Thursday 11th - Tape and varnish

Alan and Geoff had a very busy day, starting off with some carpet trimming at both compartment entrances in SO 4798. This would enable the sliding doors to work properly.

Their remaining jobs involved on-train repairs in Rake 2. Tools and job list ready to collect when the train is due.

Just to quickly say that item 2 refers to the droplight, NOT the door! This is one of the double doors where we converted SO 4790 to make it an accessible coach.

On to 4798's exterior progress with one of the main themes being window tape and paint removal with Phil and Martin. This turned out to be a fiddly, somewhat irritating job. The tape had been on a long time and as such was sometimes awkward to remove, and paint had still got behind the tape in places. In future we will simply paint more carefully and avoid the window taping.

With tape removed Tim carefully touches up some of the window edge. Paint was missing in places where the tape had covered up too much.

The other theme was beginning the exterior varnishing. Graham uses scotch brite to prepare the gloss paint at both ends of the coach..

The gloss now converted to matt and ready for a coat of varnish. 

Graham is one of our two professional coach and locomotive painters who have very kindly joined as volunteers. He uses his own pot and brushes. The varnish is mixed with some white spirit, and thinned down as such goes on very well.

Our original professional is of course Bob, who was a decorator and an expert varnisher. Bob got most of the south vestibule varnished, leaving the rest to be completed hopefully on Saturday.

Bob had intended to add a second coat to the new panel in the north vestibule but didn't have time. As such Graham stepped in and did the job.

One of the new cupboards in the central vestibule, with fittings gradually going on. Must get those doors varnished as soon as possible, preferably before the knobs go on.

Rose's trolley has really been put through the mill, but with a new wood support it can be reassembled with confidence. 

Two unusual photos taken by Martyn Dix from RBr 1675 when both rakes were at Toddington. Above looking south, below looking north.