There haven't been any posts here for a while not because nothing has been happening but because I haven't been able to visit the site recently. That said things have been quiet over the last few weeks due to the continued wet weather and to a couple of promotions events we have attended.
However despite these interruptions work has been slowly progressing on CBA547. The recent activity is still on the exterior and end platforms. Both end platforms are now almost complete. The decks have been refurbished with new timbers. The headstocks have been repaired and repainted. The gangway plates have been repaired, painted and reinstalled. Now work is continuing on the railings.
One of the first things we did when 547 arrived was identify the railings that needed repair. These were removed and Kevin took them home to repair. They were returned looking like new in a coat of black paint. Since then they have been stored in one of the other cars. In the mean time the end platforms and headstocks have been repaired. This entailed removing every nut and bolt and refurbishing or replacing them, many were corroded beyond any hope of repair. They were then reinstalled and the whole lot repainted. Ultimately the repaired railings were able to be reinstalled.
There are still a few jobs to do to finish off. A couple of nuts and bolts are still to be replaced. Also the railings that weren't removed will need to be cleaned and repainted.
In between these jobs it has been necessary to do the usual maintenance things such as retying the tarps, cutting the grass and keeping rubbish under control.
That was the stage of progress after yesterday's workday. We also took the HM&HS banners out of storage so they could be taken back to the suppliers to have this year's dates applied. We needed to reattach the plastic that is covering the window areas while the windows are out of 547. It had blown loose in the wind. The wind really picked up overnight so I wonder if it is still attached! There are a couple of photos in the 547 album.
