As usual, a significant amount of work has been undertaken on various projects throughout the last few weeks. The main story is that our RBr (Restaurant Buffet Refurbished) 1675, is now sufficiently complete to be ready for use. It is now in the Chocolate & Cream rake in Winchcombe station waiting for two train services to start at the end of the month.

As regular readers will know, we have been working on this vehicle for more than two years. It has been quite a learning curve. Refurbishing the exterior and the internal seating area has been one thing; the kitchen has been something else.

The water for the kitchen is carried in two large 100 gallon tanks slung underneath, and it is raised by means of a small electric compressor which pressurises the tanks to about 17 p.s.i. It worked fine until about three weeks ago, when all of a sudden the pressure gauge and the automatic cut out failed to work. Initial searches could not identify the problem.

It was several months ago, that we first got the gas range and gas boiler to work, but it was clear that the range was not right as some of the burners only worked intermittently. There were a number of leaks fixed, and various adjustments were made.

We had already arranged for a firm of specialised gas engineers from Bolton to attend and service the installations, to certify them before public use. We were hoping that they could fix the problem with the water. They worked for over a day setting up and certifying the gas system, but unfortunately they could not get the water system to function properly. It only trickled into the boiler, whereas it is supposed to be pumped in under pressure.

The following weekend after they had left, the problem was traced to a blocked inlet valve which was cleared and muck was found in the capillary pipe leading to the gauge. So far as we can see, the water system now works fine and we are waiting for the service engineers to return to set up and certify the gas boiler. However, even if they are delayed, we can use the vehicle because the gas range is certified, the water now works and as a standby we have installed an electric boiler to work off the generator.

Our OTC crews are now getting really excited, and are ready to serve more than crisps and chocolate to hungry passengers.

The other main job this month, has been to complete work on the BSK (Corridor Brake Second) 34676. This was taken out of use in November last year, when it was found that several of the brake shafts had become distorted. The brake shafts are steel shafts which run horizontally between the brake hangers on each wheelset. The brake hangers hold the individual brake blocks. The brake shafts are linked to the brake control gear by diagonal steel rods. In plan view this forms a triangle, and the brake force is exerted at the apex.

What had happened was that the brake force over the years pulling at the ends of the brake shafts had cause five of the eight on the coach to bend and distort. This meant that the brake blocks were not sitting squarely on the flanges of the wheels.

The remedy was to remove the shafts, and straighten them (with some judicious heating and hammering), and then weld a central straight tie bar down the centre to hold the unit square in future. This was done, and all brakes were successfully rebuilt. The brake blocks now sit squarely on the wheel flanges, and the handbrake works much more efficiently. This has actually taken a period of over four months to achieve, whilst fitting it in around everything else. It is likely that the other brake coaches will need similar attention, and we will examine them in rotation.

Remedial work has been done elsewhere on this coach. One badly cracked window in the Guards compartment has been replaced, and another window has been removed and rebedded. This coach was the first ever refurbished in our Winchcombe workshop, and has been in constant use on the railway since 1989.

Work continues steadily on the Carmine & Cream FK (Corridor First) 13329. Someone said that it seems that we have been working on this coach for ever. Well, it has taken over a year so far, but the end is now in sight. Four of the seven compartments are now essentially rebuilt, and the exterior is largely complete. A couple of weeks ago we replaced the missing steel corridor connection face-plate (with the help of the P/way JCB which acted as a mobile crane.) We had to remove the original some months ago as it had been badly distorted in an ancient shunting mishap, when this coach locked buffers with another on a tight curve.

Work has continued steadily on the plywood bodied B R box van, and this should be complete by next month. Once again, a semi-derelict van has been transformed into a useful and operational vehicle. The vacuum brake cylinder ha been replaced with an overhauled one, and the brakes have been lubricated and adjusted. A new canvas roof covering has been manufactured and is being fitted.

The van is temporarily outside, as we are currently playing host to Foremarke Hall's new Hawksworth tender, which is in our workshop for a finishing paint job. All our winter maintenance work was finished on time, and the maroon set of coaches went back into use at the beginning of March. We aim to get 34676 back into the Chocolate & Cream set in a week or so, and that set will then be complete and ready for the new season also. Once the FK 13329 is complete, we shall have five refurbished Carmine & Cream coaches, which with a currently spare SK will mean that for the first time ever, we shall be able to operate three full sets; each of six coaches.

Word has it however that the Board is planning a ten coach platform at Broadway!.