Thursday 16th - Closed season jobs begin

With two race days (plus an inclusive a fish and chip special) this weekend, and the Santa trains soon beginning, our regular services have now finished until after Christmas. As for our 3rd and 4th Rake coaches, their next outing will be in March. As such we can now up the level of their internal maintenance and repairs.

It felt like a real bleak winter's day and certainly not one to hang about when walking down the yard. In the distance Dennis heads towards the brake coach and access to the rake. 

One of the many jobs identified is the repairs to some of the seating. 

Along with water damaged panels. 

Getting the long bench seats free often requires the removal of the tables. Roger frees up this one .........................

 .................. prior to extracting this seat with Paul helping. 

Dennis carefully inspects the guards compartment in BCK 21092, looking for anything that will required our attention. 

Alan and Geoff were doing repairs somewhere in the rake. I caught Alan on his way back with a battery powered grinder.

 More of Derek's repairs to Monster Van 600. 

Up on the jacks is FK 13329 from the Main Rake, which has been brought in to fix a steam heating leak.

Not many windows left to reinstate on RBr 1675. Gerry removes the old sealant prior to adding the new. 

 The window now clamped in position on the Cotswold side and ready for riveting in place. 

 Directly opposite on the Malvern side Rex is adding the internal framing on the toilet window. 

 The remaining pieces the frame on the work bench. 

 Richard I showing where the pigtail socket will be installed on the south end of 1675. 

 The completed unit with the red light that will shine when in use. 

It was very much cables everywhere as more and more are fitted, keeping Phil and the Richards very busy. This is certainly a very complex vehicle. 

 

In the far background Phil begins top coating the Cotswold side gutter of SK 25488, while Maurice undercoats the four 5-metre long battens for the roof of Tool Van 92. 

 Chris and Steven are attaching the new skylights now that the canvas is in place.

[Photo : Alex]  Steven carefully trimming the canvas from around this skylight.

 

The busy Cotswold side of the Paintshop. Phil and Maurice are progressing with their respective jobs, while Richard has resumed his window painting and is proceeding along the north half of 25488.

 Jeff top coats the inside and edges of the south door and frame on the Malvern side.

Alex gave the Malvern side cream section a second top coat. The repaint of 25488 is coming along well and it won't be long before the we are painting the lines.