Tues 28th-Thurs 30th - Very sad news

Friday 31st. This was going to be a typical blog post, but while creating it a Volunteer Announcement email appeared with the very sad news that Bob Mac (Mackintosh) had passed away. He had been suffering from cancer, but still managed occasional part days at C&W. 

Bob on his final visit working with Jeff (Dec 12th).

We last saw Bob when he cheerfully called and waved from the train as it passed the Works on the final weekend of running before the Winter shutdown.

Some photos of Bob in happier times.

"Hurry up - this is heavy!". Setting up the special towing bar for shunting carriage bogies (Dec 2011)

Always smartly dressed when on signalman duties at Winchcombe (April 2023)

As a member of the Painting Team, Bob was a great roofer, often meaning that by the time the coach came into the Paintshop we had little, if anything, left to do on the roof.

Safely secured in his harness, Bob was in his element on the roof of a coach (April 2022)

When we had to do shunting on a non-running day, we could nearly always guarantee Bob's assistance manning the signalbox for the day (February 2015).

Bob was so many things on the Railway. Besides being with C&W and a signalman, he was also a Guard, Duty Officer, Finance Manager, and after all this it was not unusual to see him strimming an embankment with the lineside gang. He was one of the group of original members of the Railway who were given 40 years service certificates.

 

Always a great all-rounder who put his heart and soul into the Railway, Bob will be very much missed.

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Tuesday

Apologies for no proper report of Tuesday's activities this week. Unfortunately numerous absences for a host of reasons meant that there were only 3 attending and, as lone working is not permitted, work has to cease as soon as the penultimate person wishes to leave.

However Richard emailed to say that Martin and himself worked on TSO 4986, which is now the urgent priority job in the Paintshop. More of the cracking filler along the Malvern side rivet line was ground out and filled with fibre paste. The Cotswold side and some of the very dirty north end (no doubt that this coach had sat behind the locos on the northbound runs!) were given an initial wash down. Derek continued his efforts on the Monster van. Work ceased at 2.30.

Wednesday 

Many thanks to Gerry for Wednesday's photos.

Rod was the only one working on TSO 4986, adding fibre paste to more of the dug out Malvern side rivet line.

Internal rebuilding inside SO 4798 continues with Simon fitting a new end panel inside the north end.

Rex and Bryan, (and Gerry), were back with the rebuilding of the internal window frames

John is cleaning up the heavy corridor connection which will be refitted to the south end of 4798.

We are continually thinking of ways to improve our work environment. As previously reported, the latest change has been the modifications to the frontage of the metalworking benches. The protective screens have been raised to allow for the setting up of better storage for some of our lengthy metal pieces, such as the one Steve is picking up. Prior to this, steel of this length was laid between the tracks underneath the coaches stabled in the Workshop and Barn, a nuisance when trying to sweep up when the Works was emptied during shunts and sometimes awkward to get to when trying to sort out the required piece.

Further improvement has been the fitting of in effect a door at the north end of the benches. Either when fitting up against the end of the bench or when opened to block off the gap,  it will provide further protection when welding is taking place within the metalwork area. Nick and Bob test the closing.

Nick and Steve look pleased with their efforts, and so they should be with a great improvement.

Thursday

Many thanks to Roger for the extra photos.

Thursday turned out to be a brilliant sunny day. So the first photo had to be one of our newly outshopped FK 13326. The shadow of the tree has blurred the north end but it still looks good.

While taking thr photo of 13326 I was aware of an increasing roar and turned round in time to capture this very low flying aircraft. These seem to have taken the place of the Hercules which used to regularly do this flight.

 Our plane experts will know what this is.

Returning via the Barn to see that Gerry and Rex were back inside 4798. Gerry cleans up the inside of the metal window frame with a grinder, while Rex is fitting the internal frame to the opposite window.

There was a lot of shutdown-related activity in the main rakes currently stabled in the station, as will be seen in the next group of photos.

[Photo : Roger]   Beginning with CK 16195 ..........

[Photo : Roger]  ........ Roger had removed a broken section of formica underneath the window table in one of the first class compartments.

The area was covered over with a shaped piece of thin plyboard, which he later painted. The fun was achieving the colour of the formica, but after a little experimenting he more or less got what he wanted and painted the ply accordingly.

[Photo : Roger]  On next to CK 16221 where we have problems with two of the sets of window sliders,

 

[Photo : Roger]  The problem is that we have no spares of this particular type of slider, which BR made slightly larger than the ones normally used in MK1 coaches.

 

[Photo : Roger]  Alan watches Geoff carefully fiddling with the broken section.

 Geoff holds up the broken part.

In the same half of the coach cleaning is well in progress .........

...... with Paul doing a great job as always. More bits of Christmas tinsel gradually disappearing - well done Henry!

Next on to TSO 5042 ........

where Richard I and Phil were checking the electrics in the rake.

Paul, having completed his efforts in 16221 had now moved into 5042.

With such a good day weatherwise it was time for me to return to the patch repairs on the side of BSKD 34929. Very frustratingly I discovered a bubble in this particular area of new paintwork! Uttering Victor Meldrew's infamous phrase, I scurried back to the Paintshop to get tape, paint, thinners and brushes to do what I could to replace the lining out where the repairs had been made - a two stage job.

[Photo : Roger]  First job at this end was to tidy up the vertical demarkation with some new black paint on the coach end. Then with a bit of careful juggling I managed to get most of the line sections replaced. The bits that are left will be completed as soon as we get another fine day. There are actually two more small areas on this side of 34929 which could do with digging out, and of course that bubble to fix - let's see how time goes with everything else there is to do..

[Photo : Roger]   Roger captured me setting up the tape to repair this bit of line. One thing I won't miss with the gradual change from Maroon livery - this lower triple banded line.

 

 

While capturing the various activities I used the footbridge to move between the rakes, and while there, a chance to get some different views. For those who are new to our railway, the tunnel is just out of sight in the lower photo.

Finally on to progress with TSO 4986 where all the rivet line sections that needed digging out have now been filled with fibre paste.

Phil sands down the hardened paste on the Malvern side.

 Meanwhile for Bob, David and myself it was more cleaning of the cream section on the Cotswold side. It's going to take quite a bit of effort to get this into a suitable condition. Will it be quicker than repainting? Good question. We have to get this coach ready for the beginning of March - I have a feeling that some "overtime" will be called for to achieve this.

Some of the underwindow sections will need to be repainted due to cracking paint. Jeff applies some filler to one of these areas where the old paint has had to be removed.

Still a bit to sand down on the Malvern side. All the main brown section on both sides will need a general pad sand. 

So just a month left before we restart running and still an awful lot to achieve. It's going to be a close call. As the saying goes, watch this space!