Meet the Teams - Doors

The Door team currently comprises five members. They are based in the same workshop as the Woodwork Team, and with good reason as the two types of work very much cross-over. Door backs are usually of wood sections, as are the doorway pillars. Working days are currently Thursdays, with Chris coming in on Saturdays as he is still in full time employment.

When a coach is in for refurbishment, most of the doors will be removed and stripped down for a full internal cleaning and servicing. Tolerances are fully checked and any defective parts are repaired or replaced. There is a considerable amount of precision work involved in the fitting of the hinges, windows, and their support mechanisms. Lock and striker plate fitting is an important safety activity. Damaged or worn back sections are replaced as necessary.   

Door refurbishment is always a lengthy process but it has to be done thoroughly and correctly. In some cases the door can be serviced without being removed, which obviously helps with the timing of the overall coach refurbishment.

The Door Team are always on the look out for new members to help with this very important part of Carriage and Wagon.

Craig - team head

 

Trevor

 

Paul 

 

Richard 

(who is also with the Woodwork Team)

 

Chris

 

*************************************************************************

In addition to the above, a selection of photos of their work

 

A photo of Derrick (spelling correct!) dismantling a door ready for refurbishing. 

Derrick was with the Team for many years and has only recently retired.

A bare door frame with the three drainage holes in the base

 

 

Trevor secures the base of the droplight scissor spring (named lazy tongs). 

The metal channel coated in red oxide is for drainage - tubes from this exit via the door base.

 

 

Paul fitting the heavy back base section

 

 

Newly made sections of a door back in the Paintshop awaiting varnishing. 

Note the insert in the near edge of the door pull to provide added strength.

 

 

The back sections for this door have already been attached and will be varnished in situ.

 

Returning to Derrick's door dismantling and a fair degree of repair is needed here. 

The three drainage tubes in the door base can be clearly seen. 

Discussion time

Chris working on the door handle fitting.

 

A new insert of bodyside panelling means new holes for fitting the centre hinge.

The gibbet hoist has made door refitting so much easier. 

Doors can now be lifted millimetre by millimetre into the exact position.

 

Derrick checking locks using the lock action test rig and recording his findings.

Not Ski-ing in The Cairngorms.

 On the same theme, but a slightly different Railway. In 2016 we were off on one of our road trips. We started at Goathland aka 'Hogsmeade Station'. More about Harry Potter in another blog. It was then on to Northumberland, Stirling and then breaking out even further north towards Inverness.

It's not a huge distance from Stirling to Inverness, so this presented an opportunity to stop at Aviemore and have a detailed look at The Strathspey Railway. We got a bit excited to see smoke and steam and thought how nice that would be, to be thwarted at the ticket office. The Steam train was a group special, would we like to go on the DMU? Oh yes please, very clean with not many fellow travellers, any seat you like with spectacular views.

Not being backward in coming forward, I said where I volunteered and was immediately invited onto the footplate by the friendly crew. As mentioned this train was a private show, but they didn't get on the footplate like I did.

For the technical minded  46512 is an LMS Ivatt class 2  2-6-0 , she was built at Swindon

The Train departed North, we did not have to wait long for our DMU to arrive.

Although it was a bit cloudy, the distant views were truly wonderful.

Looks a bit familiar.

For all you volunteers reading this, I added a few photos of their surrounding works and buildings, but I am sure they are of interest to everyone.

Oooh a working turntable!

Carriage and Wagon Scotland style.

Looks like they have the same Tin Worm as we have!

This is the north terminus at Boat of Garten.

Looks like a bit of a challenge, bit of paint it will be as good as new, piece of cake! (It's a unique North British Railway 1905 all third with lavatory, if you're a vintage coach fanatic like me! - Ed.)

The very impressive Carriage Shed.

And Loco Shed.

Back to the ride, looking south at Boat of Garten.

Mind your head!

Now that is a long way to travel !

I wonder if there is a TV programme there, just waiting to happen!

With spectacular views .....

...... On all sides.

We had a wonderful time there. 

Let's hope we can all very soon get back to what we do best.

Postscript to Exploring the Honeybourne Line in 1981

Following on from my original article, it turned out that the photo of the old Goods Shed at Winchcombe had been taken by Andy B (who was at the time a volunteer with our Permanent Way gang) in 1984, three years after the exploration of the line made by my friend Alan and myself. Andy has since sent another six photos and very kindly said that they can be published. They show scenes at Winchcombe in 1984, 1986 and 1987.

In 2012 the Railway suffered the major embankment collapse at Chicken Curve, just north of Winchcombe. While this was being rebuilt, the trains ran between Winchcombe and Cheltenham, and Carriage and Wagon became the Railway's loco shed and yard. 

For the first time since the mid-80s, there was once again a lengthy section of bare trackbed. Having seen this between Cheltenham and Honeybourne 30 years before, I never thought I would ever see it again. I personally found it a somewhat strange and unwelcome sense of deja vu.

 

Beginning with a repeat of Andy's excellent photo of the old Winchcombe Goods Shed taken in April 1984. There is a JCB parked behind the shed as the GWSR volunteers had started clearing the site by then. 

25th April 1984 - the view north from the Winchcombe Station site with activity around the Goods shed.

 25th April 1984 - Winchcombe Station site looking south

30th November 1985 - the second sponsored track laying approaching Winchcombe

1st November 1986 - the signalbox from Hall Green begins to rise

1st December 1986 - the rebuilding of Winchcombe Platform 1 begins

1st February 1987 - Winchcombe Signalbox with the ground level looking fairly complete

**********************************************************************************************************

Moving on to 2012 and the sight I never expected to see again

 

17th May 2012 - the start of Chicken Curve looking north - but for the fresh ballast, this could be January 1981 again.

 17th May 2012 - turning on the spot to take the view back towards Winchcombe Yard

I don't know who took this final photo when a group of us from our Thursday gang walked along to see progress

L-to-R : Malcolm, John, Ron W., myself, Ron B., Dave H., Robin, and Rod

Meet the Teams - Woodwork

The Woodwork team have a well-equipped workshop on the ground floor of the Bill Ellesmere building and have 10 members at present with varying skills and abilities. We are always looking for new volunteers as there is a large amount of woodwork within a carriage and we always have a very high workload (and backlog to catch up on!). During a carriage restoration, we attempt to re-use as many items as possible but more often than not we tend to manufacture replacement components inhouse using hardwood, softwood or veneered panels. Whilst much of our work is hidden from view (structural/first fix), all passengers get to see the final finish which we take a great pride in (and receive many compliments!).  We also get involved in wagon restoration and often assist other departments on the railway with wood based builds. 

Various members of the team work over a Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday. Team members are Eddie, Colin, Geoff, Richard, David, Dave, Steven, Derek, Alan, and Tony.

                                                                                                                         

Eddie

 

Colin

Geoff

 

Steven

Richard P.

David D.

 

Derek

Tony

Alan

**************************************************************************

Some large projects done over the past two years

 

 

The Broadway Cafe counter and display unit in the making and being transported by rail to Broadway Station

 

 

The two platform trolleys completely rebuilt by Derek

 

The new seating and disabled area in BSK 34929

**************************************************************************

 

The team have many requests, some rather unusual !

 

 

Geoff tests the sleigh for the Santa Special season at Winchcombe Station, after which it came into the Paintshop for painting in seasonal colours. Our visiting children loved it !
 

**********************************************************

 

Finally a trip down Memory Lane

 

 

      Eddie giving a talk during one of our Public Open Weekends.   

How we used to be before we had the Bill Ellesmere building and the spacious Woodwork and Doors shop. The woodwork area was a cramped space under the Workshop mezzanine.