Aire Valley 1970s NG layout

[D6356]

Hi
By sheer good fortune , I hope anyway the layout built by Derek Naylor in the 1970s and seralised in the RM from July 1972 issue has been passed on to me. at 11 foot square it has the potential for a lot of fun. It had been conserved in Warwickshire in a dry warm room so much is still good but it will like the bionicman movie.. A big rebuild.
Pictures show Saltaire from the end looking towards the loco sheds, second is Stoney Bridge , Third albeit 90 degrees out is a view impossible normally looking at this side of the trestle at Stoney R the last two photos show the problem of aging wiring and open switches.

All is not lost as I was able to run a loco from Saltire platform to Aire Gap

Really quite mad
Robert

 

[D6356]

Couple more pics
Saltire and Coil terminal site and clinker block plant

Moorhead, sadly station canopy gone but some pics in RM so replica possible

Nethertarn, some fun here on station by wall is a couple having a "moment" - very risky for 1920s Control panel of the era!C-oil quarry at extreme right, covered by poly sheet - much is loose but hopefully new PVA will restore. The brown blob on back scene is site of the church, which was found elsewhere so can be refixed.

End of the line as it had been stored, with branch to Stone ridge disconnected, both ends visible here! The two bell push buttons work the sawmill and water mill, hopefully recoverable as part of the history of the line and articles, which luckily show how the mechs were built. All the wiring for the gismos is just stapled on bottom of framing and is badly damaged as a result.
Still this could be fun if the world would stop long enough!
Robert

 

[Allen M]

Robert
There is the good old H&M controller and the Woolworth switches. I does take me back .
Don't have the switched now but still have a controller that is used for testing.

Hope you are successful with the restoration.

Regards
Allen

 

[D6356]

Robert
There is the good old H&M controller and the Woolworth switches. I does take me back .
Don't have the switched now but still have a controller that is used for testing.

Hope you are successful with the restoration.

Regards
Allen

Yes it is a time warp - in a nice way. There are two controllers but both have been given new leads and no earth connections! The switches still "snap" nicely but 20 years of gentle grime and dust deposits have taken their toll.
Hopefully by testing what works and does not will see how much can be sorted.
Photo is underside of panel. In lieu of any records I have photoed underside of boards as a starting point.

I think Nethertarn will be a starting point in restoration as it is least affected by passage of time and has best baseboard.

 

[John TAYLOR]

I really enjoy reading about ancient preserved layout restorations, so, look forward to many more updates.

John

 

[D6356]

No pics but just to add 4 of 7 boards now crated for transport. What had been niggling is now sorted, I have 97% , the scenic break area of Withering Heights and river bridges on the approach to Nethertarn are AWOL/ MIA. This would explain why the open end of Stoney Ridge has no end framing... The July 1972 RM issue does however have a good photo and explanation of the source building so a replica will be possible.
Real work gets in the way so this is end of saga for a few weeks..
Robert

 

[AJC]

Hi Robert,

That's one of those layouts that I've only ever heard about - though I seem to recall that some of the stock has been displayed by the 009 Society (3' prototypes? Is this 12mm gauge?) - do you have any of it yourself or will that all have to be replaced? Quite a project whichever way you look at it, and a very charming one. Thanks for sharing, I look forward to seeing how you get on.

Adam

 

[D6356]

Adam,
12mm gauge Wrenn track no stock sadly but good to know 009 soc has some. Hopefully some will turn up. Much of the plasticard is very brittle and the three rail wooden fencing from Moorhead to Nethertarn / Stoney ridge made from fine stripwood posts and glued rails has disintegrated, in total around 20 feet to be rebuilt.
It will necessary to build a sub frame for the layout as the framing is very weak and damaged in places. The little hazard below decks is that every track pin pierces through by about 3mm, like a porcupine in places! Elastic bands were used in many places as was cotton for signal pulls all rotted away and only a few signals remain intact.

It is off it time and quite exceptional and my heart says it deserves a safe place, head does say what a fool! It will be a long haul.
Thanks
Robert
Stoney Ridge control panel
Moorhead cats cradle, all the wire tube- mercontrol IIRC are solid- I guess rusted wire quite a bit of the insulation is cracked, every little black dot on the baseboard is a track pin sticking through!

 

[AJC]

Hi Robert,

A bit of googling shows the following, which is what I remembered - might be worth dropping the Society a line (not that they'll let it go, I guess, but they'll presumably know what happened to it).

https://flic.kr/p/7SDdvu

Some better pictures of some of the locos here: Heritage Collection 1-12 – The 009 Society

Adam

 

[D6356]

Adam,
Thank you for the picture, certainly worth making contact, even if only to get a chance to see them.
Robert

 

[Rob R]

Just think of all the nice shiny new outside framed locos you could build on the Hornby tt120 08 chassis.....
A new era for 4mm 3ft gauge modelling.

 

[Jordan]

every little black dot on the baseboard is a track pin sticking through!

I got that on one of my layouts where I'd used 6mm ply as the top. Only found out when I went to lift it up and got several nasty holes in my fingers all of a sudden!!

 

[D6356]

Just think of all the nice shiny new outside framed locos you could build on the Hornby tt120 08 chassis.....
A new era for 4mm 3ft gauge modelling.

Rob,
Yes indeed and if you saw the Hornby fun yesterday the chassis might well be the next thing in road chassis as well.
Not sure how the finer dimensions of TT120 will cope with Wrenn code massive rail and WW1 trench wide flange gaps at crossings.. mind you most of Aire Valley has the swing nose combined switch rail arrangement which nicely overcomes the issue.. The old line has bumps and rail twist that makes the track between Didcot and Oxford look good. So some form of springing now really needed. Simon Starr, a freind who operates Dingle layout has suggested the HOm track with sleepers adjusted to 10mm centres would make a good visual match on areas beyond hope. Where the Wrenn track has had every nail hole used track is fine, elsewhere the fibre has warped and track is pretty well "fubard"
Robert

 

[David B]

Wonderful! For nostalgia’s sake this year I’ve been rereading my Dad’s old RMs, dating from 1966. I’m currently halfway through the 1970 volume and I’ve been enjoying Derek Naylor’s various articles about the various quirky locos and railcars he’d built for the line. I’d been mulling to myself that the Aire Valley was one of those charismatic, almost entirely scratch-built flight-of-fancy lines you never see these days, more’s the pity……and now here it is in 2023, and photographed in colour. Incredible. Thank you for letting us know that the line lives on. Looking forward very much to following the latest tales from the Aire Valley (and I loved your spot-on reference to the Didcot - Oxford track quality too).

 

[PaulRhB]

Robert, you can contact several of the 009 society heritage collection officers direct on NGRM, Julien Webb is the chap to talk to.

NGRM-online

ngrm-online.com

NGRM is run by the Chivers (Finelines) family, you have to sign up to see it but you’ll find quite a few influential NG modellers lurking

 

[D6356]

Robert, you can contact several of the 009 society heritage collection officers direct on NGRM, Julien Webb is the chap to talk to.

NGRM-online

ngrm-online.com

NGRM is run by the Chivers (Finelines) family, you have to sign up to see it but you’ll find quite a few influential NG modellers lurking

Hi Thanks for that I have been in contact with Julien but will look to do NRGM later - just doing overtime at day job to cover short notice sickness, on line in lull..
Robert

 

[James Spooner]

Hi Thanks for that I have been in contact with Julien but will look to do NRGM later - just doing overtime at day job to cover short notice sickness, on line in lull..
Robert

Robert,

Thanks for starting this thread up, which I have just caught up with. Like you, I have fond memories of the articles in the RM in the early 1970’s and it is good to see the layout has survived so well. I don’t envy you in the restoration task; a fellow member of the EMGS NW Surrey group has taken on restoration of Metropolitan Junction, a rather fine 1950’s EM layout and there is an awful lot of work involved in these projects, especially as elements just seem to collapse around you as you restore other bits. I know another member of the same group has acquired another layout, with a similar intention but it has defeated him. I look forward to hearing of progress in the restoration of this unique layout and let me know if I can be of any help.

Nigel

 

[dltaylor]

Wow, amazing to see the Aire Valley again, and pleased that its "in good hands".
The AVR was a huge influence on my modelling, and I still go back and re-read those Railway Modeller articles from time to time.

 

[D6356]

Stony Ridge,
c-oil ,ine and logging point, trees on bank were an article in themselves. River is now but a dry creek but hopefully will restore with a clean and a coat of varnish- water based so to pollute! The leading edge shows the gem? turnover point controls - mostly snapped as wires seized in the copper tubes- luckily these are screwed to independent timbers under so should be able detach and fettle.


Underside showing the work to do Top pic left hand 6 coloured push buttons, below is underside of same complete with carefully colour coded white wires- all detached from 3 motors for working the crane. Little of the layout wiring is threaded through frames, most is stapled to underside of frames or free falling! so removal possible I have several more "dull" pictures of the under sides, but these very useful records of feeds and returns. There is a modicum of cab control wiring with transfer switches to allow Moorhead to drive into both Stony Ridge and Nethertarn. And Saltire to Moorhead.



The last pic shows Moorhead divergence control split over join. lever frame has pull off string and rubberband returns for points and signals. The overlaping switch controls timber siding and the studs along side look to control the H+M motor for the siding points. Intrestingly in this modern age of sound is the layout fitted button for "horn" - for the Stony Ridge railcar.
The only advantage of the join shown is it makes Moorhead station board 4 feet long and thus almost easily transported -bar its age and fragility!

Chatting with a 3mm friend I did have an almost blasphemous moment wondering if the AVR had gone the way of the VOR or Welspool NG lines and had been nationalised. Rail blue railcar and cut down diesel shunters for hauling the C-oil mgr workings? Also a preserved version has been suggested which would mean no need to replicate missing or models elsewhere. I think the little people on the line would have something to say so best just to leave them as madcap schemes, but you read it here first..
Robert

 

[Rob R]

I first saw the Rheidol in 1979 when everything was in BR Blue, but the big difference by then was the white/black/white lining on the locos with a red background to the number and name plates.
They looked very smart indeed.
Would be nice to see a blue one again.......