Jon Fitness

And the rest of them wont load yet!!

The "Ilfracombe" bracket is now all finished and ready for delivery... More to come! I'll have to start resizing pics again... JF

Hi Nigel, is that the St Petersburgh collection model of the Bristol L? Cheers Jon F

I contacted Helmsman a few days ago to buy some of the LEDs as they won't be at Bristol O gauge show on Sunday. I've just received my order today. Very quick and fuss free service. JF

Some more progress on the "Ilfracombe" bracket signal. Dolls soldered in place and 2 of the LEDs fitted. I've run out of the "gaslamp" LEDs from Helmsman so I'm hoping to restock at Bristol next weekend. It's turning out a little wider than I expected but only because I'm using modified etches rather than scratchbuilt. I think it's captured the spirit of the real one though! More soon JF

Just the job! Nice work mate!

Excellent bit of work Stephen. You possibly need to post a photo of the signal next to something that shows how small it is! JF

A little Christmas project before I start on the signals again! An Ian Kirk LMS P3 brake 3rd non-corridor. I'm trying to keep this a "cheap as chips" project as I had the wheels in stock and made the buffers from scratch. A kind friend also made me a dimmable lighting board with a separate constant feed for a tail lamp. This is how far I got before signal building broke out again... More soon JF

Back to it on the signal bench now! Seems like I've got a bit of a Southern thing going at the moment. This is very similar to a previous signal I've built but I'm quite pleased with it anyway. A 2 doll ex LSWR structure fitted with U/Q arms and 2 standard SR ground signals bracketed off it. This one is an SR built 4 doll bracket based on one from Ilfracome. The construction of the real thing looks to be 3 H girders braced together. I've used 3 pieces of box section with "flanges" soldered on to represent the girders so I can use the space inside to hide wires etc. More soon JF

Hope I can help! There are a few "signature" fittings and structures that wil identify the plain tubular post signals as being from the ER such as the lampmans's staging and handrails. Bracket signals on the ER tended to be of the Plate and Angle types rather than just from tubes. Feel free to take anything you need from my thread, it's exactly what its there for! JF

Thank you Mick! Let me know if there's anything else needed! Cheers JF

Have a word with Modelu and see if his signal lamps are "printable" at 16mm scale too.

Cor! 16mm scale, that's almost heavy engineering for me! Eastern region isn't my specialist subject really but by the mid to late 50s there weren't many ex GCR signals left. Your assumption that most would be upper quadrant isn't far wrong. The tubular posts that replaced most of the old wooden or lattice posts would probably be of a similar height to the older structures as for the most part, the same sighting would be required until colour light signals were used. Ground signals were mostly ex LNER standard disc type. Always difficult to give "standard" sizes as most signals were, as you suggest, designed for specific locations from a selection of fairly standard types. I can provide drawings of standard ex LMS bits and pieces but for things ex LNER, there are a few chaps on here that have a far more in depth knowledge than me! An excellent book for budding signal builders Mick Nicholson's one which I heartily recommend. I'll post some drawings up for you soon Jon F.

Ummm... Lever frame?

Let's have a look then!

There's still plenty of signals in the to do pile! When I get round to the mogul, I'll be looking at your build rather than showing mine!

Ooh, may be looking at some 7mm versions of those... JF

I've still quite a bit of signal work to do so hopefully I'll keep updating here. Not sure here is the right place for bus pics though!! JF

Time for an update methinks... As the end of our first full year on the island approaches, it's probably time to take stock of where I'm up to. Happy as I am on the Isle of Wight, a certain element of frustration has oozed into my life. I now have a bigger backlog of jobs since I retired and am trying to enjoy one or three other distractions (building my O gauge garden railway, volunteering at both the Bus Museum and Steam Railway!) I also still have to finish my own bus restoration and revitalise an old motorcycle too! All problems of my own making of course but I think the model signal building biz is going to take a back seat for a year or so while I catch up. I still have a couple of months of signal work to do before I take my break. There are other factors too; my rather scatterbrained approach to modelling hasn't helped and whilst looking for something I thought I'd lost the other day, I unearthed a couple of scribbled notes from prospective customers who I'd managed to completely forget about amongst other things! One of my recent builds has produced some signals for someone who tragically never got to see them before he passed away. I also have two rather nice GWR signals for someone who paid me a deposit and is now, due to my not keeping proper records proving difficult to contact. (msb12 on here, wherever he is!) Anyway, grumble over.... For Bath Green Park...a strange combination of BRW structure and fittings with Upper Quadrant arms. It uses a BRW bracket etch I did the artwork for, Modelu lamps and finials and Scale Signal Supply arms. It is Servo operated and LED lit. A GWR earlier pattern ground signal with Modelu lamp case (huge improvement!) and is set up for manual operation and unlit. A GWR early type balanced bracket signal. The bracket is scratchbuilt and the signal is fitted with Modelu lamps and finials. For manual operation and unlit. Painted and Weathered.. And a rather ficticious but characterful GWR colour light gantry. Mostly scratchbuilt plus some rather nice etched brackets left over from a previous job and a couple of very nice 3D printed signal heads. Just started on some SR bracket signals, more of which next time! Pip Pip! JF

Good luck with the operating! I think your signals on Lime Street will be a good demonstration of your unsurpassed skills! JF (Glasshopper!)

Sad news indeed. Sorry to hear that. JF

Very nice work Stephen. Especially as its 2mm scale! I'd struggle to see the bits, never mind pick them up and assemble them. JF

And my mechanical linkages just don't seem to get any better either. Tried quite a few different methods but they still end up clunky.