Saturday 6th - The fun we have

It's not all hard work in C & W, we do have some fun too, however more about that later on.

It was a very busy day with a good crowd attending and I am very pleased to report the conclusion or near conclusion of some long running projects.

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Firstly in response to recent comments from previous postings:

JNC wrote:

It looks like RBr 1675 has fluorescent lights? Or are those those LED units that emulate fluorescents? (I replaced all the fluorescents in our kitchen with those - huge improvement! And they never burn out!)

All lighting in our coaches is LED and so can run purely on battery power. No more dynamos with dynamo belts splitting and having to be recovered by the Permanent Way team.

Malcolm P. wrote:

I have tried many times over the years to contact Bob, without success. If you could pass a message on via Ralph to say "Hi" from Malcolm P, I would appreciate it.

Yes, I will happily mention your best wishes to Ralph Timmins next Thursday for him to pass onto his dad Bob.

Then on 1st September St Blazey 1925 wrote:

And the 1876 buffet is coming along. I take it that it isn't to have the full refit job like 1675. What is the actual difference?

The RMB (Restaurant Mini Buffet) is set up to serve hot and cold drinks, and packaged food (sandwiches, cakes, biscuits, etc) only. It is a very much smaller scale than the full blown RBr (Restaurant Buffet refurbished) having just a serving counter. As far as I am aware the limited amount of equipment isn't being replaced or upgraded.

RMB 1876 is having a greater refurbishment than originally planned, which takes into account a number of longer term issues (better lighting, rebuilt vestibules, new lino, etc) that needed to be sorted out. The end result will be a better coach for Rake 2 that will be able to continue in service for much longer.

As always Paul, thank you for your many kind compliments.

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Now on to today's many and wide ranging activities. 

Well, as always a very enjoyable activity, watching the first train of the day pass by and waving to the engine crew and train staff. 

Seeing the Railway 200 headboard is a reminder that the celebratory weekend of 27th/28th September will soon be here.  Among the many things taking place on the Railway, C&W will be open to the public on both days as we do for galas. Pam will be once again be providing treats for our four-legged visitors.

A small seat back being covered by Peter. In effect good practice for when we begin receiving DMU seats from the NYMR, the start of yet another contract.

Laura prepares the canvas that will be used for the base layer of the headrest.

Glyn, in charge of our shops, has come to collect more cushions and bags. All our sales are recorded.

A very different outlook as we transfer to the Queen Mary brake van where Alex and Robert are discussing the fitting of the new doors and handrails.

The handrails will need another top coat to complete that part of the job. Meanwhile all the new bolts in the doors will need trimming and painting. The red painted south end is now more of a shade of pink, so when weather permits that will also be repainted.

There is a lot of good wood left in the old doors, so they will be stored in the wagon container.

The MOD Warflat Tank Carrier being worked on by Trevor on Wednesday. Not exactly sure what we have been asked to do by PWay, but it looks like a new floor is needed. There are numerous bits of planking on the ground alongside the wagon.

Progress at the north end of RMB 1876 has been good with Alan currently attending on Thursdays in addition to his normal Saturday working. Almost all of the corroded metal has been replaced and primed.

Later in the day Vic was cleaning up the new welds.

Andy cutting strips of metal to replace the cut out sections in the connection U frame for the south end of 1876.

Ken had been creating a new top plate using an existing one to provide the correct spacing for the holes. This is part of the connection support structure.

George was digging out more loose paint and filler from the rivet line on the Cotswold side of 1876.

Looking through the south end connection at Phil  extracting the ceiling fan which has become quite noisy. Later he was inspecting and testing it to see if he could work out why this was happening.

In the Workshop James is working on the roof repairs at the south end of SO 4798.

Dennis fills in the record of the fire alarm test. He and I share the running of these on a roughly weekly basis.

Bob watches the first train crossing of the day.

Time to top coat the locks on the two battery boxes under TSO 5023.

Phil's first job of the day was to lower each of the light covers inside the coach. This in turn enabled Jenny to remove dust and dead flies and give each a good clean.

For Pam it was back to painting in both toilet compartments, this time the skirting, the toilet bases and back supports, all in gloss black.

"It's one-'o-clock Pam, time for lunch!"

With the toilet compartments completed - the fittings will go back in on Tuesday - Pam moves into the vestibule to finish the skirting painting in the Cotswold side doorway. This just leaves the skirting in the entrance also to be done on Tuesday.

Alex painted the black lining on the coach numbers ............

........... and then the coach information at the north end. The south end remains to be done.

It was good to have a visit from Ian who has been missing from the Tuesday painting team for quite a while now, having had surgery on one of his knees. Hopefully recovery will gather pace and he will soon be able to return. It was nice to show him all the latest progress throughout the Works.

Bob and George take a break to watch "P&O" come by. This is her last season before her "heavy general". "Foremarke Hall" waiting in Platform 2 will also be having the same.

It shouldn't be too much longer before RBr 1675 is finally completed.

Bob and Dave H. were happily chipping away the old paint on the sole bar of FO 3127. It would be quicker with a grinder or powered brush, but sometimes it is nice to keep it simple and not have to bother with all the paraphernalia.

A bench made by Robert and Chris for the station garden is given a coat of Creosolve by Paul.

Vic attacks another vacuum cylinder with the tungsten carbide scraper to get the worst of the accumulated grime off. An anglegrinder completes the clean up, followed by a coat of hard wearing black micaceous iron oxide (MIO).

Now on to the Open C wagon where the end of its refurbishment is near. Stu and Alex prepare to fit the newly machined bearings to the south end axle.

While in the process we receive a visit from Richard I and his grandson.

With the bearings back in place a team is hastily gathered to assist with the lowering of the south end of the wagon back on to the axle.

Success! What a lovely sight to see the wagon back on the ground again.

Next - fitting the replacement buffer. Andy greases the inside of the buffer case. 

Next the piston section ..........

......... and finally the giant coil spring.

The buffer is then put back on.

Maurice meanwhile has been cleaning up the south end drawhook. Once that has been put back I think that could be it.

The new leaf springs have been inserted on the MICA van. That too marks the closure of this project. 

Next Saturday it is planned to shunt the two wagons and 5023 outside, bring 1876 into the Paintshop, and move the weed spraying wagon where the Open C is now.

Bob and Paul relax and wait for the next train.

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And now the fun!

As has been mentioned several times, we are going to set up a garden railway at Winchcombe Station. Along with the delightful Coffee Pot Cafe, the Discovery Coach, Model Railway Coach, picnic and children's play areas, the garden railway will provide another good reason for our passengers to get off the train and visit us.

A number of our staff are very keen railway modellers as may be seen in the last few postings. Well today we really pushed the boat out, or perhaps. I should say, train out.

James has set up a circuit in very easy to put together rail. 5043 "Earl of Mount Edgcumbe" currently wheels around the circle issuing some very realistic sounds.

Next it's the turn of one of the British Railways Type 2 diesels.

Phil then prepares English Electric Type 3 D6702.

It didn't want to move, but suddenly it was away .......

....... with Robert videoing its progress.

Then it was the turn of 7820 "Dinmore Manor"

Finally both BR Type 2s D5000 and D5017 were running.

It was lovely to see all these running, in particular the diesels in original form and as many of our age will have initially seen them, in green - I had long packed up train spotting by the time these had been reliveried in blue and renumbered in the TOPS system. My ABC has 5043, 7820, D5000 and D6702 underlined, but I never saw D5017 in real life. All had real sound which made them sound alive. 

Many thanks to Phil for bringing in the locos and James for providing the track and running them.