What a joy it was travelling to Winchcombe in the sunshine, such a change from the last four months. With the gala rapidly approaching we needed the weather to get on with the water storage tank. Steve made the plates, and cleaned the welding areas. Stick welding proved very successful and is much easier to manoeuvre. We need another good weather day and that should see it finished. Steve always smiles for a photo, happy in his work. When it's all finished it will be painted with some quality weatherproof paint. Back indoors on 13326, Simon is working on the south vestibule which ..read more

There were 10 of us attending today and two contractors working in RBr 1675. We were blessed with another lovely day, so nice that sitting down was fatal because once seated you could easily forget all about work and happily watch trains all day. The GW ply van is rapidly coming together now and needs to be if it is to join the Gala freight in just over two weeks time. The concentration was again on the doors, with Alex adding screws to secure the panel to this one. Maurice is tightening the nuts holding this panel. All the newly tightened nuts are then given a coat of green prime ..read more

Firstly apologies for no Thursday post as I was unable to come in. So to make up for it a hopefully interesting and varied post for Saturday.  Regular readers will know that Alex normally does this day, but he was enjoying a visit to the Churnet Valley Railway. Hope it all went well. Beginning with FK 13326. Simon levels off the supports for the new south vestibule floor. With the floor now fitted, he checks the fit of one of the end panels of veneer sheet. This vestibule is really coming together. The north end corridor connection is now in place. Something I started a few weeks ago ..read more

 With the contractors working in 1675, we had to make sure we were not getting under their feet. So we tended to spread out over a number of jobs. Upstairs to start with, a delivery of foam to be used in the seat build set for 4798. Back in the paintshop 1675 getting some jobs done out of the contractors way ..... aluminium guttering welded, just needs a clean up and painting can begin. Bob applying paint to his generator door creation. Its a tough climb up that tower, so Gerry is fine tuning the welder for me. Chris is preparing the Cotswold side, guttering for rive ..read more

An interesting day day to say the least, which included another successful Carriage Edition tour of the Works for 13 members of the public. We also had a very welcome surprise visit during our morning tea break. Beginning today with a photo from Saturday evening and the Fish and Chip train. One of our unsung heroes, Jeff has been in charge of these for the past 7 years. A lot of organising goes into them, everybody from our Admin staff to the stewards on the train. On the night it's Jeff who checks everyone in and is in charge of the smooth running of the evening, which it certainly was.  ..read more

 Another quiet day with several familiar faces missing. Despite that, good progress was made on a number of fronts. Starting off on the RBr, Ben continued doing battle with the troublesome emergency door on the Cotswold side. In better news Marcus and Dave started fitting the radiators in the saloon today. One in, hopefully remaining panelling can start happening now. James had a bit more welding to do on the South end of the FK, I think this is nearly done now. At the other end Bob was painting the end panel of the roof that had been left previously as pipes were still bein ..read more

 A very busy day with a number of jobs moving on. A film crew from the University of Gloucester spent a day on the railway, they are doing a promotional film of the railway which will also count as an assignment for their University year 2. They were very professional, and went to many operations on the railway. A brilliant experience for them and the makings of a great video of our railway. They were keen to film a welding operation , so I volunteered and had to do as directed ..... a film star in the making? Meanwhile in 1675, Trevor was making more adjustments to a door which is ..read more

Another fine and dry day. The cold wind has gone and lunchtime once again had some of our team enjoying the warm sunshine. Following up a recent enquiry about Pam's long absence (she last attended during February), she has had a bad spell of ill health with a slow recovery. I keep in touch with her and usually phone her every week. Thankfully she now sounds very much back to normal and her old happy, cheerful self, and hopefully she will be returning sometime in May. As she often says, the Railway is her happy place, so it's a shame she has missed so much. Please come back soon Pam, we need ..read more

 Arrived to find the washing team Washing In The Rain. Kath in the distance, talking to Peter and Tim, with Paul in the foreground. After cleaning both rakes inside and out it was time to head down to the DMU, which will see regular use this year. Lawrie and "Ghostbuster" Rick Val - and Roger C dodging the camera again. Kath. The only other member besides myself today was Nigel. It would be nice to have a warm sunny day ..read more

Another typical Saturday with plenty of projects moving forward, nothing ground-breaking, but good progress all round.  Starting with the FK today, Robert is making good progress with the door thresholds, another one now fits. Now if it doesn't, do you blame the woodworkers or the metal workers? Here the metal needed a little adjusting, James did the honours. Simon also continued on his mission with the vestibule framing. I was itching to get some more top coat on so towards the end of the day Dave captured me doing the cream panels. We're leaving the panels either end in unde ..read more