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derekarthurnaylor

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  1. derekarthurnaylor
    Hi again all.
    First off,Sorry Petetg i have no idea what the diesel unit on you line could have been. I doubt you will ever find out.Second. He's at it again, me that is How is the mineral on the AVR spelt? C-Oil. That's right. Look out for today's error. I think the only item of motive power not looked to date is the steam railcar featured in the Aire Valley steam developments article of February 1970 article in the Railway Modeller. I think I detailed the construction problems. Possibly the most interesting being (as in the American railcar) the split axle insulated frame method used. The power unit was very compact, much as a modern car is under the bonnet compared to early cars.as mentioned in other postings It was used on the Stony Ridge Branch. An interesting working re the branch was the Wednesday Market day working. This was change over day for the units so the branch unit could return to Saltaire for servicing. The branch unit carried on to Saltaire and the unit from Saltaire worked up to Stony Ridge. So the mid day market working saw the only through workings on and off the branch. Quite a treat for the residents of Stony Ridge.Passenger stock. The original six vehicles were the the two bogie coaches loosely based on the Welshpool and Llanfair stock. These ran on standard Triang TT bogies. The four four wheelers weae based on the original Talyllyn coaches.. These ran on Triang TT goods brake van chassis . These the right length for three compartments plus the full length low step made for easy boarding. Over the following years a hotch potch of single coaches were constructed. Two of my favourites were a four wheeled four compartment coach based on a Cork and Muskerry vehicle. This ran on a long wheel base TT
    goods chassis with a scratch built low long step.The other was a short bogie coach based on a Shull and Skibereen Vehicle. Whether there was need for all these extra coaches I'm not sure. They did make for a change and could be used to strengthen trains or run extras.One odd vehicle was a combined bogie brake van with two 3rd class compartments and a horse box. I think my original thinking the passenger compartments were for the grooms. It was numbered as a freight Vehicle. Having mentioned it was numbered as a freight vehicle I should mention the numbering system. Loocs were allocated 1 to 10. Passenger coaches 11 to 20 Goods vehicles (except the Hoppers) 21 to 60 Hoppers 61 100 and finally rail cars 101 to 110 so there were no repeated numbers.Silly but it seemed organised.
  2. derekarthurnaylor
    Hi everyone.
    I finished my last posting with a mention of another item connected to dry print.This was etching. It was the final "aid" to giving that final finish to the locos. There was an article in I think the Model Railway News explaining how to etch your own nameplates. The author was the late Dennis Allenden, an Englishman living and working in the U.S.A. modelling superb French locomotives and rolling stock in 7mm scale. The production of name plates was in fact pretty simple but need some care in both the production and the handling of the etching fluid.The dry print I mentioned last time was, still is etch resistant. All you had to do was lay the print,lets say AIRE on a sheet of brass. The brass had to be really clean but not buffed up at this stage with metal polish. In the early days there was the problem of straight lines for the plate edging.Until the introduction of lines this was overcome by using insulating tape which was also etch resistant. Put the plate into the etch fluid, for my size of plates I used a test tube.As an aid to keep checking the depth of etch I use a strip of insulating tape on the back of the plate This was two fold,it prevented the back of the plate etching away and the plate could be lifted out of the test tube to check the etch depth. When happy with the depth dispose of the fluid but not in a stainless steel sink. Wash the plate and clean the letters off with a very very fine abrasive paper.Wash it again and paint it , all of it,yes all of it don't try and just paint the etched background. When the paint is thoroughly dry buff it carefully with metal polish and there you have it brass letters, painted back ground, red in my case. Varnish the plate. I also glued mine on with varnish.There you have it another example of scratch building. The etch "fluid" was bought in crystal form. and made up as required. I understand there are several firms now a days who make bespoke nameplates as well as regular names.In another posting I will explain how I took etching to a higher level in connection with model boat building, one which nearly drove me potty. Some say it did. To finish on a different note..There are plenty of really top hole N.G. model railways around today as can be witnessed in all the modelling magazines and societies and indeed exhibitions devoted just to N.G. However if I was asked to pick one modeller who has filled the shoes of John Ahern and P.D.Hancock it will have to be Ted Polet with his C and DR
    I guess that's it for this one Let's see what the next one turns up Regards, Derek...
  3. derekarthurnaylor
    Hi .
    Before going into further etching, an answer to to a question I get asked on odd occasions. " Do I regret parting with the Aire Valley"? I will dodge that question and just say it is in the past and you cannot change the past. A move of house with no room for the railway was the reason for the sale. I know it's been mentioned before that the locos, except two, and rolling stock went to friend in Australia. On a visit to Australia some years later to visit my wife's sister my friend gave me every thing back, It had some minor damage due to a garage fire. On getting the models home it was realised there was no was no way the AVR could be resurrected and after a while the stock was passed over to the 009 Society. Two of the locos, Arthur and Aire were bought by Audrey Boston as a birthday present for Teddy. After Teddy passed away my long time friend Paul Tower's persuaded Audrey to pass them over to the 009Society. The layout went to a modeller in Leicestershire and I think parts of it were exhibited a couple of times.
    I had a go at a simple garden line and built a Manx Electric winter car. The line and of course the car were built to a scale of 10mm to the foot The gauge was 30 mm. This did not get very far and was the first of several model railways that got part built and then sold on.After the aborted MER line I started a long period of radio controlled model boats The first three were railway connected. These were models of Lake Windermere vessels.The first of these was Raven, the little freight vessel that served the hotels and the like on the lake shores. It was, still is, an odd little vessel. It's tiller steered and this position is behind a deck mounted vertical boiler. The only other deck mounted item of note is a railway goods yard type crane..It must have been a rough job for the crew in the lakes rain and winter months. Legend has it that tips the crew got at the hotels was often in the form of ale! The course back to Lakeside was often quite erratic. The hull of the model is constructed on the bread and butter method in balsawood. The deck and fittings are plasticard plus bits of brass wire. The scale is 1/4" to the foot. The crew of two are Slater's 7mm loco crew. At 17" long and a beam of 3 1/2" it was a job to fit the then R/C into it.The last time it sailed was at the Blackpool Model Boat Show in Oct 2012. I still haven't got around to further etching, I will try next time.
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