Gwili vintage Carriages

Well seeing as there isnt a thread specifically for the vintage coaches I thought I'd start one !

Last week saw gwr 216 (current project) shunted in to the C&W shed. We now have an 11 week window to carry out as much work as possible before we come out the shed.

So the first job completed this evening was to fish out all the spares and get all the tools ready for the weekend.

 

Good luck and looking forward to some photos to showing the work in hand.

 

Thanks GWR Man, and here are two photos of the carriage in the shed as of today.

Most of the doors have been removed and are being refurbished, remarkably they are all the originals although some have been patched up even before withdrawal in 1933. The doors have been by far the most tricky part of the restoration with two having their tops sawn off! JWKB and helpers have been very busy doing the fiddly jobs which take age but the results are beginning to show now with 3 doors almost completed. Other work in hand includes the alarm chain completion and lots of painting.

The second photo shows the interior of the compartment and most of what you can see here has been replaced, including the partition walls, seat backs and bases and picture frames. The middle picture frame has the standard GW route map and either side we have sourced Welsh pictures from the National Library of Wales. The gas lamp is an original GW type but without a globe.

Hopefully in the next 8 weeks all the little jobs can be done so that the coach can re-enter traffic for the first time since 1933, as ever it depends on all the usual caveats.....

Regards

Matt

 

After several weeks of filling, sanding, repairing etc the attached photos show the present state of play (either side of the coach). The doors are being hung and trimmed to fit while the door handles are being lined up with the striker plates. Drop lights are receiving attention and both carriage ends and the roof are receiving repaints.

Progress is good and by the end of today 6 doors have been attached permanently mostly with handles and plates. Another two doors are being repaired and painted ready for hanging with just the two most awkward ones left!

After the doors are done there are still bumpers, grab handles, interior door panels, some picture frames, picnic signs above the doors, door locks....well you get the idea! A repaint and lining of the sides etc will probably be next year now.

Regards

Matt

 

Update

In the fading light attached are some pictures of progress. After a few months work all the doors on one side have been rehung, repaired and have all the door handles installed and working.

On the other side one door is still in the workshop for repairs and another needs more work but the other three have been repaired and have their door handle attached. Lots of filling, sanding, repairs and beading to get to this stage....

Also looking shiny are both ends of the coach after filling, painting and varnishing.

With the exterior almost completed apart from the final repaint (next year) the focus will be on the interior to replace the door planks, droplight straps etc.

Not much left to do now.....

Regards

Matt