Starting with the nearside view, the last of the beadings have gone on as have most of the lower deck panels and as can be seen the rear wheels are off so the wheel arches can be fitted and the last of the windows go in. The wheel arches are one of those jobs that have been put off as they are awkward, heavy and fiddly but alas the time has come...
Onto the offside and a similiar story in that most of the uppder deck panelling is done and the wheels are off. One of the great things about doing this is finding out about all the small differences on a 2RT from the post war variants. In this case its the stencil holder... RT8 arrived without one as late in their London lifes they were removed but when new they were fitted in a one piece panel, thus not being in their own small panel and having the beading around them as on later variants. So we have done the same and adjoined a stencil holder to a panel through welding and have made a one piece panel of them as would be accurate for the period we are aiming for circa 1943-44.
The front has been another benefactor of recent work and is now largely complete except for the glass in the destination displays. This has been one of the most difficult parts of the whole reframing to match up accurately but does now appear to be correct... was it R. J. Mitchell who said 'if it looks right it probably is right'?
Another view of the offside but i'm afraid with it being so close to the wall it is hard to get any really decent shots but I think you can probably get the general feel for where it has got to.
And finally a view of the wheel arch area currently being worked on. With any luck these should be done over the Christmas period which will then allow the last window pan on each side to be added. the missing panels, mudguards etc. all of which will make the nearside look very complete and she can then come down off axle stands and be back on her own 'feet' again.Well this is the last update of 2009 which I optimistically thought would be the year she would've been running again. However, you cannot rush such a large project without cutting corners and we are not going to do that here, so its going to take as long as it takes, (although I do honestly think 2010 will be the year she is back) which of course will be exactly 70 years after she entered service in 1940.
So Merry Christmas to one and all and see you early in the New Year, which of course I hope will be a happy one for you all.
Cheers for the year
Steve
