Nobody was there to see it, but our tender was turned round! It is now facing south.
Wednesday 19th
Moveright were in the yard removing the "orange" tender that had been delivered for the use of Thingy Manor.
Bruce was first to arrive and decided to do some tidying up. Spanners had been randomly distributed across shelves, drawers and surfaces. He'd laid out and cleaned our set of Draper spanners, and identified the smallest one as being missing. He then tackled the socket set (I say "set", it's a nearly-set with two missing and two strangers in the box). Then he discovered a toolbox with more things in it … including the "lost" smallest spanner! By the time Bruce had finished cleaning & organising, it was coffee time!
After coffee (actually, we drink tea) Bruce made gaskets for the blow-down valve.
Mike [W] arrived, after being un-diverted around a closed road, and exploring the scenic route to Toddington! We set him on applying a second coat of bitumen paint to the rear section of the tender. To be honest, that showed up the painted bits … and these could do with a lick of paint! However, see pic of tender gleaming in the sunshine!
I did my usual thing: applied a top coat to 4 crimson chairs plus 9 GWR green ones (though one is a Southern Railway of 1942, so I will give that an extra coat of the dreaded Malachite). Carpo had been in during the week and got our compressor certified. He popped in today to tell us (though it was obvious from the note that he left on our whiteboard!) and had a quick bickie while he was there! So, I could restart needle-gunning rail chairs, and tackled 4 from 1939 that I shall paint black - yup: 4 bottoms painted black before going home!
Fred & Gill called in, late in the afternoon. Had a cup of tea & biscuit !!! Gil says that Tyseley are machining the brasses for the boxes on the first axle. Thereafter these will be white-metalled; then Tyseley will move on to the next axle.
Nothing else exciting, so I've included a photo of 2874's cab. :-)
Today's rumour: The suggestion that on Race Week Friday, Geof fell out of his signalbox, but manfully crawled along to the platform in order to collect the token from the incoming train, is a slight exaggeration. However, he did trip over a signal wire and shoulder-charge a row of sleepers. He's in some pain, but denying that it really hurts. He's also proud of the wide range of colours down his arm, side, leg, knee and ankle.
Saturday 22nd
Chilly, with periodic, though light, showers. It didn't stop Bruce & David from working outside.
David painted the water gauge frame (fun doing the white / black striped back plate!). He was cutting longer threads on the new bolts for the drain cock linkages. He also did a spot of welding on the flange face on one of the vacuum pipes - the one with the rubber hose on the end (see photo) … which he managed to set alight!
David also showed some bolts from the brake gear who was boss (cleaning the threads and making them do their job better!).
Bruce mainly worked on making gaskets for various sections of the vacuum pipework, assisted by Ingo during the afternoon.
Oh, Gil popped in at coffee time (!), autographed our annual accounts ready for the tax man. He took the opportunity to speak with Rd in the workshop. Rod later dropped off half-a-dozen bolts (see photo) that are destined for the siphon van.
I was painting lettering and fitting brushes to boot scrapers. Painted an SR one in Malachite ( a yuckier green you never did see!). I expect someone will rave over it, though.
I gather that Gil, Colin (and hence probably Anne) and Geof were working on the siphon at Winchcombe. Colin reports:
" Today I arrived to find Fred had given himself a day off but Geoff and Gilbert were ready and willing. We put up the ladders and fitted the roof outside supports these hold the upright side pieces of wood on the two ends of the coach they also give room for the timbers to be overlapped by the roofing canvas .The shape of them are to the profile of the roof and a lovely piece of work , our friends in C/W made them for us in three parts for each one.
We assembled them, and with some further fettling will look great, one more piece of the coach finished
abiding memory of the day was Geoff sitting on the edge of the roof with his feet dangling over the edge.
A good day
Colin"
Roger
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