Monday 22nd - Unexpected Announcement

 Another Carriage Clean, but this time a warmer day. So first job to walk through and make sure everyone was OK and say take care not to overdo it in the heat.

So first up were Chris and Peter starting to wash rake 1. Rake 2 in the sunny platform 2 already done. David was sorting the hose out.

Then Greg

With John M on holiday Lynn took on the job of toilet cleaner. Here she has just finished.

I passed Roger C and Val on the way through the train to find Steve cleaning the cage in the BCK.

Then Jane on window cleaning.

After that I went and got a GTech from the shed and used that the full length of train 2. John S was elsewhere using the Ghostbuster. Which brings me on to a text I received from Rich (our other Ghostbuster operative) on Sunday evening. He has been struggling with a hip problem for a while but it has now reached the stage where he has had to suspend carriage cleaning until he has a new hip. He is only just starting that queue so it is going to be sometime before we see him again. He hopes to continue RCS fish'n'chip duties for a short time. John S, our other Ghostbuster operative, had a very successful knee replacement last year but he is now awaiting the summons to do the other one. So no Ghostbuster users! We will have to give that some thought. Kath and Nick were also in today.

Knowing how hot it can get in the trains this time I took a thermometer with me.

Platform 1 (shadier platform in a morning) - "Mary" 29°C

Platform 2 Disabled coach. Shady side - 38°C

Platform 2 Disabled coach. Sunny side, on a seat - 45°C

After that it was tea break and the unexpected announcement came through on email. TRAINS CANCELLED UNTIL SATURDAY 27TH JUNE. That was followed by RCS staff removing stock from the train that would be out of date by Saturday. Just one of many tasks that needed doing to shut down the railway unexpectedly. 

On a totally different note, we were on holiday last week in Portsmouth, and amongst other things saw HMS Warrior. I had seen this before - when I was in the Sea Cadets and we saw it as a hulk in Pembroke, 65 years ago!

And of course the "Mary Rose". Most of you probably remember it being raised from the seabed in 1982. Lots to see, never enough time or strength in the legs!