Saturday 28th - Catching up

This is really a joint effort by Alex and myself. Alex had already taken 11 photos but being a bit more able to get about during the day I offered to do today's blog post. Alex was also attending the Young Engineers Event at Toddington during Sunday so would be out for much of the day.

Apologies for no Tuesday or Thursday posts as I was unable to get in. As with the rest of the week attendances were reported low on both days.

So on to today's events with plenty of photos to make up for the gaps.

Catching up with a Tuesday job where Keith was able to complete the repainting of the cupboard from Ross-on-Wye signalbox. This is now ready to go to Broadway signalbox.

One of our most useful items when painting lower coach panels, and in particular when lining out, is a low platform that had been made in-house many years ago. Keith had used this as protection for the signalbox cupboard after he had finished painting. Being awkward to carry Simon kindly helped me take it back to the Paintshop. 

"Simon, we could do with another one of these, if you have any free time, would you be able to make another one?".

[Photo : Alex]  Simon immediately got cracking and has done a really brilliant job to build a very substantial platform. So, a very hearty thank you Simon from the Painting Team.

[Photo : Alex]  Robert sets up the router to construct the bottom cills for SO 4798, the SO/FO  conversion. This is the first to be made of twelve he and Chris will be making. It is quite a complicated process and took them five hours to do four. Stu, our Works Manager, was pleased.

More woodworking, this time by Dave sanding the edge strips from TK 24006's compartment doors. A number of these seem to have gone missing - hopefully not inadvertently disposed of !!

[Photo : Alex]

One of the compartment doors, the bottom sections of which were recently on the trestles being varnished.

The stamp underneath the support plate indicates that this particular door was originally assigned to BSK 35039.

Laura, today on her own, tackles one of the  Bluebell Railway seat backs from the new fourth contract.

One of the newly re-covered seats looking very smart.

Jenny is very much into her new role in Paul W's Works Cleaning Team and doing a great job in our Mess Room. Those seats positively gleam!

Several updates need to be made in the Blog's Meet The Teams section (my next job!), including our Works Cleaning Team. "Look up Jen - smile!".

An interesting extra job being done by Alan for PWay was making a new part for a point at Toddington.

[Photo : Alex]

The part under construction with the plan below.

Ben working SO 4798's doors.

[Photo : Alex] 

I guess this is another of 4798's doors.

[Photo : Alex]  More door work by Ainsley and Ben on FK 13326.

[Photo : Alex] 

Just in time to catch Dinmore Manor returning to Toddington. Dave waves a friendly greeting. We are continuing to get good numbers on our trains, which is good news.

I love watching the trains go round Chicken Curve.

We need to get SO 4790 finished. With just the southern half of the Cotswold side in its first coat of varnish, Alex and I got cracking. The north half of the Cotswold side was done by Alex and as this is a through route I put up the barrier.

[Photo : Alex]  I was captured beginning at the south end of the Malvern side. Alex later did the north half. Just the window centres to do to complete the first coat.

Painting inside RBr 1675 is coming along well.  Pam was back in the corridor and sanding some minor bits of filler.

She then moved to the electrical cupboard next to the south entrance to finish in there, initially lightly sanding the remaining old paintwork.

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George worked on the north sliding door, adding a bit of filler where needed on the window. The back of the door was then undercoated.

[Photo : Alex]  Pam returned to the corridor and undercoated the remaining window and walls up to the serving counter area.

Finally the MICA van and more good progress. An initial discussion ........

....... and then on with the job. Paul cuts off the rusting bolts.

Later Alex was cutting out the hole for the Malvern side locking bar spindle.

[Photo : Alex]  Maurice filling the screwholes on the same side.

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Sunday 29th

[Photo : Alex]   As mentioned at the start of the post, Alex attended the Young Engineers Event at Toddington, his role being in support of the Youth Group. He spent most of the day demonstrating the brakes on the Toad brakevan in the car park, which seemed to be appreciated by the visitors. There was a lot of interest shown, particularly in the Youth Group. Unfortunately he was unable take a photo of the C&W display in the tent. Those clouds look threatening, I reckon we were lucky to have a dry two days for the event.