Saturday 28th - Back to full strength

That's better! With 25 attending the Works was very busy again and good to see after the recent lengthy quiet spell.

With the Open C wagon nearing completion, it was time to check the remaining three buffers, the initial one removed having been found with a broken spring. The next one removed turned out to be fine.

Maurice begins chipping away the underlying rust.

This one needed a little heat to loosen the nuts but on removal it was also found to be fine. Thankfully the remaining one was also good.

Alex begins cleaning away the fine rust.

Paul followed Maurice to complete the cleaning up using a grinder.

All the rusted surfaces were given a coat of green primer.

The primed bolts for the door buffer plates were top coated.

Alex meanwhile prepares the templates for the wagon number and weight.

The French chalk outline of the wagon weight on the Cotswold side ready for painting.

And finally, the Cotswold side with the signage in place.

A busy Upholstery shop. Peter is making one of the popular spectacle cases.

The two sides. The tops will be folded back with the spring opener inserted.

Jane and Laura are making more headrest covers for the current Forest of Dean Railway contract.

Alan and Andy - welders in discussion.

Andy continues his rebuild of the Malvern side south end corner on SO 4798. When chatting to him I discovered that his recent guidance from James was actually a refresher as he had done welding in the past. No wonder he was doing such a good job.

Grinding down the latest weld.

On the Cotswold side at the south end Ken was reaming out the bolt holes of the corridor connection to ensure adequate clearance.

Inside the Cotswold side toilet compartment Simon is preparing to rebuild the internal window frame. I must find out was decorative scheme will be required for the toilet compartments, especially as we are upgrading 4798 to a pseudo first class - will it be varnish or Executive Light Grey paint?

In the saloon Phil is beginning to reinstate the side lights, initially reattaching the varnished wooden bases, one of which seems to have gone missing.

Now into the Barn where Alan is back on the patch rebuilding of the south end panelling on RMB 1876.

The Malvern side with the cutout sections cleaned up.

Vic makes the final adjustments to the pieces made by John last week.

Returning later to find Alan now fully welding the Cotswold side patches.

Two photos taken at the end of the day with the Cotswold side completed and Malvern side spot welded. Excellent progress!

Underneath RBr 1675 a pile of insulation ready for fitting.

In the region of the south end bogie, the main steam heating pipework now fully lagged.

A little further along and below the lagged steam heating pipe, the corrugated plastic pipe holding electric cabling.

Dave discusses an issue with his coach BCK 21092 with John.

John fitting another length of insulation.

Clive inspects the bogies to ensure all the split pins are in place and secure.

Jenny has done a brilliant job cleaning the kitchen and pantry ready for the installation of the cooking and related equipment, and has now moved into the servery. Those shelves are very dusty - (rhetorical question) where does it all come from?!

On my way out to Rake 3 to find Paul and Dennis, a quick shot of Stu and Vic under what will be the weed spraying wagon. I later found out that the brake mechanism is now being reinstated.

The whistles of both P & O on the Cheltenham train and Foremarke Hall on the Toddington train sound almost together as each sets off. I poise ready to acknowledge with a wave when Foremarke whistles to warn me as the train approaches.

I climbed up into BCK 21092 to find that the cleaning has been completed and they are taking a break before returning to the Works.

The next stop was across the yard to TSO 4867 where Dave is cleaning up the bare metal frame underneath the windows.

In the Woodshop Robert and Chris are using their recently made jig to prepare a new windowframe base for 4867.

In the Workshop Kevin is sorting out taps and dies.

So where are we with TSO 5023, now the Painting and Prep team's top priority? Richard sands the secondary filling on the north half of the Cotswold side.

Bob completed the greying up of the window frames on the south half.

Returning later to find Richard now greying up the bottom section ..........

........ and then moving on to the corner.

On the Malvern side George added secondary filler to the rivet line and then concentrated on digging out an area where the existing surface was found to be unsound.

The 1100 tea bell has chimed and I join the queue for the changing room sink.

It's good to see an almost full Mess Room again. Even then not everyone attending today was there.

Thursday 26th - Mary Celeste?

 Well not quite that extreme, but it certainly felt like a deserted ship with very few of us around initially. Attendance eventually built up to about 12.

Not many photos, but a flavour of the day should come through.

It was just Bob and myself working on TSO 5023. In between my various chasings about, I worked on the north half of the Cotswold side, adding and sanding more filler where needed.

Bob did a load of greying up, leaving just three windows for the next session. I thought I had taken a photo of him - when I realised I hadn't he had already left for the day.

We have three weeks to get the prep completed to greying up all round, including cleaning up the roof. Why the deadline? As the saying goes, watch this space!

On the trestles the primed vertical wood backing for the south end of RMB 1876 when the metalwork repairs have been completed. 

RBr 1675 once again raised up on the jacks. Inside our electrical team busy checking the various systems.

Now over to Rake 3 where Paul is busy cleaning. I love the all wood interiors of these earlier SOs - warm looking and very comfortable when sitting.

In the next coach BCK 21092, some of the wall paint had come away in the luggage area and guards corridor. Dave, who owns 21092, had previously removed the loose paint and undercoated and has now given the two areas a fresh coat of Exec Light Grey.

The panel underneath the north end toilet window was showing some delamination. It will be replaced with a new panel, but for now Dave has repainted it as there may not be enough time before Rake 3 is used in the forthcoming diesel gala. 

It was just Geoff from the Indoor Gang in today, here making repairs to luggage rack netting in FK 13329.

I took this photo mainly for the gleaming coach immediately behind P & O.  Our main rakes are gradually getting back to better looking coaches.

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And now two photos taken today (Friday 27th) by Phil J who went in to try and progress the Discovery Coach roof. The weather has thwarted much of our activity on this coach. It will further be delayed as TSO 5023 is now the top priority for the Painting and Prep Team.

Phil got in just after 8 this morning and managed to top coat a further nine panels. There are now 16 of the 23 panels done on the Cotswold half of the roof. Well done Phil!

I should add that Phil was not lone working. Stu, our Works Manager, and our Friday Maintenance Team were at Winchcombe today, instead of the more usual main rakes at Toddington. Phil will also have had as company various members of the Friends of Winchcombe Station who also are in on Fridays.