Saturday 20th - A name and a face

It was very busy today with 25 attending, though obviously I wasn't able to record everyone. 

Many of the photos on the blog are simply snatched opportunities in between my own work and very much a case of being in the right place at the right time. So apologies to those I miss or for whom little is shown. Doing the blog is very much a job in itself, each posting usually taking several hours to produce, but it can be very enjoyable recording our day to day activities and the progress being made.

As well as being stored on my own laptop and backed up on USB, a copy of everything is also stored on a USB stick which is kept in the Works Office. This includes all the Wednesday photos taken by Gerry, as well as those taken by other members of our Works staff.

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So moving on to a very busy day and beginning with SO 4798.

Clive fitted the data plates at both ends, the south end requiring holes to be drilled in the new sheet metal.

Inside the south vestibule Robert (and Chris) fitted two lengths of corner beading. These had aleady been dyed and varnished.

For Alex it was very much a signwriting day, the first job being the painting of the shadows on the letters in the coach name.

Graham got going with the varnishing, applying the first coat to the south end on both sides of the connection.

Bob checks the back of the Cotswold side south door. Somehow the top section has been missed and hasn't had a fresh coat of varnish.

Half of the varnished south end. In the background Alex is finishing off his shadowing.

One of the door paintings complete with black border.

Bob is now well into varnishing that door back.

The finished name. I mentioned several times that it would be nice to get Christine in to photograph her next to it. And who should turn up?

It's lovely to name the coach after her. She was Head of RCS for 8 years, working tirelessly to keep the department running, and even now she is still involved.

She looks completely at home, finding the seat very comfortable.

Graham has moved round to the Malvern side to begin varnishing the upper half of the north end section. Basically we can varnish any section not being finished off by Alex today.

Bob let Graham have a good head start as the top half takes much longer. He then followed on doing the lower panel.

It was a hive of activity inside 4798 with Ian and Clive setting up more tables. I think Ian said at the end of the day that there was just one more to do.

A question was submitted in the previous posting about the spacer blocks not being dyed and varnished. Just to say that the outer side of the blocks will be visible and as such have been suitably treated.

The main Malvern side battery box cover is just slightly short, and when it and the top section are fitted, a small gap remains. The simplest solution is to expand the latter and as such Robert and Chris are cutting a narrow length of wood to attach to it.

The Malvern side north half with its first coat of varnish.

Still more for Alex to do on the sole bar on both sides, and then there will be the coach data at both ends.

With their varnishing completed for the time being on the Malvern side, Graham and Bob varnished the opposite side. Being a staff through route the barriers are essential.

What a wonderful sight! We love our loco fleet, but at the same time enjoy having visitors stay for a lengthy spell with us. We have had "Manston" for  quite a while, but she will be going back to the Swanage Railway, I believe in a few weeks time. Now we have a Black 5 to enjoy. A number of us have a particular fondness for these so this really is a treat.

3850 arrives with the Cheltenham train.

45110 gives the well known Stanier hoot and leaves for Toddington.

Down the yard in TSO 4763 Jenny is busy window cleaning.

She looks weary, but thanks Jenny for your efforts so far today.

At the south end of SK 25451 Alan cuts out another square of rusted panelling.

On the Cotswold side the window reinstated by Gerry and Ken on Wednesday.

The next one to come out - the holed area to be replaced is on the corner, just above where James is working to free up the frame.

"How's it looking?"

In fact both corners were bad.

James marks out the replacement for the right hand side before using the plasma cutter.

The left side repaired and awaiting the anglegrinder.

The cut out section on the right hand side .......

........ now repaired.

Alan has welded in the new piece of sheet metal and is now cleaning up the weld. This was then coated in Red Oxide.

Ken was rebuilding the connection from the south end of BSK 35308. The rubber bellows section has been bolted on, and with clamps in place he uses a grinder to slice off the excess rubber.

John is checking the wear of the wheel tyres under 35308 using a special gauge.

Later in the day the hiss of steam from the station and sound of a whistle from an approaching train has us rushing out to see the action.

The heavy metal bar of the folder is bent and needs replacing.

Andy is producing a replacement using a heavy piece of angle iron.

Phil's new racking in the storage area is coming along well, with the shelves now being fitted. A quick check while locking up for the day showed the completed unit in place with toilet tanks stored on the shelves.

It was just Jane and Laura in Upholstery today, busy making door stops. It looks like we are definitely going to include this new item in our shops.

On returning towards the end of the day I discovered two partly completed ones (on the left), so quickly made up a montage with the two completed and the tray of gravel used for the weight in front. 

Paul W captured Alex washing up. Could this be a first?!

Our indefatigable Rose has once again brightened our day with another lovely display. She had spent much of the day on the office computer doing our admin work. 

I'm not sure what will be recorded next week. The forecasted heatwave with temperatures in the 30s and "feeling like" nearly 40C is keeping many away. It will be good to return to more normal weather for this time of year. We have much to do!