The first of two hot days with the temperature up to and even over 20C made it feel like summer has arrived. Predicted to be even hotter on Wednesday, and then in true British weather style it drops nearly 10 degrees!
We had a good day with 14 attending.
After the very busy Easter weekend, no trains running today. They are back tomorrow.
Tony was back in today and on the bogies again under the GW Inspection Saloon. Over the course of the day he cleaned 6 of the 8 pairs of brake hangers.
I missed getting a photo of Phil, so instead one of the "steps open" indicator light for which he was redoing the electrics on Saturday.
James is continuing his work on the latest door from BSK 35308 that is undergoing repair.
The central corroded section has been cut out ......
........ and he is steadily producing a replacement.
With the new piece completed, now to fit it. James later came and told me he had finished the job and as such I meant to get a photo, but as I was working almost to the end of the day, by the time I had cleared all my bits away I had forgotten all about it.
Inside the Mink D Paul is setting up the overhead lights ready for the next job.
This entails carefully fitting another top section plank. Once again the locations of the roof bands have to be carefully marked.
Spied upon from above! Maurice and Paul carefully carry the painted plank into the Woodwork shop
.
Notches had already been cut, but the trial fitting indicated that a bit more work was required.
[Photo: Paul E] Maurice is doing some more tidying up of the paintwork, which includes more overpainting of the nuts and bolts.
These are almost certainly new planks for one of the doors, freshly painted this afternoon.
It's a Tuesday so once again the Painting team is out in force and of course concentrating on SO 4798. On the Malvern side Stu and Richard are flatting the grey base coat.
It's catch-up time at both ends. David finishes off sanding some existing filler before adding some more. It's nearly finished.
Roger tackles the north end. It looks flat but closer inspection soon reveals some areas where some filler will make a better finish.
Derek has done a really great job sorting out this grotty battery box cover. Just under the handles to clean up. It looks so much better without the scabby bitumastic paint covering it. The Malvern side cover is worse and may need a rebuild, which Derek said he is happy to do.
Keith, having completed the sanding of the pelmet for the south end compartment slider, rubs Georgian Mahogany dye over it to restore the colour. A coat of varnish followed and made it look even better. A second coat will complete the job.
With all sanding completed and the whole area wiped over with thinners, David is now well into adding the second coat of Light Grey undercoat.
At the other end Roger is doing the same.
Now much later on and Stu is doing what he loves best with half of the main south end panel undercoated in Dark Grey.
Meanwhile Richard marks the position of the top line on the north half of the Malvern side.
With the south end base undercoating completed, David begins sanding down the hinged connection door. The north end has the large slider.
Stu has progressed to the north half of the Malvern side.
Keith primes the batter box cover.
As for me, I was back on the tower and roof painting. With the first coat of the Light Grey MIO now finished on the Cotswold side, a look back along the 63 feet of roof. Time to move the tower back to the south end and begin the second coat.
[Photo : Paul E.] Paul captured me on the final section of the first coat.
Back to the south end with the second coat underway.
A final look at the Malvern side from the south end.
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And summer really has come early, in more ways than one.
[All railcar photos : Alex]
GW Railcar No. 22 is currently visiting from Didcot and on Wednesday evening went out on a test run.
A short season of running is scheduled and tickets will be available on selected dates from 18 April to 16 May.
For full details and to book tickets, please go to:
https://gwsr.com/whats-on/gwr-diesel-railcar-no-22/
35308 is having so much work on it. It must have been really 'ropey' when BR withdrew it from service. It will get there though, I am sure.
ReplyDeleteThe GWR inspection saloon getting the TLC it deserves. I must admit, I didn't know they had red 'steps out' indicator lights. Do you know whether auto trailers had them as well?
The Mink D is getting closer to completion with every plank completed.
4798 certainly has had plenty of attention, and is looking so much better with the lining tape on and dark grey undercoat going on.
No.22 will be a sight not to miss. A shame it is not destined to visit Broadway, so the advance timetable indicates. I was only mentioning to Jo Rosen that I had spotted it on the East Somerset on a youtube blog, and he said that it would be nice to see it on the GWsR, but that he thought it too expensive a hire. The next thing I read, on the steam loco blog and it WAS hired, and here it is on your blog and will be doing a shuttle service to and from Toddington? via Hayles Abbey halt from Winchcombe. What a wonderful sight to behold.
Regards, Paul.
Thanks for your always informative and interesting blog. I notice that 35308 was refurbished in 1999 and repaired and repainted in 2014. Did the coach receive the same attention on both dates, or do the descriptions (refurbish; repair and paint) mean different things? Is there a schedule for each carriage, or does it depend on what is needed and when? I appreciate all the time and energy required to maintain a blog. So thanks again for this, and for all your work on the railway.
ReplyDeleteFor doing roof painting without actually going on the roof, as Bob Mac did, or even for side and end near cant level work, it would seem that a compact size battery powered user operated self propelled scissor lift would be beneficial. This would avoid the need to physically move scaffold numerous times to work along the full length, or having to move steps for medium height work, as it could just be powered along to the new position by the user without them getting off each time.
ReplyDeleteSO 4798 certainly needs a lot of work! I'm sure you all will be doubly happy at seeing it done; happy at the results of your long labour, but also happy that it has come to an end, and you can move on to the next project!
ReplyDelete