MEET THE TEAMS - METALWORK
Updated: 2nd May 2024
Nick E. - Head of Metalwork
A volunteer open day was publicised in March 2015 as I remember, and having recently retired and moved into the area (and living within site of the embankment at Broadway) I thought why not. I would add that I have been railway barmy since birth. My late uncle was hugely responsible for my interest. He would take me on railway journeys, one of which was the last BR train on the Severn Valley before closure.
After a chat at Toddington and being told I am too old to be a driver, I went on a free ride to Winchcombe. Having a look around C&W I was asked what skills I had and, having been a HGV mechanic on refuse vehicles, I said I am a coded welder. An arm went round my shoulders and the words "When can you start?" were uttered.
This is how it began and rather slowly at first. One of the first introductions was with John H. and he asked me if I could weld the horn blocks on a bogie and I replied that it would be no problem. I have been used to big lumps of metal all my working life.
Since 2015 we have had a number of new volunteers join us and we now have a highly capable metalwork team. With these old carriages you cannot buy parts for them from B&Q and often we end up making whatever is required.
Any would be volunteers with metalwork skills are always welcome.
Gerry B.
Meet Gerry who is highly skilled in all metal work fabrication and loves a challenge. He will happily work on his own or buddy up where needed.
Gerrys own words:-
"My story started when my father was pier master at Dunoon and as boys we were always down watching the ferries and steamers dock. The first train I saw was at Gourock when we travelled by ferry to go to the pantomime in Glasgow. I was very impressed as I had never seen anything like it before. LMS tank engines and Black 5s were the order of the day until electrification.
My career brought me south, I have always dragged my family to the nearest heritage centre. On retirement I volunteered and was lucky to get into C&W. I have always had an interest in all things engineering, working in the supply chain, Transport and warehousing when I started.
I am really happy and proud to be a part of the Team".
Rex E.
Next in the line up is Rex E. Again he is a highly capable metal worker, who will design and make any part for any job. He will happily work in a group or on his own.
In his own words:-
"My association with the railway began in 1971, when as an apprentice with the Babcock group, they had acquired the Gloucester wagon works site. They had various aspects of their businesses on the site, which included the old Gloucester Railway Carriage and Wagon Co., where I became an apprentice draughtsman. The days of making complete carriages, etc, had gone, so they were now only making bogies which were sold all over the world. Babcock sold off the site in the mid 1980s, but by then I had gone to pastures new.
Before my retirement in 2017 I felt I needed a challenge to keep body and soul intact, so I joined C&W to help out in any way I could".
Bryan O.
Bryan would easily take the crown as the team comedian, he can always come up with the funny side of everything. This does not detract from his capabilities, as again he will make anything, but I think he is especially good with very small parts. He excels on the lathe and miller.
Bryans Words:-
"I grew up very close to Redditch Station. In fact the line to Evesham ran under our garden, so the sound of steam engines was one of the first sounds I heard. As a child I spent a lot of time at the station and got to know the footplate crews and got to ride on the footplate on shunting manoeuvres. That inevitably escalated into train spotting. I decided that when I finished work I would volunteer on the GWSR, so that's what I did in 2017. I chose C&W as I had spent all my working life in engineering, and thought it was somewhere I could put what skills I have learned to good use".
John V.
John loves his metalwork, although his story is a little different from some of us:-
"I finished teaching in 2006 and then did voluntary work at both Sue Ryder hospice in Leckhampton, Cheltenham and for the National Trust at Chedworth Roman Villa. In 2013 I began volunteering at the GWSR in C&W. Over a period of 20 years I had learned to weld (principally in Mig welding) as I restored a number of Classic cars, and as such was able to offer my skills to the C&W Department".
Chris is a very welcome recruit to the team, joining us in October 2022.
Alan is our newest member joining in August 2023. He is a very skilled welder and comes with a lot of experience in industry.
James B-J.
James
joined C&W in 2014 following a high recommendation by our Youth
Group leaders. He was
particularly keen to go further with the Railway which had been noticed
by the Group organisers. He came under John O's wing and was taught the
basics of metalworking and welding, and soon settled within the team.
When it came to getting a job he went for an interview with a
fabrication company in Cheltenham and on viewing photos of him working
at C&W he was promptly accepted. His skills with us improved even
more once he was working with metal in full time employment. After
several years working in fabrication he felt it was time for another
change and one day announced he would be joining The Royal Navy. His
final days with us were during 2019. We had hoped that one day he would come
back as he was very much missed, both for his skills and his very
friendly persona.
To our very pleasant surprise he reappeared during September 2023 and is now back with us with a year available while his new ship is being commissioned. Welcome back James!
Bob is very much into engineering having once been a farm manager on a large estate, and as such can put his hands to anything involving our Metalwrok team. Bob is also a very good painter and occasional helps out with the Painting and Prep team.
Another relatively new and very welcome member to the team.
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Former members:
John O. - former Head of Metalworking
In the photo John instructs James B-J, who had transferred to C&W from the Railway's Youth Group.
John
joined us in 2009 and was immediately a great boon to our
metalworking, having had many years in industry, including aircraft. In
particular he excelled in sheet metal work and it wasn't long before he was making the metal covers for our wooden doorframes. For
the window part of the doorskin he made his own template. It was
fascinating watching him skilfully beat the metal into shape, without
any splitting or cracking.
In
2012 we had a formal open weekend for the public, with demonstrations. For any visiting metalworkers John produced an excellent handout
about sheet metal working. He also produced an article for the Railway's 'Cornishman' magazine about this skill.
John's
arrival started the main metalworking zone in the Workshop and over
time, in addition to our existing oxy/acetylene equipment, we have built
up a very comprehensive collection of kit. John,
later helped by other team members, made heavy duty storage racks for
our sheet metal, pre-formed coach body sections, pipework, coach parts,
and the racking for the wood container. In our works extension he made the railings for our stairs and the safety gate for our upholstery hoist.
John retired from volunteering in June 2022 after a lengthy period away from the Works.
Pam B.
Pam is seen here making her bespoke GWR lamp brackets, which are now proudly displayed on the corners of the Tim Mitchell Building on Winchcombe Station Platform 1.
Pam
wanted to learn how to weld and picked it up amazingly well,
getting over that spark and blue arc is the main bit. She has a working
background in high end upholstery and turns her hand to anything. She
is very fussy about the fine detail, which shows in everything she does.
She has now joined the Preparation/Painting Team where she is already
doing very well. but we know we can always call on her welding skills
when needed.
Actually Pam is no stranger to angle-grinding and such like,
and she has used these in her former self-employed refurbishment business, working
on period cars and light aircraft. She had all manner of serious tools,
including her own compressor. Pam was for a while contracted by a firm
in Brackley and worked on special products (such as picnic hampers and
gun boxes) for some of the top market car companies, much of it done
extremely carefully by hand!
Ken A.
Ken was a fellow welder, who like the rest of us was retired having run his
own fabrication business. Ken had an eye for anything and excelled in
panel work. He had sorted many end panels which have a double radius and
can be very tricky to make. In spite of a dodgy hip he used to plod on all
day as he liked to be kept busy.
Following
the Pandemic, Ken initially could not return following non-related
health issues. However as of September 2022 we were very pleased when he was able to rejoin us and regularly attend again. As of August 2023 he decided to finally retire from volunteering. Thank you Ken for all your good work in the time you have been with us.
Rob C.
Rob is seen here grinding off some welding on 16221.
He was always
willing to get in places some of us cannot, but could turn his hand to
anything, a valued team member.
In
Rob's words:-
"My past is rather different. I started out at
Mechanical Mining Varsity, changed to Mechanical Eng. from here, and then
went on to run engineering companies in Europe, Middle East, and
Africa. I sold two companies to go farming in South Africa, where I farmed sugar cane and
mining timber, and was the engineer covering 13 sawmills over SA. With
the power change in SA I saw the writing on the wall, so returned to
the UK having sold up (donated) my properties and businesses in SA. In
the UK I was mechanical and electrical engineer on the London Eye and
underground trains for a large German company. When the projects were
completed, I sold up in West Sussex and retired up here for the 'peace and
quiet'. I joined the GWSR on a day trip and visit to Winchcombe works, where someone asked me to join, so I did. I think it was Dave Clark."
Rob has not returned after the Pandemic. We wish him well wherever he is.
