue etc. off, which Maurice took care of.

Then it was unfurl the first half of the canvas, and flatten it out in position on the wagon. Then fold one half back, and bitumastic jollop on:

As it's longer than an ordinary wagon, we had to have two scaffold towers to do even half the length, Robert captured both of us at work.

By mid-afternoon the second half was well on the way to being done.

So that was that, all stuck down. Next jobs, battening down the sides and ends then trimming, and cutting out the holes to permanently fit the skylight frames. But that was for another day, we needed a cup of tea after all that...

So what else was going on? Well Alan had got started before I even got in, fabricating a base for this stillage we've had cleaned up for brake block storage.

Looking across the South end of the FK is now completely floating, and the crash pillar nearest the camera gone altogether. 

The North end is looking much more the part with Alan offering up the central plate for size.

Another early starter was Roger, in for the morning with his H&S hat on to give all the machines a check.

Lots of sheets of plywood were heading in the direction of the RBr today, Steve and Simon cleared the nearby window bench as it wasn't being used today to get things to size.

Various parts taking shape inside.

Simon fixes more big bits of panelling in the kitchen area.

The door team were out in force today, soldiering on with their slow and steady work. Ainsley on one,

Ben adjusting a door guide on another,

And Robert on a third. One day they'll get there!

Robert and Chris also got redirected in the morning to look at the temporary floor in the tent outside the Santa coach for the upcoming Santa season, as a few bits weren't quite right. It was soon sorted out, well done chaps, C&W to the rescue again.

It was a pleasant day for a spot of shunting, these 2 wagons had come down from Toddington out of the demo goods train in need of some repairs. For the time being they were shunted out of the way.

Then there was flat rail wagon to extract from the back siding requiring a replacement drawhook and a once over for P'way to use.

I completely missed the fact that another coach had ended up on the jack road until I asked if the dirty gang were just connecting up the last of the brake rigging only to be told "No, we're disconnecting it!"

Ah, another coach up in the air for some steam leak fixes. Happily another one where the leak and fix was pretty obvious I'm told.

Upholstery were their usual busy selves, Jenny and John preparing the next seat bases.

While Laura was sewing up some more covers.

Cushions still in stock, and still available online over the winter.

Onto the SK in the paintshop then, George continued cleaning up the North end.

Dave gave the South end corridor door some attention with some more stain and polish.

Once that was done he moved onto glossing the South end.

Once I'd recovered from the canvas operation, I got the big cream brush out and did a first topcoat on all the panels on the Cotswold side

While Maurice found a more sedately paced job to finish the day, glossing the last handrails on the Malvern side of the tool van.