Fri 24th - Sun 26th - A very busy gala

With some good guest locos and the weather set to be good, the next three days would be something to look forward to and enjoy.

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Friday

Sometimes we struggle to get a reasonable number of monitors on gala days to look after the Works and welcome our visitors. But not today with 8 of us in, the most we have ever had on one day. 

Eve, Nick, Maurice, Roger, Stu and Keith waiting for our first visitors. Apologies for missing David who was in the viewing area at the end of the Barn. 

As this is a non-working day, visitors are allowed to walk through all three parts of the Works. The Workshop and Barn is via a taped off corridor which we quickly set up before we opened up.

The Bubblecar 55003 slowly moves into the headshunt for its layover period.

Visiting 27056 passes by with a well packed train for Cheltenham.

Rose has joined Maurice and David during a quiet spell.

It's not quiet for long with 26043, visiting 25262, and a well filled Rake 2 slowing for the station.

27056 passes on its return to Toddington and Broadway.

55003 returns to the station ready for its return to Toddington.

When you want a quiet break away from it all, Rose's garden is ideal.

I didn't take any photos inside the Works, but we had a steady flow of visitors throughout the day. The trains were very well filled and at times the station was very crowded. Unless you like queuing, you wait until the trains have gone before you even think of getting your bap from the station griddle.

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Saturday

While Friday was very busy, we correctly surmised that Saturday would be even more so.

The Works access was adjusted so that the Workshop and Barn through route was removed and both could only be viewed from behind barriers so that any work could continue safely.

Alan makes bodyside repairs to the north corner of SK 25451. As this involved some welding the area was temporarily screened off from public viewing.

On the Malvern side of the coach Ian continued his removal of the top line.

Back to the Paintshop where by now our visitors were rapidly increasing in number. 

It was no surprise that SO 4798 was receiving a lot of attention. I lost track of the number of times I was asked to describe both the exterior painting and the interior. Both were receiving a lot of praise throughout the weekend.

In Upholstery Eve describes how we make the new range of door stops. The very well made bags hang from the nearby stand. Glyn briefly appeared on Saturday for more items for our shops - when I saw him he had an armful of cushions and no doubt some of the other items.

Upholstery look to be having fun. Are large snakes going to be a new line for our shop sales? 

In fact they are making padding for the fronts of seat bases. Peter, Jane and Laura were busy with the various stages in their creation.

 

In front of Laura is one of the seat bases to which one of the rolls will be attached.

I was told that I had missed Jane wrestling with "the python" but thankfully Peter had taken a photo of the event.

Next door in the office and away from "the jungle", Ian quietly updates our records.

Back downstairs and .... wow! Better hang around now to help with the many questions about our work.

Richard II popped in to see how we were doing. 

Quick check to see how Ian and George were doing with the sanding down on 25451.

Where the green matting ended up.

With his current welding work finished, James took on a different role as general gardiner. Looks like the potato crop has been harvested.

Ah, at last - I've captured the Hymek! I no doubt was busy in the Paintshop talking to visitors each time it had previously passed by. James has captured it too.

In the opposite direction 37215 heads away towards Toddington.

Time to get up close to the Hymek on it's return run.

On a personal note, being a trainspotter from 1961-65 my preference is for the pre-blue period because that's what I and my friends saw coming through Cheltenham. Two-toned Hymeks, dark green Peaks and dark red Westerns - all beginning with D and even without the yellow warning panel. So D7018 along with our D6948 are my favourites, and no doubt for many others of my age.

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A new feature, and no doubt becoming a regular must-see place to visit during future galas, is the excellent display put on by our Signal & Telegraph Department.

We had had very good reports from several of our own staff as to how good it was, so a group of us went across the yard to their Workshop to see for ourselves and we weren't disappointed.

There was so much of interest on display - it must have taken an age to set it all up - so these few photos provide a just a brief view.

As most of us are keen railway modellers, the token machine working display was of immediate interest.

Also to see was the interactive display showing the locations of our trains between Cheltenham and Broadway.

There was so much of interest we could easily have spent a good hour or more looking at it and reading all the information.

Robert and Phil fascinated by it all. The telephone link demonstration in the corner was equally fascinating as I had earlier found out for myself.

We must have a longer look next time.

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Sunday

Something wonderful happened overnight and into the early morning. It rained!

It started a bit quieter for us in the Works but eventually the numbers picked up.

It wasn't until today that we had any 4-legged visitors. One of the team said that they has seen someone with a dog up at the station on Friday.

This little old lady needed the pushchair to get about but she did enjoy a biscuit as long as it was broken up. Pam would have been over the moon if she had been able to attend.

Outside the Paintshop on the Works siding, the view from the LMS guards van is great for photos, but of course access is limited to Works staff.

The northbound train waits behind 37215 with the station very busy.

55003 is in the headshunt during its turns.

D7018 with Rake 2 approaches from Chicken Curve and slows for the station. I like the Cambrian Coast Express headboard.

As the Cheltenham train leaves, 37215 also pulls away from Platform 2. I like the "Spinning Haggis" headboard!

Back inside the Paintshop Jeff and Maurice discuss the next goods vehicle in the Works, a tank wagon. The livery and name will not be what is shown in the top picture. A 5L tin of ultramarine is in the next paint order.

Please hurry back Pam, we miss you! She really would have loved this.

A lot of interest was also shown in Stu's pride and joy. A 1973 MGB GT with a V8 3.5L engine.

Over the years we have had a number of our staff who have owned and brought in period cars.

A walk through the Works to the viewing area to catch the latest movements. 55003 is back in the headshunt. A distant whistle from the station, the sound of a horn, a strong rumbling sound ......

........ and yes, it's the Hymeck on it's way back to Toddington and Broadway.

I had heard that there was another doggie visitor and was very pleased to meet Yoshi and his owner.

Back into the Paintshop and we were still busy. Maurice describes the next steps in the Mink D rebuild. The roof canvas arrived last week.

A lot of interest was shown by this group in the two montages of what was found inside the compartment doors when we last refurbished SK 25451.

Most of these items date from the 90s. Besides all the various tickets, including two for a Santa Special, are an early share issue brochure (incredibly simple compared with what is issued now) and a menu from the RBr. There were even children's drawings, but only one was small enough to include. I expect it was little hands which deposited most of this. 

It was fun collating and mounting it all. The date of 25451s refurbishment was 2015. Eleven years later and it will reappear in Crimson & Cream. It will probably be transferred to the Paintshop during this current week.

There was a different combination of the baby Sulzers on each of the three days. It's now late afternoon with 27056 doubleheading 24081.

The platforms are empty of trains and only a few people are seen. There are still trains to run but the gala is gradually winding down. When you are on your feet for pretty much most of the day, it's a relief just to be able to sit down and relax.

We closed the Works at 1700 and gathered in some of the stands and other bits.  Most will be dismantled and packed away on Tuesday.

It was a brilliant gala, very well attended and it was very enjoyable to be part of its running. And the next? The Mixed Traction Gala over the weekend of 9 - 11 October, although Carriage & Wagon will be open on the Saturday and Sunday only.