Since our last look inside the shed the HKB has gone pink. The use of tinted undercoats is a long standing railway tradition used to help provide a good final coat so with the final stages of the HKB's body overhaul getting close, the first coloured coat has been applied.
Theres still a few niggly dents and scratches to tidy up so some putty freckles have reappeared.
Inside the boys continue their works to make the doors run smooth like they never have before......
....while Steve having finished his external patches is now replacing some damaged internal timbers.
Project 516 has also been the recipient of some rekindled works with missing sill replacement underway.
The new sill has the recesses cut out with multiple saw cuts and then the "fingers" snapped out.
A clean up of the edges and an overall sand follows,
....and the sill is then test fitted in place.
Work on the compartments has also recommenced with the bedding stripped for stuffing and new trim. This involves the removal of many securing tacks....
...to remove the precious green vinyl cover....
.....and reveal the inner lining.
The compartment floors are also receiving new masonite base sheets......
...prior to their covering with new lino.
Thanks to many individual efforts over many weeks the ceilings can now receive their coat of gloss "Manilla" enamel.....
...and the light fittings and vents reinstalled.
The windows have also had their polished tracks and catches reinstated......
....and the sills finished off with a hard setting coat of brilliant Bristol enamel.
Preparation of the ABN for its next outing has also seen Shamus continue with the overhaul of the generator....
...and even Mr S Tinger sacrificed one of his last days of freedom to help adjust the clapper switches.
Lunch time saw a gathering of oldmates and lit candles to celebrate the 45th anniversary of our oldmate Bob who announced to all that he couldnt believe that his 29 years of railway restoration activities had passed so quickly. Congratulations oldmate, lets hope you get to enjoy many more at Eveleigh.
Down the back of the shed the father & son reinforced articulated team started trial fitting of the gutter strips....
...and spectacle plate section to the cab.
Not being shy types, the boys soon had the new rolled cab boiler angle being fitted.....
...cut.....
...drilled....
.... and bolted in place.
Canberra escapee Mike has also now become a team fixture and continued the clean up works to get all the components ready for final placement.
Prior to "gluing" the new metal in place a survey of the cab was performed and some ingenious but simple methods used to get the cab squarely in place.
The missing lower door and step plate were reunited briefly to check all was well....
...and then a new section of frame angle welded in.
After a quick grind.....
...and a lick of primer its on to the next job(s).
