Tuesday 2nd - Hello 2024

Happy New Year!

Firstly a great big thank you for all the very kind comments received over the past year, especially after Alex's Roundup of 2023. It's very heartening to know that all the work we do at C&W and the efforts made to publish our activities are so much appreciated.

As we welcome in another new year, no doubt we are all wondering what this year will bring. Certainly for C&W it's going to be a very busy start and continuing for the next couple of months as we tackle the many tasks listed on the Ian's spreadsheets.

However, for today it's more of the same .........................

 ............... and that includes the weather, though thankfully it looks as though we should soon we getting into a colder dry spell.

For Alex it was very much a signwriting day, beginning with the black lining around the SK's numbers.

[Photo : Alex]  One of my jobs for the day was giving the Malvern side windows of 25488 a thorough clean, followed up by some tidying up of the paintwork on the window frames.

All that remains now to is clean the insides of the windows and vac through the coach. With the shunt on Saturday and the promise of a reasonable dry day, we should be able to get some good photos of the coach leaving the Works and when finally stabled in the siding.

 Besides more top coating of the ends and the Malvern side of the Tank Wagon ................

................ Maurice began the painting of the south end tank supports that had been made by Steven last week. Initially this is just a coat of wood primer, after which the screw holes will be filled.

On the Cotswold side, with the main white glossing completed, Alex began the lining out and signwriting, beginning with the large maroon line.

All the text, bar the large "G W" cardboard cutouts (retained from the painting of Tank Wagon 43914), had been generated on Alex's home computer. This was printed in the office and then the tricky job of matching it up into the two sets of instructions.

First the "G W" was painted on - the cardboard "G" cutout lies below having been used for marking the outline.

With the base colour being gleaming white, Alex had to use coloured chalks instead of the more usual white French chalk on the back of the templates so the the outlines of the letters would show. The first set of instructions steadily go on in bright red.

Now on to the larger second set. With the template taped firmly in place Alex generates the outlines by going over the letters with a pencil. The chalk on the back of the template leaves the required outline of the text on the tank side, which Alex can then very carefully paint, a very skilled job to say the least.

The two sets completed.

Just need to remove the tape from main horizontal line.

The Cotswold side with the sole bar numbering and lettering also now in place.

[Photo : Alex]  The completed side with the tape now removed. Well done Alex - a great job!

 

From construction to destruction with more paint (and any underlying filler) removal on the sides of RBr 1675. On the Cotswold side Ainsley used a combination of hot air gun and angle grinder with sanding disk, followed by pad sanding.

On the Malvern side Richard and Phil were tackling the job.

The end of the day. Ainsley walks back having locked away the tools and swept up, and feeling satisfied with the amount that had been removed from his side of the coach. No doubt Richard and Phil will be the same about their side.

Robert was making thin strips for the backs of the doorways in 1675, to which the rubber draft seals will be attached.

Another job was refitting the back panels on this door from FK 13326, the coach currently on the through road in the Barn.

 The Door Team are going to be busy!

Kevin was back in the Woodshop organisng the contents of the new shelving.

On board SO 4787 Dave is unscrewing the tables and will be dismantling the seating, most of which has well worn moquette. The seating with the relatively new moquette he has already dismantled in SO 4798 will be transferred to here during the shutdown period.

 

Finally, while walking through Upholstery to the office, a photo of the lovely bags now being made by the team. Hopefully these will sell as well as the cushions.