Thursday 19th - Completed to the centre door

Another varied day. After a wet start the weather thankfully improved, especially appreciated by those working down the yard with the 3rd Rake (and by me walking down there to take the photos!)

Continuing Nick's opening theme in the previous post with windows on RBr 1675, Rex uses an interesting pair of cutters to prepare the window rubbers. The cutters have a movable arm on a gauge to ensure that the cut is at the required angle - very neat!

 The rubbers are then fitted to the quarterlight ...................

............. which can now be installed in the relevant window frame.

With the Richards attending the day before, it left just Phil on board 1675, tying up more electric wiring.

 Later fitting up one of the new lights.

The 24 volt system control panel with temporary labels, and underneath another inset box has been installed (make a note to ask about this one on Saturday).

In the Barn John and Ian prepare to release the very heavy buckeye coupler at the north end of TSO 4772. Both this and the drawhook are to be removed to enable the old tailpin to be taken out and replaced with a new one.

Returning later to find that the new tailpin has been installed and the drawhook reinstated. The buckeye coupler will be overhauled before it is reattached. 

Gala preparations are now beginning for C&W. Dennis is filling the 3rd Rake's toilet tanks .....

........ while the internal cleaning continues. On board SK 24949, the Cotswold side toilet compartment isn't large enough for both Paul and the vacuum cleaner.

The door opens wider and Paul appears in the final stages of vacuuming in here.

The restored and repainted Malvern side compartment. There was a "Toilet not in use" notice stuck on the door - not quite sure why.

I missed Alan and Roger reinstating the door on the refurbished toilet compartment. The good news is that the special hinges that they had been repairing a little while ago are now functioning as they should.

The sound of the approaching train had Paul and I looking out to see it passing by.

I did catch up with both alan and Roger when back in the Works. Alan was hunting screws in the Workshop carousel .......

.............. while Roger, with his "Head of C&W H&S" hat on, was going over one of the Paintshop risk assessments that I had been requested to review.

As always, I just have to visit Upholstery to see how things have progressed the day before. Wednesday isn't one of my days in, so I only get to meet the team on Saturdays.

Another wonderful line of cushions awaiting transfer to the station shops at Toddington and Broadway. On the rack behind me there were yet another two on the top, while on a lower shelf were three that had been put aside for an online buyer.

While there I had to find the moquette about which I had made the "Yuk" comment and have a proper look at it, as I was now outnumbered by those who do like it. Ok folks, well here it is in all its glory. I still don't like it, but can appreciate why there are those who do. It's what I would call a fun design. I wonder who produced this?

On to Tool Van 92 with Chris cutting out a section of rotten roof planking. The new skylight frames have been put on board for safekeeping until Steven gets back from holiday.

Maurice is doing a heroic job painting the van, in effect going round and round with the priming, undercoating, and now top coating, and there will be two coats of the latter going on. Alex, of course, has also been involved with the repainting.

Finally on to progress with SK 25488. Bob took a break from doing roofs and did more cleaning up of the south end using a powered brush to get to some of the bits not easily done by a pad sander.

Up to now, preparation has been scattered along both sides and in general progress has been good. However the aim is now to do a controlled progression along each side of the coach to complete the preparation work, gradually clearing each section from top to bottom. Jeff does some final work on the Cotswold side south door.

Further along Phil tackles one of the window frames.

Later on the vertical demarcation tapes had been put on and Bob was well into undercoating the south end in dark grey. Phil had returned to the end window to finish something off, while in the distance Jeff was almost at the centre door.

Great! The end panelling undercoated and the connection face sanded clean.

The south half of the Cotswold side - a very welcome sight!

Wednesday 18th - Windows

 We are back from a weeks break, and title is Windows

As usual its 1675, but at least it is going back together .... it might look a bit brutal but Bryan is using a soft faced mallet to encourage the frame into position.

Same window but a 2 pronged attack with Bryan and Rex.

Same job with minor adjustments.

Steve and Bob opted for more demolition on the south end of 13326 in the barn. Having got the plasma cutter running on an oil free air supply it mad short work of the old end panels. This end will provide  more work than originally anticipated, it will be having floor bearers, buffer plate, crash pillars and new end skin panels. Note the supports holding the roof up.

Stuart is here in discussion with Richard about the new electrical installation.

Meanwhile the other Richard is working on in car wiring.

And here he is again working out where this trunking will go ......

Richard is now satisfied with his machining.

Geoff is Kindly cutting panels from odd sizes left, for me as I seized the opportunity to re-new an under bench shelf.

Ainsley is measuring a piece of capping strip for 1675 ..... as I said its slowly going back together.

My final job of the day was to repair this new and unused trolley. It has been bought for transporting Santa's stuff around Winchcombe station, I won't say where it originated but I think they forgot to turn the welder on ...... it is now re-assemled and ready for use.

Well thats another busy day over, It will be     Gala time soon.

Tuesday 17th - An almost typical Tuesday with a surprise ending

 After a week away it was good to be back, on what turned out to be an interesting day. 

Always an early cuppa to start the day. Robert will be up at the station again for most of the day with another school party - our Evacuation Experience Days for Schools are very popular.

It was nice to see David in, as he normally attends on Wednesdays, working on another of the new oak windowsills for the seating area in RBr 1675.

Further oak sills either ready to fit or awaiting further work.

David in the process of fitting the one he had been working on.

The next widow down with the sill already fitted below the oak surrounds and panelling.

Tony was also in with his son Bob, both doing a great job with the very thorough cleaning up of 1675's window frames. All the glass is now removed as final fitting is better done with the frame alone.

Two completed frames next to another awaiting attention.

Tony re-checks the sliders on this reinstated frame.

On the Cotswold side another frame awaiting refitting.

Last Tuesday when walking through Upholstery I spotted this bit of moquette, a pattern I had not seen before and ... well, I couldn't resist a quick comment. A week later I burst out laughing when on walking through I could see that Upholstery had had their revenge. A definite touche moment! Just brilliant! 😄

Being away last week I couldn't continue painting up vacuum cylinder V19, but Keith took on the job and got the undercoat Dark Grey on. Bar the base, we should be able to get the Underframe Black painting done on Thursday.

Derek continued the good work repairing the planking on Monster Van 600. The undercoated planks have now been installed and a new piece has been added today. He later primed this ready for painting.

Not far away, Bob continued sorting out the Cotswold side of TK 24006's roof. Although it will probably be quite some time before this wonderful old coach can be brought in for full restoration, it's nice to be able to chip away at things that can be done outside. Regular readers will know that quite a number of the removable inside parts have been cleaned up or sanded down and revarnished, such as the seemingly never ending stream of compartment sliding doors.

Kevin as ever doing a great job with our storage and supplies organisation. He's now even managed to find some space in the Monster Van for storing our yellow Gala viewing area stands (far better than just dumped under a table in the Paintshop).

Moving on to Tool Van 92, with all the side undercoating completed, Maurice was well in with the first top coat of GW Brown on the Malvern side.

The largest group was inevitably working on SK 25488. Beginning with Roger continuing the work on the Cotswold side north door and frame.

Stu (we'll have to call him Mr Lightning) was literally all over both sides, secondary filling here, hand sanding there, greying up the top section where needed, then moving on again to pad sand somewhere else. Great stuff!

Ian took on the south end again, working on both sides. I didn't check to see whether he had started the metalwork inside the connection. The connection door is currently being worked on by David on a Wednesday - last week all paint had been removed and filler added where needed on the screwheads.

Pam was back on the Cotswold window frames, in particular hand sanding the inside edges and taking great care not to touch the glass with the sandpaper.

A pause in the work while Richard and Stu discuss the progress where Richard was working and the next steps.

Here he is again, quickly pad sanding the secondary filler where applied. These were later greyed up.

The mournful toot from P&O with the last steam train of the day had me dashing out for a quick photo. I had hardly seen any trains today, so it was good to watch it go by and listen to the ever increasing three cylinder shuffle as the loco moved towards, and then on round, Chicken Curve.

And now the big and very welcome surprise. Not long before 2807 had arrived at the station on the first of three test runs from Toddington.

On the third and final run, those of us left at the Works (it was now getting on for 5 pm), dashed out to enjoy the close up sight of the newly refurbished engine.

Tom was busy checking the bearings. I think all were fine.

Permission was granted for a few shots from the footplate.

Then back on the plateform as 2807 was prepared ready for transferring to Platform 2 to allow the DMU (the last train of the day) to come into Platform 1.

A lovely sight. After the years of waiting while her 10 yearly overhaul was underway, it will be great to see her running by with seven coaches again. Or even a GWR-era goods train! -Ed.

A quick pose for the happy group.

 

Cameras out again, waiting for "the off". A lovely end to an enjoyable day, and sadly the last of the good weather for a bit.