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.