Tuesday 3rd - Watching the trains

A shorter posting today with not everyone captured, but enough to give a good flavour of the day's activities.

The gentle pad sanding (320 paper) of 4270's first top coat was continued by Alex.

On the opposite side the excellent results of the second top coating look good. Was our reflection better? Perhaps a little. Meanwhile Richard completed the window top coating and then proceeded to do the cream parts of the door and doorframe edges.

Although our new member Matt has joined the Wagon team, Alex put him on black glossing the south end main panels.

On to 1675 where Tony resumed his work on the emergency doors, again tidying up the door and frame edges.

In the distance Roger has started priming the curved ceiling panels in the saloon.

Returning later to a lot more covered. It's good to be able to get this done at last and safe to do now that the oak has been given a coat of varnish. Still a long way to go yet with ceilings to undercoat and top coat, the cream undercoated areas to be top coated, the corridor slider from the saloon has yet to be sanded and undercoated,  and at least another two coats of varnish on all the oak

Tony then did some tidying up above the end window on the Cotswold side with filler (this had been missed) and a general sand of the undercoat. Particularly the thick "ploughed field" horizontal painting seen on the windowframe - arrrrgh! That had to be removed! To finish off the day the top and bottom panels were re-undercoated, and why not do the door as well.

And if you are puzzled why the new undercoat is Dark Grey, there was little demand for Brown undercoat so production stopped. Dark Grey is a perfect substitute which we have already used under Green and Blue when doing the DMU cars, and of course regularly used under Black.

While on board 1675, photos of the work done by Phil on Saturday showing respectively the status of the kitchen and pantry sink areas. The kitchen skid has yet to be connected, while the pantry one looks complete.

And now the main event with everyone gathered outside to see newly refurbished 3850 come by on Train 2. For most it was their first viewing of the new loco in its GWR wartime black livery.

And of course we stayed on to see 2807 come by on Train 1. 2807 will also be going into black livery and is scheduled to come into the Paintshop for a week in November. This first happened when 4270 was restored. The painting took just 5 days.

I captured Keith undercoating the new DA valve servicing facility, but never got around to his undercoating of the Ross-on-Wye signalbox cupboard (amends will be made on Thursday!).

 

Hinges from the Open C wagon were undercoated early in the day by Keith, and late in the day top coated by Maurice.

The final bit of clearing of the MICA by Paul and Maurice.

Robert (and Chris), watched by Alex, remove the old planking on the Cotswold side of the van.

Paul removes some stubborn bolts from the south end of the van.

Robert back on the Cotswold side.

Matt undercoated all the primed planks for the doors.

In Upholstery Pam fitted the new moquette on BCK 21272's tip-up seat. She will probably cover the base of the seat with vinyl to protect the cut edges.

The main guard seat moquette had been prepared at home as Pam preferred to use her own sewing machines, a hangover from when she had her own business.

That looks to be a good fit.

The last crossover of the day ........

...... with the weather slowly changing into a glorious evening.