Despite the holiday season, we have had very good attendances at Winchcombe on every working day, and have made considerable progress on various projects.

Starting with a wagon this time, the GWR Horsebox 709 has been completed, after many years of more rebuild than restoration. The finishing touches have just been made, and it is ready to leave us. It has been decided that it will go on display at the Swindon Museum 'Steam 'for a period, and return to us for our GWR Gala next year, when it will operate. It is far better that it is kept under cover as it is a museum piece, and there is nowhere currently on our railway where it can go on display. The attached photos show it waiting outside our workshop.

We have completed the BG 92384, and you can see from the attached photo how smart it looks. It is not just a paint job. Leaks in the roof have been sealed up; all doors on both sides now open and close properly; electricity has been installed and it has been fitted out as our new upholstery workshop. Since the photo was taken, it has been moved to its permanent parking place just outside our workshop, with the moquette storage wagon adjacent.

As a part of the shunt when we moved it, we left a vacant area on the siding  behind it. This area has now been covered with a lorry load of road stone and levelled, to bring the whole area up to rail height. The site is our new bogie overhaul area, and very shortly one of our spare pairs of newly acquired bogies will be moved there. The carriage maintenance team will take on the job of overhauling bogies once they are up to date with maintenance and running repairs. The plan is to be able to overhaul the bogies on all service coaches on a rolling basis (excuse the pun) over time. The bogies will be stripped to their component parts, refurbished as necessary and rebuilt.

In our shed, work continues on the BSO 9000 referred to last time. We have turned the corner now with this coach. Substantial amounts of steel plate work have been profiled and welded in place on the north end. A new floor has been fitted in the vestibule, and it is coming together fast. Internally it is being revarnished, now that all rotten panelling has been removed and replaced. A considerable effort has been made to try and ensure that the new panelling is stained to match the old. A new sales counter has been made by our carpenters, and is being installed. The guards' compartment and the new disabled area are virtually complete, with only some finish painting to do.

Externally, the coach painting is well underway and some areas are now in their final topcoat of lined chocolate & cream. How different it looks from the rusty and dilapidated wreck we brought into our shed about six months ago. It should be available for services in 2010. Guards who are rostered to use it will be required to wear carpet slippers!

The GWR van 144678 referred to last time is also complete. Very smart it looks in its dark GWR grey, and the attached photo shows it to good effect. Note the later style of GWR lettering, used during the war. Once more however, it is not just a paint job. Quite apart from the total rebuild above the solebar, underneath it the braking system has been stripped down overhauled and rebuilt. This van was originally going to be fitted out for use in the Permanent way train. However, that plan has now changed, and consideration is being given to a wholesale revision of the make up of the P/way train. More news on that next time.

Also for the Permanent way department, we are making plans to start the refurbishment of their new BG 92350.  A Mk 1BG (Gangwayed Brake) was a parcels van built to the BR Mk 1 profile, although about six feet shorter than a passenger coach. It is completely open at each end, and has a standard guard's compartment slightly offset centrally. Why it is offset, no-one seems to know. There are two sets of double doors on each side, at each end. So in total, eight sets of double doors give easy access to the open interior.

Over 600 of these versatile vehicles were built by various BR workshops in the 1950's, and many survived for all sorts of different types of use after their general purpose days were over. The plan with 92350 is to retain one open end as a messroom for P/Way, and install a kitchen in the other. As the kitchen will not use the entire area, we plan to build an internal stud wall and partition off the end section so that it will contain a fully fitted workshop area (accessible by a set of double doors on each side)

92350 was built by Cravens in 1956, and was originally numbered 81049. It was delivered to BR painted in unlined maroon and that is how we intend to finish it. This van will be moved to a location close to our shed once there is room, so that work can start.

Currently outside the front of our shed is an SO (Open second) 4790, which is awaiting an overhaul. The seating in this was quite worn, and has never been replaced so we decided that as a part of the refurbishment, it should be completely reupholstered. All the seating has been removed, and the seat bases and squabs have been sent for recovering. The side panels and arm rests are in the process of being reupholstered by our upholstery team (in their new workshop!). The original plan that we should start full restoration of it this year has changed, and we are now concentrating on finishing the BSO. External work on 4790 will now start next year.

We have already been planning next years work for the department, with one evening meeting already held and another to follow shortly. We have to juggle the requirements of the Operating Department with the need to refurbish deteriorating coaches. The two months at the beginning of the year when we don't operate will be put to good use with vehicles such as the RBr being attended to. That has become too important a vehicle to take out of use, and hopefully next year our second RBr 1672 will be ready.

On that second RBr, the steam heat pipe-work which has to be replaced in its entirety underneath the solebar, is progressing well. Also, we have decided to fit it with the gas boiler taken from our third RBr which we acquired from the Army a couple of years ago. That has been removed and is currently being overhauled. Once all that work is complete, we shall need to arrange for a specialist firm of gas engineers to visit us to certify its gas system. It will also need an insurance exam. A gas powered electric generator has been purchased, and awaits installation to provide a 240v supply in the kitchen. Then, 1672 will be into our workshop for a final paint job, and hopefully be ready to go into use next year.

Finally, during the weekend of the forthcoming diesel gala, we are planning to swap the bogies on our Irish steam generator van. A set of B5 bogies (which a heavy duty version of the B4) is required, because of the overall loaded weight of this vehicle; water is heavy. The B5's are currently under a mail van at Toddington. That should be an interesting day, and will put our carriage jacks to good use, once again.