Thursday 12th - Paying our respects and a rescue!

This day was certainly eventful and will be one to remember with several things of note as it proceeded.

Beginning with the Mink A van, to compliment Nick's excellent photo in his Wednesday posting where he photographed the beginnings of the wall erection on the Malvern side, a view of the van from the opposite side. The reason that interior has been left is that all the wood is tanalized and as such will last 20 or more years. All that new planking has been beautifully painted. 

Returning to the Red Dragon headboard, Alex decided that he would touch up the dragon after all to restore some of the colour.

As expected, the work to tidy up the capping strips and door pillars on BSK 34929 will take a while. Martin was applying more filler to the top of the Malvern side guards doorway.

On the Cotswold side Richard worked on the new vestibule doorway and doors. With the filing and sanding completed the new wood was primed. The remainder will go into undercoat Light Grey.

Alex returned to the Malvern side north end door and doorway. Some of this is now greyed up with secondary filler going on.

Ian was assessing the working of this vacuum cylinder (is this the one from underneath 34929?).

Sometimes there is no option but to lie on the floor. John and Ian were wrestling with the direct admission (DA) valve from underneath 34929.

Success! With the valve now firmly clamped they were removing the fastenings so as to inspect the interior.

A closer view of the valve, which sits close to the vacuum cylinder under the coach body.

It was just Derek working in CK 16221 today, this time installing the base supports for the north end vestibule panelling.

Nearby Phil was working on the valve unit from a toilet water cistern. I forgot to ask him where this was from, but it is likely to be TSO 5042 as he is currently working on the general plumbing for the north end toilet.

A new ceiling panel for the north vestibule in 5042. Bob applied the fine grade filler to the pin holes before giving the panel a coat of primer.

Alan was busy wiping round after fitting a new length of beading to the toilet compartment wall in 5042. This can now be painted. That skirting could do with a fresh coat of black gloss as well

Prior to the repair in 5042, Alan had been repairing the beading above the north corridor connection of SK 24949. Also returned to the 3rd Rake was the newly revarnished access cupboard door for the south end vestibule in FK 13337 "Gillian".

Paul and Dennis were doing some more cleaning and vacuuming in the 3rd Rake coaches.

Bob returned to TK 24006 and, with three of the south end compartments now ready for ceiling painting, began undercoating the first one.

With more items heading on to the Workshop and then the Paintshop trestles, for sanding and varnishing respectably (with some application of wood dye if required), the completed stack in one of the north end compartments in 24006 grows ever larger.

The compartment door blind and other covers, plus the cleaned up ceiling vent covers being held by Dave, also make an impressive showing. Dave is very keen to locate some tables, so using the excellent spares guide created by Kevin, a search will be made in the relevant vehicles.

The 2.25 train was particularly relevant to us today and we wished to pay our respects because John Hughes' family were on board the last coach, and John's ashes were being cast into the firebox. As reported at the beginning of the year, we lost John from cancer.

Returning to happier days. John worked on a large number of these seat side panels and raises a cheer as he completes the last one. He was one of our regular Tuesday Painting and Prep gang as well as working in Upholstery. Before joining C&W he had been with S & T. He is very much missed.

  

As it turned out Alex was guard on this train for the afternoon. Good heavens, he hasn't got his hat on !!!

As I said at the beginning it was an eventful day. Just before lunchtime Phil heard a squealing noise from our pit and discovered that it was a young hedgehog that had fallen in.

The poor little chap was somewhat dazed and very wobbly on his feet when we put him down in the shade of a coach near the Barn. 

He certainly wasn't very thirsty, having probably drank from the water in the pit.

A quick drive to the Coop at Winchcombe for a pack of cat food, and as can be seen, he was very happy to tuck into that. We left him in peace while we had our lunch. Much later he was much steadier on his feet and beginning to sniff around as hedgehogs do. So to get him away from the road by the Barn, and definitely away from the pit area, we took him to the far side of the yard where it would be quiet and with plenty of vegetation. Hopefully he has by now made a full recovery. Had he not recovered quite so well he would have been taken to the Vale Wildlife Hospital and Rehabilitation Centre at Beckford, which is not far away.