Saturday 19th - It's all coming together

A busy Saturday with a variety of things to report. It turned out to be a very enjoyable day; even the weather was better than predicted.

Starting off with Train 2, always a treat to see with the gleaming crimson & cream coaches in the consist, 3850 approaches ready for the token exchange.

Two of our staff are on board, Andy as the TTI and Richard with his wife Christine serving in the RMB.

I then wandered up to the Coffee Pot cafe to solve a mystery. From emails the previous evening it turns out that the stand that Simon had made and we had painted wasn't for a track chair bootscraper, so what was it for? On entering the Coffee Pot I found the stand at the far end, with railway items placed on top for sale and an explanatory note alongside. Mystery solved!

The Coffee Pot has become a great favourite for the morning break with some of our staff, including Maurice and Paul.

When Jenny did her wonderful clearance job in the fenced off area between the signalbox and the Works, she said it would be nice to have something displayed on the area of stone chippings. S & T came up trumps and donated a triple dolly signal that would not be needed anywhere on the Railway. 

Jeff works on the second of the two MICA van instruction plates. I love the jaunty angle of the paint tin - the paint was well down in the tin so it was quite safe.

Now to the MICA van itself where felt adhesive was going on to stick the canvas to the roof.

In the Workshop Andy's metalwork training continues under James' tutoring. The next section of metal repair is being carefully welded in at the south end of SO 4798.

Followed by anglegrinding to clean up the weld.

More anglegrinding prepares the area for the next section of sheet metal.

More practice with the plasma cutter to cut the required piece of sheet metal.

In the Woodshop a very different form of cutting is being done by Robert and Chris. 

The carefully measured and cut section of formica

is for the counter in 1675. With the relevant adhesive on the back and assistance from Phil, they firmly press the formica onto the counter's surface.  Two brake blocks have been added to maintain the required pressure.

Today has the second of the formal "Behind Closed Doors" tours, this one being "Lifting The Curtain" which takes the participants around the whole Railway visiting all the facilities. As part of the tour around C&W I wanted to show the group the interior of 1675. Laura very kindly put up the curtains in one of the bays to show the final effect.

Back in the Upholstery workshop Laura prepares more curtain ties using the red Chainlink moquette, which of course perfactly matches the chairs.

The large bundle of curtains all cut to the correct length, and in the photo below two completed ties.

The folded and sewn Chainlink moquette ready for making more ties. The saloon will look fantastic when all the curtains are in place and the remaining chairs are brought in.

Bob got going on the large brown panel on the Cotswold side.

Bob tops up his kettle with another load of varnish. His former professional side comes through with the use of old tights straining the varnish, even though it's from a new can which has only recently been opened. Bob did a great job, completing the rest of the Cotswold side with its second coat of varnish. With the window frames also having had a second coat on Tuesday, we are finished on this side.

Jeff completed the second coat of varnish on the remaining Malvern side windows - Phil J had done the first half when he was last in.

Alex completed the black lining out on his Malvern side lettering. So basically,  as stated earlier this week, we are definitely on the home straight with the painting and varnishing.

Jenny treated every table in the Mess Room with a wind-up Easter chick and decoration, so the morning tea break was accompanied by a lot of laughter. Jenny and Laura watch their chick as it scurries around the table top.

Pam and I had a white chick hopping about.

Thank you Jenny for your thoughtful Easter gesture.

Jenny's main job today was vacuuming throughout FK 13329, continuing the job Paul had been doing on Thursday.

After lunch she gave the Mess Room another clean.

Alex, Jeff and Pam watch Foremarke Hall go by while 3850 waits in Platform 2.

Quite a number had come out to watch the train. There was a general discussion then about the triple dolly and the best way to support it. To ensure it remains upright and stable we will create a base for it.

More fettling work for John as he carries on with his current job to make a cover for one of the sheeps head steam valves.

His new cover on the vice with an existing one below.

Where it will be fitted.

Alan and Vic continued the metalwork repairs on the south end of RMB 1876. 

The repairs in progress with new sheet metal welded in now that the bases of the connection support pillars have been done.

On the Malvern side the one pillar has been repaired and coated in MIO. The one on the right has been cut away by Vic and awaits repair.

We are so looking forward to repainting this coach in crimson & cream.

In the yard Ken is working on the brake mechanism under what will become the weed killer van.

The maker's plate showing this is quite a recent vehicle when compared with many of our wagon fleet. It has a number of very different  features.

Simon is making a new battery box cover.

The old main section of the battery box cover with the metalware removed.

On now to the Open C wagon where Alex is using the hydraulic 20 ton press to straighten one of the door straps.

A quick check to ensure it is straight enough.

Maurice and Paul continue securing more of the top coated planks.

Maurice primes the first of the corner sections.

The latest list of jobs prepared by Alex just before he left for the day.

Pam primes the thick wooden plates that will form the top section of the supports for the heavy corridor connection at the south end of 4798.

Pam cleans the glass in more of the wall light fittings from 4798 and then sands the wood before giving it a coat of varnish.