Thursday 29th - Quieter, but busy

It's been a very busy month with this one nearly gone and September just around the corner. As for today it was relatively quiet for a Thursday with a number of our regulars away.

Many thanks to Roger for the photos on board RMB 1808.

Beginning today with Jeff undercoating the first of the MICA van instruction plates that fit high up on the ends. This will be followed by red top coat and then the white lettering, which he will be delighted to do.

Keeping to goods wagons, at the end of the Barn and enjoying the pleasant day is Maurice cleaning up more parts from the Open C.

Returning much later in the day to find the parts being coated in Red Oxide. The labels identify each part.

An update on the wagon itself, which is currently stabled on the Works siding, the grit blaster has been booked for 24th September.

While in the Barn a chance to catch up with the window repairs in SO 4798. Gerry carefully clamps a section of inner frame ready for securing.

Later in the day the glass for that window is carefully taken on board.

Meanwhile Bryan is working on one of the repaired windows on the opposite side.

[Photo : Roger]

[Photo : Roger]

[Photo : Roger]  Three photos of the next window repair on RMB 1808, the bottom section having previously stained and varnished in the Paintshop. Roger added a final coat of varnish to complete the job. 

The braking system repairs to SK 25451 were concluded today.

There was still a niggling problem with the vacuum system so Stu sets up the vacuum pump. In the end it turned out to be a porous vacuum hose.

In the Workshop Geoff and Alan are cleaning up the thread on the communication cord vacuum pipe from 25451.

Later Roger, Alan and Geoff, assisted by Stu, refitted the pipe at the north end of the coach. Just needs a bit of paint to finish the job.

Having successfully tried the clear lacquer spray on two of the cleaned heating pipe covers from RBr 1675 on Tuesday, David now gives the remaining covers numerous coats of laquer. These will now be taken on board the coach for fitting.

Inside 1675's kitchen and pantry the insulation for the water pipework is now being fitted.

Underneath the pantry sink with the water heater skid pulled out. The insulation is now in place top right.

Richard I is constructing a gland plate. To allow for cabling to pass between the Victron inverter/charger and lithium batteries, gland plates are in the process of being made for the flooring of 1675 and the roof of the battery enclosure sited directly under the sole bar.

Going on board 1675 to find that Richard and Phil were back under the pantry sink unit. Phil later appeared with an array of copper pipework he said needed adjusting.

Once again we end the post with the excellent progress being made on SO 4790. Alex discovers an old paintwork bubble that has somehow escaped all the sanding down. So a quick dig out of the flaking paint, followed by a bit of filler.

Meanwhile Jeff has now moved on to the north end to remove some old runs that have occurred under some of the drip points. These were more noticeable under the new undercoat.

Then it was up on the scaffold tower to undercoat the repaired corners.

Top coating the Cotswold side was Alex's aim for today. Here he is well on the way with the coat of Cream.

Next the Crimson. It has all gone on beautifully using a 3 inch brush and following the light sanding of the undercoat. With our old style quick repaints it would have been just the one coat. Looking hard at Alex's work it is tempting to do just that, after all it will be varnished. However two top coats it will be.

There was one window still in undercoat. Jeff soon sorts that out.

I love taking these final end-of-day photos, with all the steps cleared away.  It gives a real sense of achievement.

Wednesday 28th - It nearly didn't rain

 It started with all the makings of a nice warm sunny day, it didn't last.

Upstairs in upholstery, Laura and Eve are fitting a cover to a seat for 4798 .... it takes two.

Good progress is being made with the seat set for 4798, and these are the finished items .... they look amazing well done ladies .

Still with 4798, Gerry asked me to weld some captive nuts in place for the window fittings.

Trevor is making some doorfit adjustments to 13326.

Simon is doing some snagging in the south end vestibule of 13326, 

John's latest creation is an outside store for new brake blocks, for its size it is heavy. We are moving it to a suitable place for him to paint.

John does like painting, lets hope he as enthusiastic when we prepare a site for it to include concrete slabs.

Dave is cleaning up on the top of the south corridor connection of 4790

Bryan is making some fine adjustments to the window retainers for 4798 ......

Welding more captive nuts, plenty of water, let it cool and then the woods can go in.

Chris is cleaning the window retainers, fortunately most of them have been salvaged. Inevitably some do get damaged and new ones have to be made.

Back to 4790, Bob is painting the roof to end panel overhang.

Thats it for another Wednesday.

Many thanks to Gerry and Eve for the photos.

Tuesday 27th - Transformation

A busy Tuesday with some very noticeable changes as the day progressed.

Beginning with the MICA van where door frames previously made by Steven are being prepared for fitting. Chris clamps the first frame to the storage rack ........

....... to make it secure and ready for Robert to plane the top edge.

Some further measuring and marking is now required.

The hinge points have been cut out ready for fitting them.

Robert and Chris in discussion and planning with Paul and Alex.

The first door frame now mounted.

Paul gets back to inserting the planks on the Malvern side of the van.

It's slowly beginning to take shape. Also being cleaned up and etch primed by Alex was the first of the two large instruction plates that fit high up on the ends of the van. I can hear Jeff pricking his ears at the thought of all those letters to highlight, but I expect it will be done by one of the Wagon team.

On now to progress with 1675. David continues and completes the cleaning up of the heating pipe covers, the Door team benches being very handy for this job.

Then into the Paintshop for a wipe down with meths.

Finally, let's try the clear laquer spray on two of them. They look pretty good.

In 1675's corridor Roger completes the priming, coating the wood surrounding the filled in doorway.

The next job was to undercoat the ceiling panels. The corridor is now beginning to look very different.

Pam was back in the servery, but first a catch up on any news with Roger.

Her first job was to add a final coat of paint to the new pipework cover by the exit door. Next a gentle rubdown of the oak facing on the shelves before adding yet another coat of varnish. Her final job on 1675 was a second top coat on the back of the exit door.

While in the kitchen and pantry, two photos of the skids now in their respective positions.

Maurice does some intricate painting to complete this side of the Hayles Halt seat legs. I meant to ask if this completed the repaint. They do look good.

A bit more history being brought back with Keith burning the paint off the old cupboard from Ross-on-Wye signalbox. It is destined for the signalbox at Broadway.

Enjoying a break while the northbound train passes. Lots of passengers on the trains again.

Derek preparing to fit a new length of wood next to this end window.

It was real progress today with the repaint of SO 4790. Initially windows and the edges of doors and doorframes were top coated by Richard, Phil and Stu.

Bob joined the fray and completed the roof painting with the second top coat of Flint Grey on the Cotswold side. Stu progressed the gutter and top band.

Top coating the central cream section on the Malvern side was well underway with Alex.

Now becoming really busy on the Cotswold side.

Alan arrived and began cleaning up the buffers and headstock at the south end, and then moved on to the Cotswold side sole bar as topcoating of the bottom panel hadn't been started.

Back to the Malvern side. With cream top coating finished, Alex is storming along the main panel with the crimson.

The new remetalled corners at the north end have been finished off with filler. These will be sanded when we aren't painting in this area. Stu undercoated both main sections of this end leaving a small gap before the vertical demarcation tapes.

Pam adds a second coat of varnish to another newly made back panel.

A clean up inside the south corridor connection ready for some new black paint. The door won't be repainted as any grime soon disappeared after a wipe down with white spirit, and being destined for a central position in the rake it will remain permanently open.

Finally two photos of the Malvern side and one of the Cotswold side taken at the end of the day.