End B Panelling Split

These picture show the three panels in situ and screwed in place. At this stage you are saying that you don't remember a Gresley coach having a ladder at one end, and you'd be right.So What is this ladder for.

Well as we screwed the middle panel to the framework it split at the bottom. You can see the 18inch line on the panel which highlights the repair i.e. glue, filler and rubbing down.

To try to ensure that the same thing didn't happen on the end panel,, wooden battens were screwed between the panels edges into the frame to try to more evenly pull the panel up to the frame without splitting it. It did work.

Once the battens are removed the holes are covered by the beading.

Subsequent discussions with an LNERCA expert, suggested that it wasn't uncommon to split a panel.

That was reassuring now that we had fitted them all.