Saturday 6th June 2009

Although the weather was awful two members turned up today to work on the Co-Bo and as the rain lashed down they found plenty of work to do under cover.

First job of the day was to reattach the vice back to the bench. It had been removed so Jim could work on one of the Class 15's doors when it had been raining on a previous working weekend. Next was to paint the Co-Bo's fan motor brackets into gloss. These brackets are triangular in shape and sit upon two cross beams in the cooler group area (also freshly painted in gloss). After a brew the conduit retrieved from the cooler group some months ago was given its final coat of orange gloss before the duo of Jason and new member Adam Booth treated the fan mesh to grey primer.

Mid afternoon Jason took Adam down to Castlecroft to give him a tour and upon their return set to drell many of the small water pipes found on the engine room floor. Although these had been painted previously, maybe up to 20 years ago it was felt that a fresh start and many coats of paint would be prudent. The general consensus was that the pipes were in good condition however one of the pipes had an untidy weld which Jason smoothed off. Once completed Jason called it a day and locked up for the night.

Sunday 07 th June 2009

It stayed dry today thankfully although the working members didn't risk taking the tarpaulins off either locomotive.

3 working members attended today Jason, Adam and Rob. After the usual first cuppa of the day work got underway with Adam added the first coat of primer to the small water pipes he and Jason drelled the day before. Rob ventured into the Co-Bo to size up the work involved with the water header tank. This tank, welded to the internal structure above head height still sports its original paint and is in dire need of restoration. Jason started the day with spraying the fan's roof guard its final coat of gloss paint. Jason had decided that spraying the mesh would leave a better finish than painting it by brush and it is finished in black.

Whist Rob get's on with the business of dismantling and drelling the water header tank, Adam and Jason turn their attentions to the main water pipes. They took three of them outside and set up a small workbench armed themselves with angle grinders to begin the paint removal. Once completed they brought them inside the workshop to paint them in green primer and left them to dry at the quiet end of the workshop. Attention then turned to the small water pipes which they had painted that morning. The paint was dry so they were treated with a second coat of grey primer.

Meanwhile back in the engine room Rob had finished drelling and had started painting green primer on the shiny metal. Then he turned his attentions to one of the engine room doors which was in white primer waiting for its final coat of gloss which Rob obliged before packing up for the day.

So this brings another busy working weekend to a close.

The next working weekend is on 6/7 May. If you wish to lend a hand please contact Chris Tatton