Tuesday 30th - It's been quite a year

As we soon say goodbye to another year, looking back we have had some real highlights in C & W and, as you would expect, a fair share of calamities too. What is good is how much things have improved after all the post-Pandemic struggles. It's a joy to see our new Crimson and Cream rake steadily increasing, to see the GW goods train at a very healthy length and know that a BR goods train is beginnimg to form, hear that even more Upholstery contracts are on their way, even to see a well stocked New Paint cupboard again. Alex is preparing another End of Year report with all our highlights which he will be publishing imminently.

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We had a good turnout again with everyone keen to get on with their relevant work.

Beginning with the Mink D and Alex trying out one of the new planks.

The Mink D is a very large van, so for quite sometime the brushes with wood primer, undercoat Dark Grey and top coat GW Grey are going to be much used, keeping Maurice and Paul endlessly busy.

Paul adding the chamfers with the plane.

The metal end vents had suffered from some rust jacking at the north end, these requiring a heavy hammer to adjust!

We've still got the doors to tackle as well.

Robert is back preparing the floor insert at the south end, a complicated effort with the various cutouts.

Now a completely different job, and a very mucky one, sorting out the axleboxes.

Lining out on RMB 1876 took another good step forward today in that Martin was able to complete it at the north end of the Cotswold side. This has not been possible with the amount of internal work taking place just inside here.

He then moved round to the Malvern side and began taping up the lower line to paint the black band on the main north section. The north end and door had been completed on Saturday.

Richard began taping up the main south section to paint the lower gold band.

Inside the south compartment David looked after the repairs to the ceiling, applying filler where needed.

Returning to the outside, Ainsley took on the cleaning up of the bogies. As most of the surfaces are covered in dry grime rather that oil and grease, we should be able to remove most of it and so have a fair chance of being able to paint them.

Some of the saddles for the buffer extenders are in a bad way and need replacing. With the split wood knocked off, leaving just the well rusted bolts, Ainsley gives the metal support a good brushing.

[I seem to remember someone pointing out the proper name for what I call the saddles, but I have done so many blog posts since it has faded from memory].

The bolts have been cut off and Phil lends a hand to knock out the remaining stubs. The metal support was then coated in primer. 

Back to the bogies, a few moments rest before carrying on.

As the saying goes, one step forward, two steps back ......  This door, while initially seeming to be ok, has been sticking and it's not a case of too much paint. While some of it appears to be fitting too closely, there is more to the problem.

Robert initially reduces the door frame which will certainly help.

We need now to look at the door lock and striker plate.

In the end the striker plate was removed as a lot of the trouble was eventually boiled down to this. It doesn't look good and is very annoying at this late stage.

I spent much of the day inside the servery. Jobs included fixing a gap between the top and bottom panels by the sink, giving the sheet metal backing and sinks another good clean, cleaning under the sink unit, adding Hammerite where required, and completing the ceiling painting as far as feasible.

Ainsley has a final sweep and vacuum in the last area where he had been working. 

Recyling is just as important, but this trolley load will have to wait until the large bins at the top of the station yard have been emptied. 

[Photo : Alex]  I didn't watch a single train today,  but I certainly heard that deep exhaust whenever "Pendennis Castle" pulled away on the northbound run.  Alex took a great shot of a very steamy Castle heading back to Toddington and Broadway. The really great news is that the trains continue to be very well filled.

So that's it for 2025. We will be back in 2026.

Happy New Year! 

Saturday 27th - A very welcome surprise

Attendance today was very good with 19 of us in and busy working off the Christmas excesses. It was also the start of our final week of running before our Winter Shutdown period with "Betton Grange" and "Pendennis Castle" looking after the two trains. When it came to the day's trains we were in for a big and very welcome surprise!

So, with feet back on the ground, on with the day's activities. Thanks to Paul E for the extra photos.

Beginning with RMB 1876, Alex, wearing his Loco shed attire, began black lining his bodyside sign writing, starting with the number on the Cotswold side.

[Photo : Paul E]  Adding the finishing touches to the Cotswold side coach number.

 

The bogies are relatively grease free and mainly have no more that a dry grime covering. As such we should be able to paint them. Clive begins wire brushing on the Malvern side north end bogie. When tried the power brush caused too much dust so it will be hand brushing only.

 

Martin continued the lining out on the Malvern side, painting the top black band on the north end section and the door.

 

Alex had now moved on to the coach type.

In the south compartment Phil was finishing off the installation of the flying saucer lights and repairs to the ceiling following the removal of the tubular lighting units. Over to the painting team now to complete the ceiling repairs and repaint the relevant areas.

Simon was preparing another section of wall for the rebuilding of one of the toilet compartments.

Bob adds some paintable sealant to the ends of the counter. All the old cream painted areas will now be repainted white.

The next job was to white gloss the store cupboard area.

Martin removes the tape from the lower line on the door having now completed the black bands on both the end section and the door. He then moved on to the main part of the Malvern side.

Phil carefully vacuums around where he had been working,

Robert reinstates the internal base on the Cotswold side south door. The door now shuts well, so again its over to the Painting team to add several coats of varnish to the door back where it needs refreshing.

The Malvern side centre door is sticking. Robert has removed the door back.

Now to check the fitting of the back panel on the south end door on this side.

Bob has returned to the counter and is adding paintable sealant to small gaps along the metal strip on this side.

Pam top coats the internal ceiling above the shelves and servery.

She completed this and then painted the sides and ceiling of the counter itself.

The doors for the store now looking complete.

The Cotswold side of 1876 is now almost there bar some minor snagging and blacking the door handles, stops and tops of the droplights. The next job will be adding two coats of varnish and reinstating the grab handles.

[Photo : Paul E]  Making use of the space inside the Mink D van Maurice primes more planks.

Paul hand sands the frame before adding more of the Dark Grey undercoat.

The planks in the van have been done. Now to start another batch alongside the Paintshop wall. The wood testles have been brought out.

In the relative quiet of the Upholstery workshop Laura is busy making another bag, adopting the newer method of using more of the plain blue moquette to economise on the patterned versions.

It is nice to welcome Carol, the new member of the team, who is also bag making. The team is now back up to seven members.

The final bit of metalwork repair on the Cotswold side of BSK 35308. James has loosely tack welded the new section of sheet metal.

Now to get it properly welded in place.

The coating of green primer has been painted over the completed repair.

Time to move round to the Malvern side and begin cutting out another area of badly corroded panel.

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The trains are running again from now until Thursday  and then over next weekend, the final day of the season being Sunday 4th January.

"Betton Grange" was on Rake 2 and looking brilliant in the cold air.

"Pendennis Castle" was on Rake 1.

She looked fantastic, especially when pulling away with that deep roar.

Earlier on someone had mentioned that the first train of the day to Cheltenham was well filled. As we watched the train pull away it was very clear that the earlier comment was certainly not an exaggeration as it was indeed very full. A very welcome surprise, although was it? The Castle would have been a big draw, especially in a holiday period.

Well, she is running all week and on Sunday will be double heading. Well packed trains throughout the week would be a very nice ending to the season.