Monday 23rd - Best Laid Plans

 So we knew there would be only one rake today, as there was a delivery due to the Broadway P2 building team. Here it is.

As you can see we had arranged for the rake to be down the platform so that the north carriage could be washed. It certainly was - but not by us! The heavens had opened for some hours and so not surprisingly none of the outside team appeared. So it was just David, Greg, Jane, John M, Kath, Lynn, Nick, Steve and self on the inside. Getting the Ghostbuster and GTech from the shed to the train without them getting rain damaged was successfully achieved, fortunately. Rain was getting in but this was especially bad

But "Mary" always looks nice after cleaning

Fingers crossed for better weather next week.

Saturday 21st - A small delivery vehicle

 Another fairly quiet day with a few regulars missing, but still ploughing on with the usual work.

Before that though, not long after the first train went down, we heard a familiar rumble. Hullo, what's this? It seems the diesel department had had a delivery of some plywood that ended up at Winchcombe instead of Toddington, and it seems the best way they could think of to transport it the length 2.5 miles to Toddington was to bring down all 135 tons of the Cl.45 to come and collect it!

Anyway, we can't stand around watching trains all day (contrary to popular belief), there's stuff to do. Dave captured me flatting back the Cotswold side of SO 4790 ready for varnishing.

And later in the day, captured me doing a first coat on the first half.

Dave himself started off cleaning up the South end of dust ready for another coat.

At which point he handed over to George who made a very creditable effort with the gloss black.

I didn't have my camera ready first thing when Helen and Laura were doing their first job of the day which was to cut some new gaters for vacuum cylinder pistons, by the time I made it up again Helen was onto seats for 4798.

More foam please! Laura opens the next pack.

John's job today was the assembly of aforementioned gaters, we had almost completely run out, I think 10 were made up.

The RBr continues to creep forward, with the FK temporarily evicted in the barn, Ben returned to door work on 1675 instead.

In the servery Pam varnished the oak shelf restraints...

Before moving onto more painting in the corridor, both captured by Dave.

Stuart was absolutely delighted to be photographed for the blog :D working with Clive on getting some more vacuum cylinders together and ready.

Upstairs Jenny took on the task of giving the mess room an Autumn (?) clean. Looking at the before and after it certainly needed it!

SO 4798 was back on the through road and Alan carried on with the lower window surround metal work repairs. still a long way to go, but he's gradually working his way along.

Out in the sun again, when it was shining and not raining, Andy did a great job with all the curb rail offcuts from the Open C that Nick and Steve hacked off on Wednesday salvaging the sheet hooks for reuse. Weather permitting the frame is being grit-blasted this week.

There was a fair bit of activity on the Mica today but I managed to miss photographing much of it, all I got was Maurice taking the old Cotswold side door pillars off ready for new ones to be fitted.

Thursday 19th - Quiet again, but busy as ever

Another very quiet day as the autumn holiday season continues. Just 11 of us in today.

To kick things off Stu needed to get another vac cylinder ready for use, so Maurice stepped in to coat it in black MIO (Micaceous Iron Oxide). 

Later on I captured Stu pressing rubber seals within the piston and then reconnecting the two halves.

Bryan and Rex were back on 4798's windows. Bryan initially was lightly sanding a section of internal frame.

Now sorting out the various rivet holes in the surrounding panelling of the current window.

Returning later to find that the glass has been put back.

TSO 4763 has replaced 4798 on the jack road to enable the underframe maintenance.

Being handy in the Barn helped Roger and Alan resecure some loose tables inside.

Graffittee is steadily sppearing in the dusty side of 4798.

Clean? No, it will be a repaint, but a long way to go yet before we can contemplate that.

3850 rumbles by on its way to the station and the token exchange.

With 4763 now in the Barn, FK 13326 had to be put out in the yard. 13326 could well follow 4790 in the Paintshop if we can get the coach structurally completed.

With the sound of shunting going on I went outside to see what was being moved and began to hope that maybe the Tool Vans and Tank Wagons were at last going to be taken to Toddington.

A little later the flat wagons had been uncoupled and were being returned to the siding.

And then joy oh joy.  With Neil driving the O3 and Stu acting as guard, the mini freight train trundled on its way north.

When I looked at my Tuesday post I saw that Alex had updated the text in the final photo, where I had wondered just when the vehicles would depart. Apparently there had been a recent flurry of emails discussing when the move would take place.

Sometime later the 03 returned with the brake van and another flat.

With some of the Monster van now undercoated, Derek begins sanding the next section.

Back in the Paintshop Maurice undercoats the hinges from the MICA van. 

Near the end of the day I suddenly remembered that Paul E. had reqested that the three planks in the Workshop were undercoated. A final job for Maurice before we packed up for the day. 

Kevin endlessly seeks to improve our Works. Here he is setting up a proper storage area for all our wrenches, making use of the non-slip tape to improve the grip. On the amusing side, this wide yellow tape was continually being stored with our regular yellow sandpaper, although I don't think anyone went as far as cutting some for one of the pad sanders!

A nice day always tempts everyone to enjoy their lunch outside, and what better when you can enjoy the trains as well. Stu, Rex, Bryan and Gerry make the most of it all.

Last, but certainly not least, today's efforts with 4790 were once again based on getting the little external paint jobs completed. Jeff completed the remaining bits of lining out on the north end corner sections and doors.

Sometimes, but thankfully not often, things just don't work out. The painting at the south end hadn't gone on well and it all had to be sanded back. I managed to get the left side and about half of the right side done. Obviously it's frustrating, but best done now before we begin the major job of varnishing, and all by hand sanding to minimise the dust.

The painting at the north end was a lot better and as such the edges were finished off by Jeff.

The remaining lining out completed, with both the doors and north corner sections very neatly done. 

The end of a busy day as 3850 heads the final train back to Toddington. I am really pleased the display Tool Vans and Tank Wagons are up there at last - a nice thought to end the day. Although for Maurice and myself it was back to work for another half hour or so, for Maurice the MICA planks and for me back to sanding down the south end of 4790.