Signals.

[stockers]

You may have seen in Garden Rail magazine a short series on simple signals. This got me thinking
(steady on lad!).
Unless you intend to motorise your signals (or switch coloured light signals), there is not a great deal of point in having them working - its just small details to be broken by passing trains, animals and humans.
Here is my first effort. No rodding or counter balance weights - just a good representation of a signal. I think it needs a finial on top of the post - other than that I am fairly pleased.
What do you think?

 

[Gizzy]

I have a few Playmo signals and an Aristo Signal Gantry which I've 'Euronised', but at the moment,they are none working. (The Playmo ones can be fitted with batteries if required.)

The eventual plan is to wire these up, in to protect the junctions, something that will be easier to do, now that I've gone DCC....

 

[Steve]

Simple but very effective Allan

 

[nico]

looks the part

 

[mike]

loooking good alan, i think the finial would be a bonuse!

 

[Woderwick]

I have one question, the signal looks ver British, but your choo choos seems to be of another place ?

 

[stockers]

Yes Wod - thats because my German line is in Kent!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Woderwick]

Ah I see, yes it's a very nice neck of the woods.

 

[tramcar trev]

Looks neat and "crisp"!!! I agree a finial on the top would be the crowning glory so to speak. Thats a job for a small lathe to make one up from brass or Aluminium then make a silastic mould and then you can mass produce them in resin.... See my traction poles, I have made about a 100 finials so far in 2 different designs and they do add the finishing touch.

 

[stockers]

Thanks for the idea Trevor, but I am in front of you on this one.
Resin is my business.

 

[stockers]

I think I am going to slim the post down a bit.

 

[jameshilton]

I like the spectacle plate - that looks great. Could I suggest if it's to represent a british signal, than the white band appears to be a little thick in my opinion? A slimmer post, if it could be made to be as robust, would improve it visually too...

I wonder if you could actually turn the post and finial from metal rod in one piece and then just braze on a bracket and lamp holder to mount the arm on?

 

[stockers]

I wonder if you could actually turn the post and finial from metal rod in one piece and then just braze on a bracket and lamp holder to mount the arm on?

Not for the price I am trying to make them for James.

 

[steve parberry]

How about a european arm so peeps can mix and match the post would be the same just a alternative arm or disc.

 

[yb281]

There has been a series of articles in Garden Rail recently on how to make and automate signals. The tricky bit is making the actual signal arms - IMO the author of the article hasn't got them quite right. Your model would make a great start to such a project Alan, because you would be supplying the difficult to do bit .

 

[yb281]

I like the spectacle plate - that looks great. Could I suggest if it's to represent a british signal, than the white band appears to be a little thick in my opinion?

Looks spot-on to me .

 

[3Valve]

Nice simple solution Alan.

I find a lot of garden railway signals look a little tall to me for narrow gauge but then again I know bugger all about it so maybe not.

Anyhoo there's always Mr Razorsaw

 

[yb281]

Nice simple solution Alan.

I find a lot of garden railway signals look a little tall to me for narrow gauge but then again I know bugger all about it so maybe not.

Anyhoo there's always Mr Razorsaw

I think that's because a lot of them are designed for use on 16mm railways mate (1/19th).

 

[3Valve]

Even some of the one's I've seen on 16mm lines look a wee bit large to me. But as I said I know pretty much bugger all about signals.

If Mr Pendlebury can knock out some simple one's at a nice price I'll certainly buy a few.

(Sorry I meant produce - "knock out" makes it sound like he whittles em up in 5 minutes).

 

[stockers]

Slimmed down the post and been playing around.
(Resin ladders are too fragile to be commercially viable)