Page 21 - July August 2014

would not actually look right and the wood would likely split when nailed or, if not then, when pressure was applied to the bent.
The part­finished bent is now removed from the jig and turned over onto a flat surface. The cross­braces on the other side are now lined up by sight with those on the other side and nailed in place. The sway braces are lined up in the opposite sense to those on the other side and nailed in place.
Given that I knew the height of the tall bents at 31", I slightly modified the position of the bottom sill for these to ensure the correct dimensions. The surplus portions of the posts were now cut off. With the shorter bents, the lower ends
were left unfinished pending their positioning on site. For these bents I used shorter post sections and only the upper part of the jig. With this jig I was able to get a production line going with multiple posts and braces cut in advance. In order to avoid the need to keep changing the nail lengths I actually made several bents without the sway braces and then applied all the sway braces to these in one procedure. The wood needs to be treated or stained to withstand the rigours of outdoor use. You could fill a book with all the different ideas people have: before or after assembly, paint, wood pre­ servative, creosote, dipping, spraying, brushing and so on. I decided to treat and at the same time stain my bents after assembly by dipping them in Cuprinol Timbercare in Rich Oak and accordingly obtained three 6­litre cans. Rich Oak was not a choice of colour that seemed logical for what would usually be pine timbers, but after some experimentation I concluded
From John Fish
Why American? The first reaction is “Why not?” I had done all the trainspotting in the dying days of steam, visited the graveyards at Lostock Hall and Carnforth, attempted various LMS­themed model railways – really trying to relive in miniature British Railways of the ’50s and ’60s.
I had a Kitmaster early American General that I built, and got a couple of old “Trains” magazines and a “Model Railroader”. This showed the colours of American diesels and boxcars, the opposite of Henry Ford’s much­quoted “Any colour you like so long as it is [not] black.” I was hooked.
Later I bought the Pentrex video (now DVD) of Northern/Central/Pacifico Railroads of Mexico, which I can highly recommend. Also the DVD of the Copper Canyon, which I try to model in N scale. Oh, if only I had the time! Yes, it’s American for me, well south of the border, or American border roads anyway.
PS: Does anyone know where I can get steam­era NdeM decals in N scale? Written replies only please: 13 Schoolfield, Bamber Bridge, Preston PR5 8BJ.
PPS: Would anyone volunteer to become a Decal Officer/Co­ordinator (just a thought)?
Finally a “Well Done” to all BOD members and helpers. Thank you.
that this gave a result most like the creosoted prototype trestles I had seen. As the trestle has weathered I have been very happy with this choice. What to use as a container that would be big enough and relatively shallow? Fortunately, I stumbled across a Growbag tray in a garden centre that had just the right dimen­ sions. In order to get the best result I could, without access to pressure treatment, I dipped the bents in the tray and also used a soft brush to liberally stroke the stain into the wood. It was also helpful that as I was using roofing battens, these had already been pressure­treated.
Next time: Assembling the Trestle
august 2014 21