Page 6 - January February 2010

UNCOUPLED
C A R S (all items by the Editor unless otherwise credited)
New Group
If you live within reach of the Uxbridge area, note the new Kingsport Division entry and contact in Division Diary. Give Pete Williams a ring and join in!
From Reg Lowe . . .
I could not let John Spratley’s second and third paragraphs (President’s Car, Dec 2009 Roundhouse) go without comment. Having been a member of the NMRA-BR for only a few months, I chose not to vote, feeling that there are longer-serving members who would possibly know the candidates far better than I.
Without repeating all the aforementioned paragraphs, but just taking: “this shows the greatest disrespect (one could almost say contempt) for all those people, officials, officers and volunteers”. I have no disrespect or contempt for anyone I have met (or read about) in the NMRA- BR, and that includes Mr Spratley.
Just how much more alienating can any such statement be? Taken to extremes, one could say that Mr Spratley shows disrespect and contempt for 77% of the NMRA-BR members. After reading such a tirade, it sure makes me glad I didn’t vote. I now have the feeling of being pressured to vote in all NMRA-BR elections, else the “President” will ridicule me! Hardly the way to keep members, in my opinion.
I take the view that, by not voting, I am not entitled to question the decisions taken by those who are elected, and rightly so. As an aside I will say, for what it’s worth, that I always vote in local and national elections.
I am old in the teeth now, but in my younger days I ran a small group as a volunteer for many years (nothing to do with railways) and agree about the expenses involved, but please don’t harp on about it. A short “one liner” occasion- ally, as a reminder to the membership, is all that’s required. It’s your choice to put yourself forward for election and, I guess, your choice in deciding what allowable expenses to claim for, if any.
I really do appreciate all the time, effort and expense put in by all members, elec- ted or not, of any organisation, but please don’t make me feel like something that should be scraped off the bottom of one’s shoes before entering the house. You have certainly dented my enthusiasm for the NMRA-BR.
Dear Editor . . .
I have been a member of the Scottish Division for a good few years now. During this time I have helped to organise and take an active part in our annual meet at Linlithgow. I have travelled many miles to promote the NMRA at various locations in Scotland. I have helped man the stand, have done demonstrations and generally helped the area rep when possible. I am part of a group whose layout always advertises our connections with the NMRA and always has leaflets available. I have never asked for expenses and will not do so. Nevertheless according to our president I am apathetic and do not care about the NMRA because I do not vote in the election of office bearers. In a democracy the right not to vote is as important as the right to vote. I will continue to exercise this right in my own way and will not be
influenced by any other factors. Yours sincerely
Jim Stormonth
AsTimeGoesBy...
John Firth sent me a scan of the June 1951 Roundhouse, which included the notes below. As John says, “Do not try this at home!”
I hope Elf’N’Safety is on his holidays at present . . .
TRACKWORK IN HO GAUGE
By C W Collier
Before we turn to the construction of points there are two small matters which require attention if the preceding descrip- tions are to be complete.
1. When double track passes from the straight, to a curve, it is necessary, more particularly where sharp radii are involved, to widen the distance between the tracks. This is obvious when you consider the overhang that will occur with long cars and coaches. The two tracks, therefore, will not ease into the curve on an equidistant basis, but the inner one must commence first so that the tracks will diverge progressively until the desired distance apart is obtained at the centre of the arc.
2. So far, we have not discussed a method for colouring that nice bright shiny nickel silver rail which you have been laying. The common method is to paint over the rail when the track is complete, to achieve the effect of weathering, but this is an exhausting process and paint has a habit of sticking to a lot of places where it is not required. The following chemical process will prove well worthwhile and has given excellent results in practice.
4 oz of hydrous Ferric Chloride are warmed until the salt melts in its own water of crystallisation. To this concen- trated solution, 1⁄4 oz of White Arsenic
(Arsenic Trioxide) is added, which will dissolve to give a stable solution. Just sufficient of this solution is used to cover the rail which is to be treated, and a convenient method is to place the 18 in. rails in a length of glass tubing corked at one end. The solution is used cold and about 5 minutes of immersion is given. The rail is immediately washed in hot or boiling water, dried and finally polished with a soft cloth. The used solution must be discarded, and not returned to the main stock. (CAUTION, the chemicals are corrosive and poisonous and every precaution must be taken.) When the track is finally laid, the running surface is burnished with fine emery cloth, giving a most pleasing and realistic appearance. Incidentally, whilst the chemicals are in use it might be a good idea to soak a few of the nickel silver fishplates as well. While we are on the subject of “colouring”, it will be useful to describe a process for colouring of automatic scale couplings of the Devore, Roundhouse and Athearn type. These present a problem from the finishing point of view, for they cannot be coloured by conventional paints on account of the tiny mechanisms involved. However, a chemical immersion method which will produce a reasonable black finish is quite suitable and will not impair the working efficiency of the coupler. The following solution should be pre- pared:
Copper Nitrate 6.25 grammes, Copper Chloride 6.25 grammes, Ammonium Chloride 6.25 grammes, Hydrochloric Acid (Conc.) 6.25 cc, Water to 1 litre.
The couplers, after degreasing in a Solvent suchasCarbonTetrachloride(commercial Thawpit) or Acetone, are immersed in the above solution at room temperature. They should be removed at once and washed fully in hot water. The solution which has been used can be retained and used again, providing large quantities of parts have not been treated.
This process give a good black finish to the metal which is tenacious. It is equally suitable, of course, for the treatment of any zinc base die-castings where a black finish, or black undercoating for paint, is desired.
YARD LIMIT
6 rOuNDHOuSe