Tuesday 3rd - Doors, doors and doors

 The title aptly describes much of today's activities with doors from both 1675 and 13326 under "attack".

First another brief look at the lovely products that emerge from our hardworking upholsterers and continue to sell well. In a recent chat with Laura she said that over 50 bags have now been sold. They are beautifully made with an inner pocket and strong handles. This particular bag caught my eye as I walked through Upholstery.

Part of the Bluebell contract

Piles of armrests, sidepanels, cushions and seats all destined for SO 4798.

While Maurice coats two of the MICA handrails in Red Oxide, in the background Stu pad sands the filler on the door for 1675's south connection.

Next it is the turn of the smaller of the internal sliding doors, roughing up the old formica in preparation for painting. On the left is the completed door for the electrics cupboard which will be hung on Thursday.

The sanded outer face of the connection door is now undercoated.

Now the turn of both the internal sliding doors to be given white undercoat.

Over to the south end of 13326 where Ian is filling and sanding the door edges and frame on the Cotswold side.

On the opposite side Roger is doing the same on the south end door.

At the north end on the same side Tony is removing the lower parts of the door back prior to pad sanding the old paint. Sanding and filling on the door frame and edges was also done, as well as some minor filling on the coach corner.

With all this effort completed Tony applies the Light Grey undercoat.

Job completed!

Now finished with the doors, Stu reverts to sanding the first top coat on the Cotswold side of 13326. Although we are currently devoting most of the effort on the coach to the doors and both ends, we are trying to maintain progress on the sides for when top coating can be resumed.

Three ceiling panels from one of 4798's vestibules were previously repaired and are now being sanded by Keith.

Cleaning up completed, so on with the undercoat White.

Robert creates more internal window framing for SO 4798.

Twelve more pieces of frame that have been varnished on their inner sides as damp protection. In the background Pam gives the handrails from RBr 1675 a second coat of Executive Light Grey - these will now be ready for the Indoor Gang to fit on Thursday.

On board 1675 Pam lightly sands the varnished oak in the counter area ........

...... before applying the second coat of varnish. The ceiling above was second top coated, and the back of the central passenger door given another top coat (upper section) and second coat of varnish (back panel). And while again talking doors, the back of the Cotswold side emergency door also received more varnish.

More GW Grey top coat was applied to the Open C wagon frame.

More seats on board FO 3127 are being released by Dave.

Well now we know when the seats were last refurbished and by whom. This must have been when the coach went into chartered main line running after being sold by BR.

Well done Maurice!

[Photo : Paul E.]  Happily sat in my corner, finger on the phone and already starting today's blog with the photos so far taken. Keen or what?!

Saturday 30th - Big, but still not everything

A very busy day with 22 attending the Works and the Santa season at the station well in full flow.

Following on from Thursday, a repeat of the photo of SK 25488 up on the jacks following the exchange of bogies.

With the bogies back underneath, Andy reconnects the brake mechanism.

The vacuum pump is connected ready for a brake test.

More fun creating the peculiarly shaped hand rails for the MICA van with once again James and John involved.

Once heated up enough, John with some very thick gloves uses the metal tube (at the top of the photo) to bend the handrail into the required shape. James assists with a heavy hammer when required.

[Photo : Paul W.]  While taking the photos, I was roped in to help support the rail.

Time to recheck the overall fit of this particular rail.

A discussion going on with Stu, Ken and John - I believe this was to do with one of the rails not being quite right.

The four rails completed, but spot the odd one out. A little modifying needed here. Otherwise a brilliant job - well done James and John!

Maurice and Paul apply red oxide to two of the good ones.

Towards the end of the day Maurice undercoats three of the steps from the MICA.

Much earlier in the day, time to capture progress with the Open C wagon.

Hey, where are they?!  Bet they've sneaked off again to get some bacon baps from the Santa marquee.

Back in action with the GW Grey top coat. This is going to be quite a striking wsgon when completed.

[Photo : Paul E.]  Foremarke Hall rumbles past on its runaround.

A busy time in Upholstery as Laura and Richard secure the moquette to this seat cushion. 

Helen prepares the moquette for another.

And the next one with the underlay being fitted around. All these are part of the third contract from the Dean Forest Railway.

Now on to more cushions. Although recently helping with preparation work on FK 13326 in the Paintshop, Richard has officially become a member of the Upholstery team.

Helen now also prepares to make another cushion.

7903 and 3850 are sharing the Santa trains today.

[Photo : Paul E.]

Ken replenishes the suds for the large crosscut saw.

Later on Ken fits steam heating connections in the corridor and saloon in RBr 1675.

The overall painting and varnishing inside 1675 is well on the way to completion. It's now time to sort out more of the internal fittings. With the handrails previously primed, Pam paints on the first of the two coats of Executive Light Grey.

I should have looked closer at the back of the centre passenger door before Stu top coated it on Tuesday. When looked at closely the surface was not smooth.

So the next job was to add some filler ........

....... and when this had been well sanded, apply fresh cream undercoat.

Then there are the two corridor sliding doors that provide entry to the kitchen and pantry, both with formica backs. Martin roughens up the formica on the larger door ........

........ and then undercoats it in white. Both door backs painted white will blend in a lot better with the new kitchen and pantry.

In the saloon the pelmets need possibly two more coats of varnish. Pam begins applying the first.

On now to the work being done by Ben on FK 13326 to complete the internal panelling, beading and draft exclusion around the doors.

Various strips created and labelled ready for fitting.

The Cotswold side south door.

In the north vestibule of SO 4798 Simon, assisted by Tom, is preparing the new floor out of heavy plyboard.

Having been fitted, the plyboard was removed to some trestles at the end of the Barn and the underside brushed with Creocote.

The replacement door being set up for 4798.

Alan repairs a ceiling panel from 4798.

Chris and Robert are creating more internal window frames for 4798. The two boards, having been created on the giant saw, are now run through the thicknesser to make them the correct size.

An example of one of the sections of internal frame required. 

Back to FO 3127 where Dave is free'ing up more of the heavy seats.

It's often a surprise as to what turns up when removing and taking apart seats. Sadly the state of this excellent book (I have a copy at home) condemns it to the waste bin.

The excellent diorama of Baker Street tube station that Robert brought in to show us.

The lady on the left appears to have fainted!

Foremarke Hall returns to Toddington having completed its final run of the day.

The final train ready to return its happy passengers to Cheltenham.

The coloured lights in the gathering dusk.

[Photo : Paul E.]  The dusk really settles in. A great photo from Paul.