Weds 21st / Thurs 22nd - Two more intensive days

Wednesday

Thanks again Gerry for a great set of photos.

Although bits of this aspect has been covered a number of times over the past weeks, Wednesday's offering begins with a full sequence of window reinstatement in TSO 4867.

Initial cleaning followed by a coat of Red Oxide.

The wood surrounds are fitted using the self tapping screws.

The windows are inserted using double-sided adhesive tape.

The wood at the base of the window is drilled for the drainage pipes.

  The inner surround is fitted holding the window frame in place.

 

The final outer surround is fitted to complete the job.

The self tapping screws.

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Now on to the rest of the day.

 

Nick works with Neil and Mike to replace a corroded floor support in 4867.

 

 

 

 

 

Glass extraction from one of 4867's toilet windows ready for the removal of the frame.

 

Laura, Eve and Ceri working on more seats for 4867.

Judging by the dark grey on the rag on the paint table, Ainsley has just wiped his brush of excess solvent before undercoating the face of the south corridor connection on SK 25451.

Ken removes the corridor connection from the south end of TSO 4406 to allow Alan to continue his sheet metal repairs on Thursday.

Trevor cleaned up the toilet compartment window surround ready for extracting on the Malvern side of 4406.

Ken threading a steam heating pipe (I'm presuming this is for the GW Inspection Saloon)

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Thursday

The temporary electrics testbed area set up in the Paintshop by the Richards.

Over to Rake 3 where Alan is making some more repairs, this time to a door pull in CK 16195.

Now where did this come from? No drips round the ceiling vent and the window sliders look tightly shut. That rain we had was very heavy so it may have come through the latter. Thankfully it was all on the table.

Some ongoing repairs in FK 13326, externally the best looking coach in the Rake.

As said several times recently, the general exterior look of the coaches used for Rakes 3 and 4 might be not so good, but for most of them the interiors are generally still very good. Paul on his own again, but Jenny is back on Saturday.

Rose working on C & W's finances. She is amazing! As if she doesn't do enough, she has now taken over the Deputy Finance Officer job from Phil, who has now retired from the role.

The ongoing work being done at the south end of TSO 4406. It looks terrible, but Alan has been making great progress.

"Hang on", Alan said, "I'm just about to use the large grinder".

Gerry was cleaning up the empty toilet window space on the Malvern side.

In the Barn entrance Tony was cleaning up one of the two frames removed from the toilet compartments, removing the worst of the old paint and sealant.

A nice easy way to carry it into the Workshop for the next job.

Now for some deep cleaning.

Finally another collection of photos of the 25451 show. Apologies for so much on this, but it's where I work and am thus able to obtain the most photos while doing as usual all the necessary logistics and being around to allocate the various jobs and offer advice when needed.

The top coating begins with Stu adding the first of the Crimson to the Cotswold side. He did the entire length of the coach along the gutter panel.

Graham followed with the GW Cream initially doing the windows.

Tony was continuing the flatting on the Malvern side lower section. Are we taking too much off in our bid to gain a perfect final coat? Graham recommends two undercoats anyway so the colour will be restored. 

Martin tidied up the missing bit at the north end. In the distance Richard and Tony continued the flatting.

Stu is a very good painter, but happily watches Graham top coating so as to pick up any tips.

Tony, another of our top painters, now adds the second coat of undercoat to the parts he had been sanding.

Stu now adds the first coat of Crimson to the Cotswold side south end and door.

Richard continues top coating the Malvern side gutter panel.

Graham well on the way to completing the Cotswold side cream section.

Sorry, no train photos today. I think I only saw two passes of Train 1 and completely missed the Bubblecar passing by.

 

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COMING SOON 

 

"WEEDLINK AT GWSR"

 

A detailed wrap-up of the creation of the Weed Spraying wagon

 

by

 

Bob Slater

 

Tuesday 20th - A fond farewell

It's always sad when you have to say goodbye to someone who has been a great friend and supporter of Carriage & Wagon for the past twelve years. Maurice Miles, alias Mo or Mog, joined in 2014 and became a member of the Painting Team. Then when Richard Stone established the Wagon Team he joined that and has been with them ever since. Maurice has now retired but will be receiving his Retired Volunteers Pass (RVP) which gives him free travel on the Railway and allows him to visit the Works and keep in touch with us.

The following photos are just a few of the many taken of him and with his closest friends at the Works.

 My first photo of Maurice (12th March 2015). Those overalls and high viz look soooo clean!

Helping on the C & W stand at the first of the two special weekends welcoming potential new volunteers (21st March 2015)

With Richard and Scouse and the Toad brakevan refurb in 2022.

The Mogo rebuild with Richard, Stu, and Scouse in 2023..

The Mogo rebuild with Alex, Scouse, Andy and Phil.

Nip up the Station for a quick ice cream.

Been up the station again then? With Scouse and Keith.

The MICA rebuild 2024/25

A quiet lunch with Rose (24th July 2026)

The morning tea break with Rose and Scouse (1st August 2026)

[Photo : Paul E - taken today]  Rose, Phil, Paul (Scouse) and Keith in the RBr. The intention was to meet up with Maurice at Cheltenham RC for a complete round trip and a bacon bap. Sadly the very wet day no doubt prevented Maurice from cycling to the station. However there's still time to get another run in before the end of October, and of course there is the final spell of running after Christmas, when it can be a bacon bap followed by a mince pie or two! Now, just what was making Rose and Phil laugh so much?!

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Now on to the day's activities, which I'm afraid is nearly all SK 25451 again as nearly everyone in was a member of the Painting team.

Well, we can't moan about the rain. It is said that we need a lot of days like this just to get water levels back to normal. Looking at the forecast over the next week or so, there are plenty of wet days predicted.

Robert was mainly up at the station looking after another of the visiting school classes enjoying a WWII Evacuation Experience day despite the rain. These are run in conjuction with Cheltenham Museum and are a complete sell out every year.

So it's just Chris in the woodshop producing another set of inner window frames (shown below) for TSO 4867. All the shavings ended up in the Paintshop's sawdust bin.

Derek was doing what repairs he could inside the Shark van. Sorry, no photos, but below what we hope it will eventually look like again (22 October 2015). 

Now it's the 25451 show again.

All the flatting down of the undercoat on the sides of SK 25451 is being done by hand, mainly because the painting has been done so well. Phil and Stu begin at the south end of the Cotswold side.

The lower section on the north half of the coach had already been done, but Roger and I did some further flatting to improve it even more.

The underside of the roof at coach ends can easily be missed and then when painted, large flakes of old loose paint can come away. Ian gives the area a good scraping followed by a good brushing with wire brush, and finally a sanding with 80 paper.

This was then followed by a coat of Red Oxide.

Phil moved to the Malvern side to complete the undercoating on the centre door and the remaining window.

Having completed his area for flatting, Roger moved on to cleaning up the north bogie. As was done for SO 4798, the outer faces of the bogies will end up coated with Black MIO.

David painted both connection doors and then moved round to flatting the bottom section on the Malvern side.

With any areas of unsanded filler sanded down, Ian completed all the remaining undercoating at the south end.

A thoroughly wet day does produce some fantastic steam effects, so please excuse my total indulgence with two of the Black 5 restarts from Winchcombe on the northbound runs.

 The above was an early afternoon run, below was the last train of the day.

Many of us will be sorry to see this engine go. An email advertising an extra Fire & Drive day aboard 45110 was issued on Wednesday and I was terribly tempted having done two a long time ago with "Foremarke Hall".