Weds 11th / Thurs 12th - Will it ever stop raining?

Wednesday

Wednesday had a good turnout with 22 attending.

Thanks to Nick and Eve for four of the day's photos. On Thursday I took some more relating to them which I have included for this day.

Beginning with Upholstery who are busy with the NYMR DMU contract.

[Photo : Nick and Eve]. Ceri looks to be sorting some smaller pieces of the Bournemouth Blue moquette, which judging by the shape appear to be the seat cushion sides.

[Photo : Nick and Eve]. Eve is machining a larger piece, probably for another seat cushion. Attaching one of the side pieces?

[Photo : Nick and Eve] Laura and Chris are finishing another seat cushion.

Two photos I took on Thursday showing the large pile of stripped seat backs and cushions ........

......... and the growing number of prepared versions ready for covering.

[Photo : Nick and Eve]. The weed spraying wagon must be nearing completion now and looks superb in its Rail Grey top coat. Nick's team of Rex and Bryan (in the photo), and Gerry, and of course Nick himself, have done a cracking job in creating this. I wonder if they are going to add the yellow as displayed in the photo of the one on the SVR.

Three views of the interior showing the various connections between the components and the bolts securing it all to the heavy duty plank floor.

Also on Wednesday, our flooring contractors Bob and Pete returned to fit coir matting in the three vestibules in RMB 1876. The toilet compartments were fitted with light grey marmoleum. The main compartments and passenger area of the servery will be fitted out when the ordered marmoleum arrives. The next day I covered all the coir matting for protection.

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Thursday

We had slightly more than last Thursday with 14 in.

Many thanks to Paul and Roger for their photos.

While getting ready to come in, the forecast on my radio included, " ..... after the wettest January on record......".

As I type this on Friday morning I can hear the rain on my conservatory roof. Looks like we'll be adding February as well.

Of course no matter what the weather the stock has to be got ready for this coming weekend when the half term week of running begins. It has been a struggle trying to get everything done with our very much shortened shutdown season. I just hope the extra running next week is worth it.

One consolation with the wet weather - at least the faded 03 paintwork looks better when wet!

[Photo : Paul W] Paul sent me this photo with the news that he had finished all the vaccing throughout Rake 2 and was making a start on cleaning the floors. C&W staff please note, especially with all this wet weather - muddy boots are not welcome!

It's a while since I photo'd Rose and all the wonderful work she does in the greenhouse, much of it to make our station garden and beds look good, and not forgetting Bob Mack's memorial and the tubs outside the main entrance to the Works.

The Indoor Gang were busy with more repairs and rebuilding. In SO 4798 Alan was sorting out several loose underseat grills ........

..... while Roger was installing more new beading in the south vestibule and is now close to completing the ceiling rebuild.

[Above three photos : Roger] We will be making a start on painting the beading on Tuesday.

It was nice to welcome Tim, our new Painting team member, on his first working day. His first job was to complete the top coating of the new battery box covers destined for CK 16221 in Rake 2.

Later on he followed on from Stu with the painting of the underseat grills in RMB 1876.

Steven, who has now moved into the Indoor Gang, did a very good job refixing the metal threshold strips in 1876. The coir matting was very neatly trimmed with the strip temporarly screwed down. The strip was then removed and the cut piece of coir discarded. Finally the strip was fully screwed in place and the job was completed.

Stu tidied up the heating pipe covers in 1876 with a fresh coat of Silver Hammerite.

Bob undercoated the toilet compartment ceilings and then gave the new veneer walls a third coat of varnish. This just leaves the ceiling top coats to be done.

I cleaned up the two door tracks for the south compartment of 1876. There was a third track for the south compartment sliding door but that seems to have disappeared since Tuesday.