The best laid plans......

The train ran on Sunday 08 December bearing a wreath in memory of John Morley

 

 

Mike Insch as Train Manager with Santa

 

Is Santa aspiring to be part of the footplate crew?

 



The bullion van has had the broken windows boarded over with plywood to try to keep it watertight

The cavernous interior of the bullion van

Whilst it was in the shed we finished off the patches in the floor.  The vehicle was originally purchased for the bogies and came to us with most of the windows vandalised.  The weather had deteriorated the floor in these areas and needed replacing.

 

 

The floor patches in the toilet

 

 

The other side suitably patched

 

The next vehicle in was BR Mark 2 BFK 17101, which had previously had its compartments taken out of use and was going to donate its bogies to BR Mark 2 TSO 5149.

 

BR Mark2 BFK 17101 being turned on the turntable.

 

The plan was that when this bogie swap had taken place, we would then work on the vestibule floor in BR Mark 1 SO 4477.  On the first day of the Santa season we had to provide an extra coach at very short notice, as 4477 was the first vehicle on number 7 road, it was commandeered.  This will now be the spare vehicle until the New Year, putting an end to the repairs for now.

 

 

This meant that we could turn our attention to the compartments on mark 2 17101.  Some time ago we removed the tables and the carpets, which had become wet and mouldy owing to the window leaks.  A compartment is pictured in this condition.

 

 

The compartment after stripping.

 

 

A closer view reveals the true condition of the frame.

 

 

More views

 

 

The wooden floor support

 

 

Slightly better on the other side

 

 

Probably the biggest culprit, a hole in the panel under the window.

 

The condition of the internal panelling.

 

 

Even the armrest backing had disintegrated and needed replacing.