Thursday 5th - Gosh it's quiet!

Thursday used to be a very busy day with good numbers attending, but lately it has dropped down to the Tuesday levels, leaving Wednesday and Saturday as the main days. Saturday now regularly seems to be the best attended.

We do have several who will be away for a while, but today we had just eleven with the Mess Room at both 1100 and 1300 feeling somewhat empty when compared with Saturdays when every seat is taken. After the afternoon tea break just three remained. 

Apologies for the very limited number of photos today, especially as I wasn't able to capture those on the coaches in the main rakes outside. I was also busy with a number of jobs, including a fair bit of tidying up in both RMB 1876 and the Paintshop. So many thanks to Russ and Roger for the extra photos.

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First a photo from Wednesday taken by Russ of the now very clean descaled urn in 1876. 

In relation to this the calor gas servicing for 1876 by our regular engineer has been scheduled for next week.

Also on Wednesday the remaining lino in the seating bays in 1876 was removed. The coach is now ready for new marmoleum to be laid by Bob and Pete, our regular flooring contractors.

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Now on to Thursday. 

[Photo : Roger]   Beginning with the Indoor Gang's work to reinstate the repainted ceiling panels in SO 4798's south vestibule.

That extendable prop acquired mainly for ceilings has always been a very useful tool and certainly needed today. Roger makes some final adjustments before fixing this particular panel into place.

Steven attaches one of the beading strips.

The wider strips used for securing the centre areas being fixed by Roger and Alan.

[Photo : Roger]

[Photo : Roger]

Now on to 1876 where Martin is painting the chequerplate at the south end in Silver Hammerite. It took quite a bit of cleaning before painting could begin. Part of the connection paintwork was also topped up with gloss black.

I later painted more of the inside of the connection, and then decided that we would do the connection face after all. With 1876 destined to go straight into the centre of Rake 2, I originally wasn't going to bother. However it does look so much better when first going back out if the whole coach is done, rather than a gleaming coach with rusty connections.

For Bob it was another grand session of varnishing with the whole of 1876's north vestibule given a fresh coat, which obviously transformed it.

The new veneer access doors in the connection corridor were also given a second coat. He then began adding a second coat in the Cotswold side toilet compartment.

A member from RCS kindly came in today to empty 1876's store cupboard so that it could be repainted. A good clean, followed by a coat of varnish on the wooden shelves and a coat of Silver Grey on the walls should do very nicely. Another job to begin on Saturday.

Tuesday 3rd - Catching up

With 13 attending, what a good day we had all round with a number of outstanding jobs either being cleared up or further progressed.

With much of the rebuild of the toilet compartments in RMB 1876 now completed, and today having full access, Stu got the first coat of varnish on the veneer panelling in both. It was quite a transformation. He also got one of the ceilings primed.

Robert concentrated on the narrow veneer panels beside the door frames at the same end of the coach.

Some of the ceiling beading in the south vestibule needed a bit of paintable sealant which Richard duly applied. This will be top coated on Thursday.

Russ was in his Railway Catering Services role and in the process of descaling the water urn.

There are still minor bits of painting required. In this case the side of the doorway into the servery counter area.

Two of 1876's bogie sides have already been cleaned up and painted in Black MIO. 

With main bodyside painting and varnishing completed we could now do the remaining two sides of the bogies. David begins cleaning up the Cotswold side of the  north end bogie using a stiff wire brush and scraper. With the grime being dry and not greasy we are able to make a reasonable job. Bogies that are too dirty and greasy wouldn't be considered for painting.

It was good to see Ian back with us. Ian tackled the other underframe parts on the Cotswold side. Again cleaning up was done on the face of each only, wiped over with white spirit and then painted with Black MIO.

Roger got going on the Malvern side of the south bogie.

With a lot of the grime removed David gives it all a quick vac to removed all the loosened dirt and then wiped it all over with white spirit.

Now much later, half the bogie has been painted and looks very much better.

Roger has almost completed his painting.

Later still I undercoated in white the axlebox covers on the Cotswold side. These will be top coated in yellow.

Richard attached 1876's data plates at both ends and then gave them both a fresh coat of gloss black. Previously he had done some more cleaning and varnishing on the toilet doors for SO 4798.

Stu flashes over the ceiling panels from 4798's south vestibule with a fresh coat of Gloss White.

Dave does some more sanding of the areas of filler in Zone 1 on the Cotswold side of 4798. Hopefully the team will tackle and complete the chalked zones (gutter to bottom) in turn and enable us to know exactly how we are progressing.

Lots more banging at the south end of the Mink D van by Paul and Maurice as the top section is being rebuilt.

The ventilation grills are going back in.

At the end of the day the south end looks complete. The top planks will need top coating.

Two of the large footboards now undercoated.

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Robert brought in a length of track and some more locos and trucks.

This was a real treat as one the two locos was a tiny Andrew Barclay fireless engine with full (and real) sound effects.

The other loco was a Holden class J67 or Buckjumper as they were called, also complete with real sounds. We loved the glowing flickering fire seen with the cab roof removed.

Sorry about the blurring. I should have checked the photo and taken another.

Saturday 31st - A very full day

Taking photos for the blog is often a case of snatched opportunities, such as when walking through the Workshop to collect a sander or needing to speak to someone. At other times it is a planned foray, visiting all parts of the Works and even venturing outside. I am always grateful when others take photos and forward them to me, especially if I am busy with work and haven't got time to walk to the far end of Platform 2 or right down the yard to where there is a ladder giving access to Rake 3.

Today I have opted to do another time based report, much of which was snatched opportunity, but I did do a walkabout in the morning.

0932:  My first photo is of Richard repainting the outer face of the south corridor connection door from SO 4798.

0950: Today the main painting and varnishing of the sides of RMB 1876 will be completed with Alex applying a final coat of varnish to the Malvern side. Phil finishes the scotch brite keying, to be followed by a wipe over with a tack cloth. Unfortunately I didn't take a photo of Alex, but suffice to say he was doing his usual excellent job. It's great to get this major and important part of 1876's refurbishment finished.

1041: Ed is sanding clean two large steps. He later added filler where needed. The job will be completed with the application of a coat of wood primer to each.

1041:  Andy is working on a section of pipe to be used in the rebuild of the tank filler system at the south end of 4798. The first job is to remove a somewhat obstinate nut.

1042: Alan is well into the repairs to this doorskin from BSK 35308 and is now welding new metal segments under the droplight frame.

1043: Back to 4798 tank filler project, John compares the new and old pipes. The hole in the pipe he is holding is clearly visible.

1044: The thread cutter.

1045: With our normal 2 month winter shutdown period being cut short by the half term week of running in February we are having to work harder to try and cover all the maintenance requirements. Currently on the jack road is TSO 4772.

1048: Simon is cutting thin strips from this plyboard for his rebuild of the toilet compartments in RMB 1876.

1127: Laura is well on the way to completing another DMU seat cushion in Bournemouth Blue moquette.

1128: Peter, assisted by Jane, is doing some maintenance on the overlocking machine. His knowledge of sewing machines is proving to be invaluable.

1201: Maurice is cleaning up part of the brake mechanism from the Mink D van.

1227: Phil is paying a visit today and in conversation with Jenny and Paul who are taking a break from more carriage cleaning.

1238: Carol is reloading the bobbin for this sewing machine with white thread. The old flat iron anchoring for the white reel is brilliant!

1239: Jane is reinforcing the foam edges.

1240: Peter appears to be finishing his maintenance of the overlocker.

1247: Despite the fact that the new carpet is now in, those new veneer centre panels in SO 4798 still needed a light sand and second coat of varnish. Bob, taking great care, got most of them done .......

1249: ...... and then proceeds to key the centre vestibule ready for a fresh coat of varnish.

1249: On the Malvern side of 4798 George continues the filling and sanding needed on so much of the two bodysides. Up to now the job has been very scattered and as such progress is impossible to establish. I have now chalked vertical work zones on the sides so that the job can be limited to each in turn and completed to the greying up stage.

1250: Back to James and John working on replacement pipework for 4798 .........

1250: ........ and a fresh thread in the process of bring cut.

1251: Alan grinds clean his completed repairs on 35308's doorskin.

1253: Robert cuts some new rubber door seal .......

1259: ...... and then carefully attaches it to this new beading strip for the inside of the Cotswold side north doorway on 1876.

1346: The south end of the Mink D wagon is beginning to look good with the newly painted planks being fitted by Paul and Maurice.

1347: In the north vestibule of 1876 Simon is cutting his plyboard strips for the toilet compartment ceiling edges. 

There is huge amount of varnishing to get done in this end of the coach and it will all require at least three coats. I'm very keen to get going on this and so am very pleased that Simon has now given the go ahead for us to make a start. The first coat will sink in almost without a trace. Once the veneer has been sealed we can begin ceiling painting too.

1421: Alan's completed repairs to the doorskin from 35308 have been coated in green primer. This will now be ready for refitting to the hardwood frame.

1424: Richard is now revarnishing the first of the two toilet compartment doors from SO 4798.

1455: With the current coach cleaning finished for the day, Jenny vacs round the lobby. 

1458: No hanging about today. On the jack road TSO 4772 has now been replaced by TSO 4614.

1547: Just Carol left in Upholstery now, steadily machining one of the new curtains for SO 4798.

1548: A closer look at the innovative way of supplying the white thread to the adjacent sewing machine. I have seen old flatirons used for such things as doorstops, but never like this.

1610: The south end nearing completion. There is a very long way to go yet - this is a very large van - but nevertheless very heartening to see.

1611: Bob's revarnishing in 4798's centre vestibule is looking good.