Tuesday 30th - It's been quite a year

As we soon say goodbye to another year, looking back we have had some real highlights in C & W and, as you would expect, a fair share of calamities too. What is good is how much things have improved after all the post-Pandemic struggles. It's a joy to see our new Crimson and Cream rake steadily increasing, to see the GW goods train at a very healthy length and know that a BR goods train is beginnimg to form, hear that even more Upholstery contracts are on their way, even to see a well stocked New Paint cupboard again. Alex is preparing another End of Year report with all our highlights which he will be publishing imminently.

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We had a good turnout again with everyone keen to get on with their relevant work.

Beginning with the Mink D and Alex trying out one of the new planks.

The Mink D is a very large van, so for quite sometime the brushes with wood primer, undercoat Dark Grey and top coat GW Grey are going to be much used, keeping Maurice and Paul endlessly busy.

Paul adding the chamfers with the plane.

The metal end vents had suffered from some rust jacking at the north end, these requiring a heavy hammer to adjust!

We've still got the doors to tackle as well.

Robert is back preparing the floor insert at the south end, a complicated effort with the various cutouts.

Now a completely different job, and a very mucky one, sorting out the axleboxes.

Lining out on RMB 1876 took another good step forward today in that Martin was able to complete it at the north end of the Cotswold side. This has not been possible with the amount of internal work taking place just inside here.

He then moved round to the Malvern side and began taping up the lower line to paint the black band on the main north section. The north end and door had been completed on Saturday.

Richard began taping up the main south section to paint the lower gold band.

Inside the south compartment David looked after the repairs to the ceiling, applying filler where needed.

Returning to the outside, Ainsley took on the cleaning up of the bogies. As most of the surfaces are covered in dry grime rather that oil and grease, we should be able to remove most of it and so have a fair chance of being able to paint them.

Some of the saddles for the buffer extenders are in a bad way and need replacing. With the split wood knocked off, leaving just the well rusted bolts, Ainsley gives the metal support a good brushing.

[I seem to remember someone pointing out the proper name for what I call the saddles, but I have done so many blog posts since it has faded from memory].

The bolts have been cut off and Phil lends a hand to knock out the remaining stubs. The metal support was then coated in primer. 

Back to the bogies, a few moments rest before carrying on.

As the saying goes, one step forward, two steps back ......  This door, while initially seeming to be ok, has been sticking and it's not a case of too much paint. While some of it appears to be fitting too closely, there is more to the problem.

Robert initially reduces the door frame which will certainly help.

We need now to look at the door lock and striker plate.

In the end the striker plate was removed as a lot of the trouble was eventually boiled down to this. It doesn't look good and is very annoying at this late stage.

I spent much of the day inside the servery. Jobs included fixing a gap between the top and bottom panels by the sink, giving the sheet metal backing and sinks another good clean, cleaning under the sink unit, adding Hammerite where required, and completing the ceiling painting as far as feasible.

Ainsley has a final sweep and vacuum in the last area where he had been working. 

Recyling is just as important, but this trolley load will have to wait until the large bins at the top of the station yard have been emptied. 

[Photo : Alex]  I didn't watch a single train today,  but I certainly heard that deep exhaust whenever "Pendennis Castle" pulled away on the northbound run.  Alex took a great shot of a very steamy Castle heading back to Toddington and Broadway. The really great news is that the trains continue to be very well filled.

So that's it for 2025. We wll be back in 2026.

Happy New Year!