The sun was shining on Wharf Yard this morning as the team assembled after very wet Wednesday in west Wales. The first order of the day was to turn the Corris Mail Waggon body over so that we can work on the sides and floor. Allan Black, Andy Sheffield, Pete Thomas, Keith Theobald and John Olsen were on hand to do the lifting and shifting. Keith drove the Bobcat with John as banksman and Andy on the strops arrangements.
The body was first moved out of the confines of the work space into the yard so that sleepers could be laid out to protect the paintwork as the turn progressed. By the time the first train departed the body of the wagon was safely turned over and atop a sleeper crib to bring it up to a comfortable working height. In another part of the yard the Corris Railways Clayton battery loco was unloaded from the trailer and set down on TR metals . Steve Thorpe squeezed into the cab to give it a quick test run back and forth; he enjoyed that from the grin on his face.
Coffee time was declared and we enjoyed coffee, biscuits and chat in the sunshine on the platform with Malcolm Phillips and John Alderslade, our duty attendant, who had kindly topped up the hobnobs supply.
Back across the tracks Keith, assisted by John, put four hooks into the barge board of the Weighbridge House ready to hang the banner advertising it being open over the coming Heritage Weekend. As all our wagons were marshalled in the goods train one of the TR wagons has been placed on the weighbridge; our thanks to the Outdoor Gang for that.
Pete put the second coat of red oxde on the wagon frame inside the Gunpowder Store while Allan and Andy made a start in knocking off the worst of the rust blisters on the Corris wagon body interior. John painted the Corris wagon brake operating arm, the drawbar and the two brake shoes with black Hammerite paint.
It was a bit of a squeeze to get the freshly painted metal work inside the Gunpowder Store as the brake operating arm was still too tacky to be taken out of the Workmate, but with a bit of shuffling it was achieved. The wagon cover went back over the Corris body to protect it from the elements and the site left tidy and safe for the Heritage Weekend visitors.