Tuesday 16th - Halfway through April already

Halfway through April already, the year is flying by. It's only about 5 weeks to the Steam Gala!

Thankfully most of the time a blog title easily springs to mind, even while you are still at the Works taking the photos. And then there are those times, when you scroll up and down perusing the photos and what you have written, and nothing comes to mind. In fact just like this time.

And then, rereading the first sentence I realised that the answer was staring at me !

So, on to today's activities, with most of the effort as expected on RBr 1675.

I missed a great photo opportunity on Saturday when Andy Meredith, Engineering Director for the Toddington Standard Locomotive Limited, presented Jenny with a large tin of biscuits and a letter of thanks to the Upholstery Team for the re-covering of 76077's seats. So to make up for it, a photo of the tin and letter.

When Alan arrived he headed straight for the old fire bucket that he had cleaned up last week. By the time he had finished there wasn't a scrap of old red paint left on it. It is now ready for a coat of etch primer both inside and out.

Keith had a variety of items on the trestles to prepare and paint, the most important of which was to top coat the new section of ceiling panel for SO 4790, which the Indoor gang will fit on Thursday.

On Saturday Phil S. had brought seven electrical connection patresses to us to paint. After giving them a final sand, Keith applies a coat of primer.

Chris kindly donated a packet of these very useful little pyramids on which to stand items that have been painted on both sides. The impact on the wet paint when items are either balanced as shown below, or sat on the sharp points, will be minimal. Whoever thought of designing these, what a clever idea!

Chris is still working on the rebuild of the doors for the Toddington shunter.

Various sections that will be coming into the Paintshop. I was going to gather them up but Chris said they needed final checking before we could proceed with the painting.

Hey, it's great to have him backI Paul well stuck into the repainting of the ply van,

In the Paintshop Maurice describes what he has been doing with the new door inners.

I later captured him top coating the north end of the van. Come and see it running in our Gala freight train at the end of May.

Derek takes some measurements before cutting some more replacement plank sections. He almost got away with having a dry day for once, but a small sprinkling of rain managed to make itself known.

Repainting FK 13326 has taken a leap in priority as it is very likely to be ready before 1675. On the Cotswold side Roger removes the dust from the north end window prior to top coating.

The north end set of windows on the Malvern side still has to be undercoated. Phil J. is working on his second one.

That's better! Roger is now well stuck into the second one.

On now to 1675 with Robert carefully marking out what will be the base board for the corridor ceiling.

Measured, cut and now going into place.

The view south along the corridor from the serving area.

Ainsley working on the construction of one of the corridor windows. The Door Team are very much involved with helping out with this lengthy job.

He was later working at the north end fitting this cross section under the north end window.

Stu did an excellent job with more undercoating in the seating area. I captured him completing the serving area side of this panel, and in fact completing all that he could do today. The existing corridor wall has been sanded but could not be painted while other work was going on there.

Earlier on he had undercoated both main end panels and both sides of the entrance.

With the trestle work completed Keith undercoated the south headstock of 1675.

Besides all the running around taking photos, emptying bins, and other bits of tidying up, I worked on the Cotswold side of 1675 preparing for the gutter reinstating on Wednesday. Various bits of filling were followed by a grand vacuuming session of the windows and bodyside underneath, and then a fresh coat of green primer along the gutter section. Just a small section of the gutter line at the south end still needs cleaning up with a grinder and old rivets drilling out.