GWR Fruit C Van 2806, before restoration


...and after restoration.

Firstly, apologies for the fact that there has been a long gap since the last report. A number of other things took preference.

The FK 13329 was indeed shunted out of the shed in the summer, to make way for the repaint of Santa's Grotto. Since then, various members of the department have been working hard on the FK. Internally, all the compartments have been re-varnished, and all the seats and fittings are virtually back in.

Whilst it was outside we took the opportunity to lift in off its bogies, and the underside was overhauled and given full attention. The plan is to have it available for use in March, for the new season.

Santa's Grotto is a former SK which was heavily stripped when it first arrived on the railway in the late 1980's. Internally, the alternate compartment walls were removed, to leave four large grottoes. The whole of the interior was then panelled and painted black. It has subsequently been redecorated splendidly internally several times by the 'Santa Crew'.

Externally, it was becoming very shabby and we had agreed to repaint it this year. It went back into lined maroon, but as with all things it took far longer than was originally anticipated. There were areas of rot which needed repair, and some of the window panelling had to be removed, to be re-riveted back.

Because of the time taken to complete the Grotto, plans to refurbish the Kitchen Car from Elegant Excursions had to be abandoned, as it was required again in September. Instead, we shall refurbish this during the coming winter. Instead of the Kitchen Car, we advanced plans to refurbish the Permanent Way Gangs mess coach. This is an ex-Hawksworth BSK W2232, which was converted to departmental use before it arrived on the railway.

Being a 'proper' Great Western design coach (although built in 1949), it was a wooden framed body with steel panelling screwed to it. We knew that some remedial work was needed; we had no idea how much. Virtually all the panels were loose, where screws had rusted and rotted. Worse, under all large windows on both sides, the steel panelling had rotted away; the woodwork underneath was rotten; the glass was loose and the internal woodwork surrounding it was rotten.

The only thing to do was to remove the windows, and the rotten panelling. That allowed the rotten and broken wood to be replaced and repaired, before new steel panelling was cut to size and refitted. New internal window frames have been made by our expert carpenters, and this has allowed the windows to be refitted and resealed.  Internally, the coach has been cleaned out, and a thorough repaint is virtually complete. Most of the ceiling panels in the 'lounge' area had to be replaced, as the originals were warped from roof leaks. Externally, it has been painted in chocolate brown all over; thus making it moderately authentic. As many of you will know, some GWR rolling stock was painted in all over brown livery. Not coaches converted to departmental use admittedly, but it is looking very smart nevertheless. Hopefully it will be outside, and a picture will be available next time, and you can make your own mind up.

There is still a few weeks work to do. Once the mess coach is completed in the shed, we plan to get it onto our jacks to make sure that it is sorted out mechanically before we hand it back to our intrepid p/way gang. Whilst we have been doing this, they have been crowding into the Queen Mary Brakevan, which was put into temporary use. I expect that it was very cosy in there on occasions.

Progress has also been made on wagons. The Brakevan was finished and is available for use, although it really needs to be vacuum piped to be able to be used in anger. The GWR Fruit C has been completed, and very smart it looks in Chocolate with golden lettering. It was unfortunately finished just too late to be put to use as a Santa's store as was intended. Perhaps next year.

The Conflat with its container was also finished, and is ready to go into the demonstration freight train. Very smart it now looks with its B R 'Door to Door' markings. Work has also started on a 1914 ex-Barry Railway Iron Mink originally numbered 1388 (a small steel bodied general purpose goods van). That is now virtually complete, except for replacement doors. The wooden ones it came with were past salvation, and in any event were the incorrect pattern having been replaced by BR sometime in the 1930's.

The other matter of interest is that we have arranged to order a run of original pattern moquette at an overall cost of nearly £6000, by joining with several other railways,. This will allow us to reupholster the seating in three of our service coaches, and will transform their interiors. In these coaches, the seat backs are still serviceable, but the seat bases are badly worn and threadbare.

If any of you have some decent pictures of our rolling stock which you could submit to the webmaster to illustrate these reports, then please feel free to do so. Photography is not one of my pastimes.