Weds 14th / Thurs 15th - Windows

It's probably a combination of the holiday season coming to an end and the sort of jobs now available, but it was good to see 20 attending on Thursday as well as the usual good number on Wednesday. Attendance on Thursdays has been quite low in number for quite a while.

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Wednesday 

Many thanks to Gerry for another great set of photos.  

The sequence below actually involves several windows, but it does show the progression from window removal to repair and reinstatement, and this continues with my photos taken on Thursday.

Bob in the process of removing a window on the Malvern side of 4867.

With the window out, some cleaning up of the surrounding panelling, followed by the same for the window.

Now over to Nick to remove some of the excessive number of holes. Three have been marked as not required.

With the welder again set up for aluminium welding Nick infills the unwanted holes.

Next some panel repairs around the window void.

Waterproofing sealant is added and when the void is ready the window will be reinstated and rivetted in place.

Bryan cleans up the void .........

......... and then coats the recess in Red Oxide.

Rex drills the necessary screwholes in the base timbers for the windows being refitted.

Fitting the base timbers in window voids on the Malvern and Cotswold sides respectively. These fit just inside the frames.

Now fitting the glass, followed by the inner varnished hardwood sections.

On now to the Woodwork Team with Nick and Simon dismantling one of the partitions inside 4867.

Simon removes another floor section.

Ken with new primed brackets for steam heating (guess this will be for 4867).

Eve is preparing another bench seat for rebuilding.

Laura looks to be making more of the popular spectacle cases.

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Thursday

Paul of St Blazey had commented at the end of Tuesday's post that he thought he had missed upgraded SO 4798 going into Rake 1. Sadly the coach remains in the sidings awaiting further testing of the steam heating system. The bad leak has been fixed and successfully tested, but Stu wants a further test to ensure that the suspicions of a further minor leak are unfounded. A sensible decision because once the coach joins Rake 1 and is set up by RCS for the Afternoon Teas and other catering events, we want it to stay in, not have to be pulled out again. It will certainly be well publicised when it becomes operational.

Now on to the day's activities. While there were 20 attending, not everyone was around to photograph of course. 

The final four inside frame sections currently on the trestles for SO 4867's windows. Chris and Robert have done a great job making the many pieces that have come into the Paintshop for preservative, dyeing if necessary', and two coats of varnish all round. There must be yet more to do? I must check on Saturday.

Continuing the windows theme, Rex uses the piece of precut plyboard to test the fitting of the main base section of windowframe for this Cotswold side window.

The window complete with the inner hardwood frame sections in place.

The main base hardwood section has been clamped in place.

Rex checks it all from outside.

Out to the Barn and progress with TSO 4406. Alan is now working on the south end repairs to the base, where new sections to the connection support pillars have been welded in.

Futher tidying up before introducing a replacement piece of sheet metal.

The new piece now spot welded in place and already making this side look better.

Cutting out the other side of the connection doorway reveals a ghastly sight. Certainly a bit to do here!

Not forgetting the "joys" of the Malvern side corner!

Richards II and I doing the final work on the improvements to the battery charging system under the GW Insection Saloon.

Now out to the north yard siding and BCK 21092 where the Indoor Gang are doing some internal repairs to the north end toilet compartment. With that completed, the Painting team now need to follow up.

Alan sweeps up wood bits in the centre vestibule ...

..... and empties them in Paul's rubbish sack.

Time for a break from all the cleaning. It was just Paul in Rake 3 today as Jenny is on holiday.

A stroll through this faded coach shows that, as with most of Rakes 3 and 4, the interiors are mainly still very nice, 21092 particularly so. Above is the opened out conversion made from two standard compartments which can seat 10 passengers and is ideal for group visits.

The remaining second class compartment looks lovely in the silver horsechestnut leaf moquette.

The two first class compartments are even better.

Back to the Paintshop and the Painting Team members who are in today. Starting with Graham mixing the Express Red undercoat with thinners to achieve the ideal consistency.

Tim wipes over the north end of 25451 in preparation for undercoating.

I was very pleased to see Tony (Alex's dad) back in after a long time away. Tony finished off the second coat of Grey MIO on the Cotswold side of the roof.

With the demarcation tape reinstated, Graham completed the bottom section of the Malvern side.

Tim undercoated most of the north end, leaving the connection itself and inside it.

Jeff adds a coat of Black Gloss to the Malvern side sole bar that Roger had cleaned on Tuesday.

Graham did a lot to the cream section on both sides of the coach, sanding to flat down the initial undercoating and then adding a second undercoat.

At the end of the day a view of the south end that Tony had partially undercoated and down the Malvern side.

The almost undercoated north end (I quickly painted the connection face just before clearing up) and along the Cotswold side.