Penlan Posted December 2, 2010 Share Posted December 2, 2010 In the S4 Society's book St. Merryn, there's a picture (and some text) of an AA Village Sign, so I thought I would like one of those on the layout, I remember them well in my youth - there was one at Inverkeilor. There's a plentiful selection here Any comments etc., welcome. Edit - It seems the AA and Motor Union combined circa 1910, the AA badge with wings being introduced in 1911 (this is not made clear on the Village Signs site)........ I model circa 1910 B) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest dilbert Posted December 2, 2010 Share Posted December 2, 2010 I remember the 'curvy AA' emblem prior to the modernisation of the logo (early 70s) - to that square ugly lump ... Langley Models produce illuminated AA/RAC Hotel signs in both 4mm & 7mm scales from a bygone era http://www.langleymo...ssories_20.html (scroll to about halfway down the page)... ...dilbert Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penlan Posted December 3, 2010 Author Share Posted December 3, 2010 Further to my OP, I note the English and Welsh AA signs (apart from those jointly mounted by the AA and Scotich RAC) all have the distance to London as the bottom line, even the Cornish ones. Oh, just spotted the second style (1907-1910?) before combining with the MU - Caythorpe (Nott's) doesn't have London either - exception that proves the rule... Mind you Cooksbridge and a couple of others is also pre MU and they do have the distance to London - a can of worms is begining to emerge here. St Merryn's has Bodmin on the bottom line, again don't make a model of a model, go back to the original wherever possible. See cross reference in OP. ....... Oh but I wish I'd thought of using one of these first? ... it's already being printed off for Penlan Oh, they are about 3 bricks wide, which would be 27" looking at those on the AA Village Signs web site (OK, lets call it 30" tops), but I'm sure I read somewhere (possibly in the St. Merryn book, now being read by somebody else) that they were 3' - 3'6" dia., or again about 1 metre dia., on the signs web site. EDIT - here's my Penlan one too (not 1, 2 !!) I used PaintShopPro to modify the original 'Cooksbridge' sign, with WordArt and Autoshape bits added, this jpeg image was then pasted into MS Excel and printed out at (for me) 13% of the original spread sheet size (in Setup) - I know others use publisher, I use Excel because I'm comfortable with it.... and the sign is now ready to go on the layout, just 10mm dia., The image here is a scan of the sign at 100% - but somehow not a 100% circle !!!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wheeltapper Posted December 3, 2010 Share Posted December 3, 2010 What an interesting site .I think I must have gone around with my eyes shut as there are a number of signs on that site still in situ at villages I knew well but which I had never noticed. Slightly off topic but does anyone know when the AA or RAC stopped using Motorcycle and Sidecar combinations for their patrolmen, when the patrolmen stopped saluting members when they spotted the members badge and when the term Patrolman (dont know what they are called nowadays) stopped being used ?. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DVLR Dave Posted December 3, 2010 Share Posted December 3, 2010 There's one here still in use......My link Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penlan Posted December 4, 2010 Author Share Posted December 4, 2010 DVLR Dave, that's a nice one and not on the list of known survivors.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penlan Posted December 4, 2010 Author Share Posted December 4, 2010 .....Slightly off topic but does anyone know when the AA or RAC stopped using Motorcycle and Sidecar combinations for their patrolmen, when the patrolmen stopped saluting members when they spotted the members badge and when the term Patrolman (dont know what they are called nowadays) stopped being used ?. Well the last AA motor cycle WITH SIDECAR was 1968, see here for a brief history, but as will be seen, motorbikes themselves had further use. Saluting by the AA finished in 1961, bar 1 day in April 2006 I think... I'm a long term member of the RAC (since 1960, and an ex. 'Competition Licence' holder), I'm advised the RAC basically lead/followed the AA on giving up Motorcycle+sidecar and saluting activities. Patrolman, uhm, that's tricky, but there's a nice photo here, but I think you'd have to check it out with AA/RAC personnel dept., when the job titles changed... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmsforever Posted December 5, 2010 Share Posted December 5, 2010 The museum in Basinstoke has a section devoted to the AA also has many old buildings even a Portsmouth trolleybus well worth a visit it is on the outskirts of town and backs onto the LSWR main line so you can have look and see whats about. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gastwo Posted December 6, 2010 Share Posted December 6, 2010 Another one still in use - with rather precise distances! : My link Still in Pembs, I snapped another...Cresselly Shaun. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penlan Posted December 6, 2010 Author Share Posted December 6, 2010 ... I snapped another...Cresselly To many http's in the link addy - this will work Cresselly Many thanks for posting these signs, rendered walls don't help to determine size, bricks doooo Shaun, that's a general statement, not a criticism of your links which are most welcome, and to the quarter mile too.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_mccarthy Posted December 8, 2010 Share Posted December 8, 2010 I write as the maker of the St.Merryn AA sign and the author of the book's article! This thread caused me to go back to my source materials and look at them again. Whilst there are a number of cases where London does NOT appear, I do agree that the majority include distance to London, wheresoever was the sign across the UK. Although St.Merryn is a fictitious layout, albeit based on Padstow, and we could adopt a posture that accepted the current model sign as exceptional, the group has decided to take the advice here and re-make the signs (there are actually two on the layout)to include London. We recognise that we are always learning something new! I appreciate the comments made and they all go to help improve the model. The new signs should be installed over the next few weeks. I shall also use a laser printer next time rather than the previous inkjet so as to get a sharper image. Regards, Chris McCarthy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penlan Posted December 9, 2010 Author Share Posted December 9, 2010 Chris, I was inspired by the AA sign on St. Merryn, which then led me to seek further information, which resulted in me noticing the 'London' bit. I was not intending to criticise your sign and also I was trying not to model a copy of a model..... I agree with the laser bit, I can see my ink jet will fade too. I just need to find a laser printer in the village now The St. Merryn book I picked up following a review on RMweb, so one way and another all the dots connected via RMweb Forum. PS, like St. Merryn, Penlan is fictitious too, but I thought it needed a AA name plate - It must have been brand new in 1910. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_mccarthy Posted December 10, 2010 Share Posted December 10, 2010 Thanks, Penlan, and best of luck with your sign. They really are an interesting and quite atmospheric addition to a period layout. The trickist part I found was trying to cut it out truly circular. Just had to persevere - and have a spare print or two to hand! Kind regards, Chris McCarthy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady_Ava_Hay Posted December 10, 2010 Share Posted December 10, 2010 The trickist part I found was trying to cut it out truly circular. Just had to persevere - and have a spare print or two to hand! You both might like to investigate some really old tool supplier for a leather punch of the right diameter. Failing that, a steel tube of the right external diameter and run a tapered grindstone or cutter up the inside. Best done on a lathe probably. One cut on the homemade cutter and it could be ruined as the steel will splay out. The leather punch needs to be sharpened carefully but they are very substantial. My dad had loads of them around the time these signs started to disappear. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penlan Posted January 18, 2011 Author Share Posted January 18, 2011 Well it's done now and added to a bridge pier - it's on the right hand side because that's were it was at Inverkeilor (Angus, Alba) on the railway overbridge abutment as you approached the village from Arbroath, I can remember it well, though no idea who has the sign now. Edit - The stone walling is the old Merit stuff, I think Peco do it now, cut up into short (1" - 1.5") lengths because of the undulations in the ground, bedded in hot glue (gun) and then pollyfiller or similar between the joints and carved to match, a long and tedious job as there's about 50' of it on the layout - it is now being slowly replaced with something nearer to LNWR fencing at the front of the layout, the rear walls are remaining, as they are less likely to give 'scale' as your sight goes to the background on the layout. I lived in the village from 1950 - 52, the sign was still there in the early '70's. Please note, this sign is only here because of the work done by Chris McCarthy for St Merryn, if I had not read the book, there would be no sign, so thanks Chris. One, so you see the lettering, two a more general overview.... The red popies are from some fine 'sponge' sold in card making shops. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
scanman Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 'Only 12 miles to home, bach - should be there in..... oh hell, where did those sheep come from boyo??' Nice touch tho (The sign!) I see a rash of these appearing on correct period layouts! Regs Ian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penlan Posted January 28, 2011 Author Share Posted January 28, 2011 ....oh hell, where did those sheep come from boyo??'.. Yes, the sheep, well they were glued to the road some 20 years ago, when the original owners of the layout based the location at Hartington in the Derbyshire Peak District. TIC - I seem to recall there is a common myth in respect of sheep and the Welsh, but cannot bring it to mind at present. Anyway it's a different cliche to buses, or Clegg and Co., etc., and we do have sheep noices' from a CD playing for the children at exhibitions - when I'm allowed to by the Welsh assistant operators on the layout - which is never Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HARRYMALLARD Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 Well the last AA motor cycle WITH SIDECAR was 1968, see here for a brief history, but as will be seen, motorbikes themselves had further use. Saluting by the AA finished in 1961, bar 1 day in April 2006 I think... I'm a long term member of the RAC (since 1960, and an ex. 'Competition Licence' holder), I'm advised the RAC basically lead/followed the AA on giving up Motorcycle+sidecar and saluting activities. Patrolman, uhm, that's tricky, but there's a nice photo here, but I think you'd have to check it out with AA/RAC personnel dept., when the job titles changed... Thank you very much for that link Penlan. I am about to start building one of those motorcycles with a sidecar and that has some good shots of the real one. Cheers Harry Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Natalie Graham Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 There's an unusual sign still in place in Richmond in North Yorkshire http://g.co/maps/bgczp Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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