Jon Fitness

Well, I still use MSE's packs of coloured lens material but my stocks are fairly old. I would use a green lens for a pure white LED, but personally , I wouldn't use pure white for LEDs. Warm white, calmed with a 1k ohm resistor or better still, the "gaslamp" colour LEDs available from Helmsman controls are best. Cheers JF

I think they're known as "portable" engines by the traction engine fraternity. Just as you described it anyway! JF

Here's some artwork I've prepared for etching. I took out the coloured layers for clarity. Apart from the large bracket and the lattice post which are for a commission, it's all experimental stuff! I'm hopefully going to fill a few gaps in what's available for signal building! JF

Yeah but yours are in 4mm scale! I can only just manage 7mm scale.. JF

Absolutely beautiful Steve. Those groundsignals look the absolute dog's and that LMS bracket is just so characterful. Lovely stuff. JF

Many thanks for the compliment! The main arms I did as metal bladed on which the blade is bolted to the front surface of the spec plate casting. The wooden ones (correct me if I'm wrong) are sandwiched between the casting and a plate at the back and I've done the the subs as"wooden". It was more down to what I had in stock! The colour pic of the bracket was supplied to me by Terry, my customer for the signals

Hi All, Except for the weathering I've now completed 2 of the three Radstock signals. The third one needs me to finish some etch artwork off and get it etched. Hopefully I'll get it right first time! Here's a pic of the third one for illustrative purposes only. No copyright problems intended of course! More soon.. JF

Hi Steve, is that circle marked out for the old turntable you had on RB? Jon F

Lovely. Thanks for that, I can finish it off now! Cheers JF

Right-oh. Simple question; having got the white dot and black ring on the front, I'm not sure what should be on the back. Is it a corresponding black dot or a black stripe? Thanks in anticipation, JF

Every day's a school day on here!

As you suggest, I don't have a clear enough picture to see if any of the aspects were reduced on the subs. Customers specified all lower quadrants too. The main mast on the bracket signal seems have additional vertical bracing and a series of internal square plates which quite frankly are going to be a right royal PITA to fit but as I'm getting some etches done for it and the brackets, I should be able to sort something out! JF

Hahaha, slot gear! If I fit it I doubt it would be working! I'd have to check my notes for the correct names for the signals but I suspect you are right with each one. The one with a stop arm and shunt underneath was shortened, possibly during the BR period and lost its shunt arm. I'm working to photos only with these ones so heights are somewhat guesstimated but the layout in question is set in the 1930s. And most of it is in a garden! Cheers JF

Time for a quick update! Still on a sort of SR theme..sort of! I have 3 S&DJR era signals to build of a Stevens/SR design for a model of Radstock (not mine I hasten to add!) The arms are the MSE super 7 version. The main lattice post is 30ft but extended rather roughly to 34ft on the first one and 40ft (!) on the second one using offcuts from other etches. The 3rd signal will be a very lofty bracket signal that will require me to design a few etches... More soon JF

Got some paint on the big ex LSWR bracket now. All the mechanical linkages from base to weight bars are now done, so all the difficult stuff is done. Not far to go to finishing it now!

The main structure of the bracket signal is now ready for painting. I've left off the front handrail until all is painted and assembled as it's easier to link up all the mechanical connections without it! Sorry about the dodgy focus on the pic. I dropped my phone and all the accumulated dust inside has now found its way to between the lens and its cover....

I've now got an ex LSWR 4 doll platform mounted bracket signal on the go. For this I got some large brackets etched along with staging framework and SR style weightbars/brackets. This is the etch in 0.375 NIcklesilver (including some mistakes I made!) I've already punched out the rivet detail. The weightbar brackets ready for forming. The brackets turned out to be a little wide for this particular job so were shortened by 1 section at the ends. With the main post reduced in height the structure was assembled in its basic form. Next up was the dolls, all MSE etches with Scale Signal Supply arms. They will eventually gain Modelu lamp cases and finials. The bottom flanges fitted to the brackets and the dolls added. More Soon JF

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Lovely work Stephen. JF

I've revived an old signal and re purposed it for it's new owner. A former 2 arm shunt signal it became a stop signal with a shunt underneath it. In the process it gained new lamp cases, arms, backblinds, ladders, staging and weight bars. It also had a two segment stencil route indicator fitted!. Trigger would have been proud of me! Next off the bench was a BR(W) 3 doll stop signal. This one features the first use of my own etched GWR pressed steel signal arms. These are the earlier pattern with the front corrugated edges rather than the later folded edge type. The back blinders and weightbars are also off the same etch. Modelu 3D printed finials and lampcases are now standard fitments on my GW signals and the LEDs are Helmsman's "gaslamp" ones as recommended by Steve Hewitt. I'm now hooked on these as they allow the correct use of turquoise lenses in the green spectacle glass. More soon (including more etches!) JF

There's a bit of a story behind these 3 signals that you may or may not be aware of. I built them for a customers scale7 layout of Bath Green Park loco shed and its environs but sadly the chap passed away before he took delivery. I've recently had permission to sell them on so if anyone out there wishes to buy any or all of them, please PM me for further details. The largest of them features a custom etched main bracket. All of them are servo fitted and LED lit. JF

Fantastic work Steve! I struggle to get my cranks and links that neat in 7mm never mind 4mm scale.. JF

Lovely! I may not be a great fan of the GW but they turned out some fine looking signals!

Here we go... Next up is a GW style banner repeater... All servo operated and LED lit! JF