Weds 24th - Just a few / Thur 25th - Busy

Wednesday

A bit quiet for a Wednesday with just 12 attending. Nevertheless we all had work to do.

Beginning with 1675 where Chris is making some adjustments to the kitchen door window mechanism support spring (lazy tongs), which was a little fierce in closing the window.

Pat is making a superb job of cleaning the larger part of the emergency ladder from CK 21272. After initial sanding, he is applying Colron Rosewood dye to put some colour back in.

The Mica van received some more attention with two more vertical sections welded into position. Here Steve is adding the all important primer paint, Red Oxide.

With many non-vehicular projects needing the metalwork teams input, John is making parts for an external lockable cage to hold new brake blocks. The combined weight will be somewhat substantial so this base unit has to be up to the job.

With the quick repaint project on SO 4790 now underway in the Barn, Dave is smoothing various bits of filler that he has been adding. Much of the general sanding down of the bodysides and the ends has been completed.

Bob is checking a number of safety gates which we use when carriage doorways are open and our volunteers are working inside. This one will be used across the south corridor exit of SO 4798 in the Barn to prevent anyone from falling out.              

Inside 4798, Rex and Bryan are removing windows and their internal wood frames. They are trying to salvage as many of the shaped strips as possible, a tricky job.

It was actually not raining when the lunchtime bell rang, so it was out to the "patio" and a cheery wave to the travellers heading south. Dinmore Manor was in charge of this rake.

They never seem to stop in upholstery, where Eve is overlocking seat covers for our Dean Forest Railway contract.

 John is cutting new seat bases from thin plyboard.

Laura is sewing new seat covers for the same project.

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Handing over to Dave now for Thursday's part of the post.

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Thursday

More like the normal number for a Thursday with 19 attending.

Beginning with P&O and the train nicely framed in the north corridor connection of BCK 21272.

Inside the guards compartment Phil begins the repaint. The ceiling looks very clean so we can leave that.

Returning later to find a nice area now repainted. Phil is able to put top coat directly on to the old paintwork, with the exception of the back of the door which was in a pretty bad state, and following a good sanding and clean up, requires undercoating.

The rack from the guards compartment is beginning to look a lot better as the Silver Hammerite goes on. The emergency ladder also looks very much better. On the left the new bench planks are now ready for installing.

Over to the 3rd and 4th rake coaches where Alan is fitting the new section of internal window frame in TSO 4772. 

Cleaning inside coaches on a warm muggy day is always tiring work. Dennis and Paul take a well earned break in BSK 35308.

Derek removes more worn out planking from the Malvern side of the Monster van.

That's better. Just the one section to trim to finish this area. We will eventually have a large sanding down and repainting job to do when all these repairs are finished.

Nobody in to work on either vehicle today.

Phil cleans up the tracking for one of the internal sliders giving access to 1675's kitchen and pantry.

Jeff, complete with his new hat, top coats the metal covers for the internal sliders tracking.

Richard II continues the very lengthy job of setting up 1675's 240 volt main distribution and control panel.

Dave was redoing the draught excluder on the Cotswold side kitchen door. New footboards have also been fitted where needed. These will be removed to paint.

Found them! The missing glass sections for the top of 1675's counter had been put safely away and as often happens with safe places ......... . Kevin, having cleaned them, carefully wraps them up until they can be reinstated. The metal frame is also stored but being large is more easily seen.

More tidying up for the south end stores area of the Workshop. Kevin as always doing a great job. In general it is now so much easier to find things.

A very nice presentation in Upholstery of various parts of the seating for SO 4798 in the new Snapdragon moquette. Our team does a fantastic job, whether it is main carriage seating, cushions, bags, spectacle cases, or miscellaneous seat re-covering, it's always brilliant and something of which we are very proud. No wonder visitors spend so long in here.

Dave C.