Spring 2021
Following the lifting of lockdown restrictions and travel between different areas, activity on No 731 resumed in April. All the mouldings which had been manufactured during the lockdown period were transported to Bo’ness and the remainder of the corridor side mouldings were fitted. This means that apart from the long beading strips, all the mouldings on that side are complete. Again, wherever possible, original G&SWR material has been retained and repaired.
Once that process was complete and it was ascertained that no change had occurred during the time activity had ceased, the reconstruction of the compartment side commenced. Firstly, the west end (No 2 end) of the carriage was assessed. Some frame repairs had been undertaken by persons unknown in the past, and these were very unsatisfactory; the defective material was removed and replaced with sound wood. Quite a lot of work was necessary in this respect in order to obtain a level surface for the fitting of the panels. After the repairs had been done, the west end frame was given a coat of wood preservative.
Then came the manufacture and fitting of the panels. The top panel was no problem: it went on like a dream. However, the carriage had worked over its 107 year life and the mid panels were distinctly difficult. For instance, one panel was a nominal 16 and a half inches width: it turned out to be that size in the middle, but the top was 16 and a quarter inches and the bottom 16 and three eighths. So quite a lot of fettling was required. The waist panel and the bottom panel were then made and fitted, so that the west end of the compartment side was complete again.
Attention then turned to Door 5. While this was working quite well at the time of the professional survey in 2002, for some reason the locking plate had been removed and lost. There was also an ominous split in the lock side. This was repaired first, and the door panelled so that maximum strength could be obtained. As on the corridor side, the lower panel which accommodates the curve of the side was fitted with screws rather than the more prevalent lost head nails: these were used in the original construction of the vehicle and so were fitted to most panels to replicate the original process.
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