Work in Progress: 3rd April

 Nigel's back - and so, it seems, is the weather...

Very wet, drizzly and misty. The scheduled fishplate greasing project along the running line was postponed - visibility was limited throughout the day and actually worsening by 1600.

So it was a variety of 'indoor' projects for the Thursday Gang volunteers, although today's train crew were the ones to get wet, particularly during the run round moves at both Woody Bay and Killington Lane.

1. In the shed's paint shop Nigel Spencer and Jim Pounds were busy painting Coach No.1.

2. In the marquee John Villers, Graham Bendell and Jim McFarlane paint a picnic table, whilst ...

3. ...Roger Bye sands down a bench seat.

4. Nigel Thompson worked in the stable, fixing up the display boards and photos formally from Van 23.

5. ISAAC's driver today was Pete Williams, preparing for another departure.

6. Guard Bob Ayres checks tickets from visitors in Coach No.7.

7. Back in the shed, new volunteer Keith Lamprey restores a carriage tail lamp.

8. In the paint shop Jim and Nigel are now painting top coat black onto Baguley Diesel PILTON's new plywood side panels.

9. Also for PILTON, Jim Price is cutting a cab door handle mechanism to length...

10. ...with Dave Evans shaping the cab floor panels to fit.

11. In the afternoon the mist descended all around Woody Bay Station.

12. ISAAC nearly ready to depart.

13. Fireman today, Geoff Loynes with ISAAC and the heritage carriages ready to depart at 1600.

14. Although I didn't get to see Dick Gunn at work on the lever frame today, here's a view of him (right) enjoying the afternoon tea break in the mess room.
 

Words and pictures by Nigel Thompson