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Jon Fitness
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Posts posted by Jon Fitness
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On 10/04/2023 at 15:28, hartleymartin said:
That was never going to be a possibility for me, living down here in the antipodes. But thanks, it may help me track down something appropriate!
I may have posted it elsewhere on RMweb, but I found a similar Australian prototype, which is the basis/inspiration for my own project. My own model will be about 10% over-scale I think, but I plan on something which captures the character of this little loco. I have no information on dimensions other than 37" Driving Wheel diameter and 12"x18" Cylinders.
Certainly looks like a Manchester Ship Canal loco. I'll check my book for a suitable drawing. It may be worth contacting Andy Beaton at Ragstone models for some bits as he took on the actual Canal class kit from Agenoria.
JF
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On 08/04/2023 at 17:24, hartleymartin said:
Apologies for the thread necromancy!
I now have a rather sad looking spare Hudswell Clarke which has given up lots of parts to keep other ones going. I am planning on doing a similar Canal-class conversion, but I do have to ask: What dome and chimney did you use?
Everything else I either already have or can obtain locally. The only two parts I need to obtain are the chimney and dome.
Ah, I raided the infamous bargain bits box on the Agenoria stand at a model railway exhibition. That's where the smokebox door came from too. I think they were all "seconds" from one of their Hudswell Clarke kits. I don't think it would still be possible as the Agenoria range passed to Ragstone Models although it maybe worth contacting them..
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On 13/01/2023 at 12:17, The Stationmaster said:
The little wheel at the back being rotatable was obviously copied from a real one. My photo below shows a later variant of ground signal (inter war design) with the little wheel at the front (which puts it nearest the lever frame which works the signal) and shows how the signal wire goes round the wheel to work the balance weight lever.
In this case it looks like the thing has been altered at some time - possibly in preservation but equally possibly before that - as the guide for the detector plunger has been turned through 90 degrees. The wheel could also be arranged at 90 degrees to the position shown in my photo depending on the route of the signal wire run.
The design of the inbuilt detector also clearly varied over the years. The original Reading Works photo of the new disc face applied to an existing ground signal includes the little wheel at the rear of the signals - and serving the same purpose as in my photo - but the detection uses a flat bar arranged vertically and presumably working by interference on the bottom of the T piece of the balance weight lever. Very much in the manner of the detector in the ABS kit. I suspect that this arrangement predated the plunger detector.
That's a lovely picture thanks Mike. Looks like there's no mechanical detection fitted? The little cable wheel rotates on my models but isn't available to rotate on its bracket!
Cheers
JF
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And away we go into 2023..
This quite a rare beasty (I was sent two of them to build). It is a very early GWR independent ground signal from the victorian era with its modified disc face. As the master was made by the late Adrian Swain it was of course, an absolute delight to build and is now fitted with a servo..
and for no apparent reason, the little cast wheel at the back is rotatable too😁
Something totally different next but that will be a while yet as I have to design the etches...
JF
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Greetings All!
These two were the final signals of 2022....
This was an old ex layout signal from ages ago which appeared being built in this thread being built! Its an LMS BFB post offset bracket signal. After refurbishment (new arms, backblinds, weightbars and servos) and a bit of paint it went on to a new home.
Another BR(WR) bracket signal from my own etches with Modelu finials and lamp cases....
And that's 2022 done and dusted!
Cheers and more to follow...
JF
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8 minutes ago, kitpw said:
Am I right in thinking these are (i.e. represent) wooden arms? I coldn't see them in Bolton's BIts listings - perhaps not yet available?
First rate models, all of them! I looked particularly hard at the ground discs as I have a few to do (when I've completed a signal box which is taking an age to finish). I think I'm relieved I don't need any banner repeaters though!
Thank you! Early GW arms not yet available as that arm is one of 3 slightly different versions of the same thing. Just needed to know what details needed improving or making either finer or more pronounced/robust. I think that was the best of the 3. All will be available in the new year along with further improved versions of some of my current range. I might even get round to doing some intelligible instructions 😆
JF
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Latest updates on the usual selection of WR signals being constructed!
A simple early pattern GWR signal. This features my own Boltons Bits etched post and fittings and the first of my early pattern GW arms. The finial and lamp case are Modelu..
This next beast was even more of a challnge than my last banner repeater. Hiding the linkages was a nightmare and the banner heads are illuminated with tiny SMD LEDs glued to the back of the 3D printed heads just below the pivots..
Next up is a fairly standard WR bracket, again featuring all my own etches.. I think I may have been a little heavy with the matt black rattle can on this one but the weather was playing havoc with the paintwork before the sun made a rare appearance..
Finally, a GWR twin disc. I made up the main stand from square brass tube and filed a cap on it. The square lamps are Modelu and the rest is my own etches.
More soon!
JF
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6 hours ago, Arun Sharma said:
I like that one - I'm guessing that's in the NW Road Transport Museum in St Helens. I think that might be quite a useful kit to design. I will see if there are any plans in the MBF catalogue.
I think Its an East Lancashire coachbuilders body on a Leyland PD3 chassis.
Correction, Its a PD2 so Itll be 27ft 6" not 30 ft.
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22 hours ago, Arun Sharma said:
If I can find a decent set of drawings [or even a prototype in a museum] a Leyland PD3 with the St Helen's front would be a possibility as I have already designed that front end on some LT breakdown tenders viz:
The difficult bit was the radiator area. Converting this into a bus half cab would be pretty straightforward.
However, the next model in the list is almost completed and that is the LT 1938 Tube Stock Driving Motor.
There's quite a few vehicles about with St Helens style front ends. Here's a particularly excellent one!
JF
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On 04/11/2022 at 10:39, Stephen Freeman said:
I bought a set of 5 (I think) of varying sizes, the smallest being just right for 4mm scale round ones. For 7mm round spectacles a standard hole punch generally works. In 4mm and smaller I sometimes use canopy glue to create the glass and colour in with Tamiya clear paint, though it does have its limitations. If the spectacle is is too large it can be difficult to obviate the bottle glass effect and the Blue that Tamiya use isn't quite right to convert the warm white LED to green, at least not without some trickery. Preferred spectacle glazing is of course Wizards.
I've also got a block type hole/disc punch that ranges from 1/8" to 1". basically a steel block in two halves with steel pins that are hammered down after sandwiching material between the blocks.
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22 minutes ago, St Enodoc said:
Sorry, Jon, I meant the banner repeaters!
Ah, I use a large leather punch for those!
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Have any more pictures gone missing since the big crash? I'm not sure but I think some of my more recent additions have disappeared...
JF
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12 hours ago, Simond said:
Jon,
please could you show us a pic of the underside of the stage? I’m interested in how the steelwork supports the woodwork, and the handrail stanchions!
(im a finalist in this week’s “spot the anorak” competition!)
atb
S
Probably not prototypical but this is how I do it. The supports are bars I've had etched with a 0.6mm hole in each end for the stanchions, one of those little bits to make life easier during construction. Lost count of the number I've hand made over the years and got them almost the same length with holes almost in the right places😒
Cheers
JF
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8 hours ago, The Stationmaster said:
Brilliant job but (I apologise profusely for introducing a 'but') where's the finial guv?😮 Looks like it's been got at by some 'ell of a mess S&T folk who had a dislike for, and jealously of, (G)WR style when it comes to modern semaphore signals😇
Ah, this one is based loosely on one at Stratford-on Avon which didn't have one...
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17 hours ago, St Enodoc said:
What did you glaze them with Jon?
I purchased two A4 sheets of coloured filter gels, (I think that's what they're called!) and had a load of spectacles laser cut to the appropriate shapes. These latest centre pivoted arms will need some new shapes done though; I had to hand cut these!
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This beasty uses a signal from High Wycombe as its inspiration. All my own etches again with the usual Modelu finials and lampcases. It is servo operated but unlit.
An altered large bracket etch
Dolls and brackets added
The finished article...
The planks are laser cut from 0.9mm ply and stained with an enamel wash.
The servo stack needed a proper fixing instead of my usual sticky pad method..
More soon
JF
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Using some of my new etches, this is one based on a signal that used to be at Tolcarne Junction..
It uses my own etched fold up post and is LED lit and servo operated...
More soon
JF
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More Great Westernry or at least BR Westernry has trundled slowly off the bench in the last few weeks.
As a match for the previous stop and distant signal, here's the banner repeater on the approach to it...
It has 3d printed heads, done for me by Nikki Wilkes and they are of the internally lit variety. Thankfully they didn't actually need lighting this time!
This shows the heads with brass tubes for bearings. Normally I would run the drive wires straight up inside but the design of this particular signal meant another method had to be found...
The rear access caps were used as a sort of hidden link method. Not entirely convincing but the only workable solution I could think of..
More very soon!
JF
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Although I'm not a massive fan of RMs, it's 7mm and I'm happy to see it! Could the chassis/underparts possibly be designed with motorising in mind? A robust well engineered steering axle and hubs would be massively helpful. I know a lot of folk seem to be interested in R/C for their 7mm road vehicles but I would be more inclined to the Faller roadway sort of arrangement so that it could operate independently. Another development could be accommodation for interior lighting and illumination of destination blinds.
JF
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On 08/10/2022 at 10:30, Stephen Freeman said:
Probably the best 7mm scale UQ arms to date. A couple of interesting observations, One of our sons music teachers has a full sized one I was looking at the other day. The red seemed to be the same shade overall but the part usual seen as black had been painted white, I couldn't see the back of the arm so don't have details for that, the operating arm is missing. The other thing is the spectacle retaining rubber (I am assuming that is the material) wasn't red just unpainted black. Of course there were/are lots of variations, just nice to see that detail appearing fo the first time. I'll see I can talk to her next time and get a photo.
Thankyou Stephen!. Yes, the rubbers should be black but the weathering process wiped the black off I think.
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A couple of things just off the bench here too...
This is a tail lamp sighting mirror based on the one at Dainton.. It's to be mounted on the edge of a retaining wall on Steve Fays layout.
Next is a nice little GW stop and distant with a nice little 3d printed WR battery box from John Chivers. The distant weightbar has an operating electrical switch box. Servos but no lights on this one...
And within a large batch of etches are these GWR oddities. The early pattern main arms are in 4 and 5ft versions with the 5ft one showing the larger spectacle plate.
More soon!
JF
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Lots of lovely shiny etches arrived (which had the WR ground signal on it) including both 12" and 14" LMS parallel lattice posts and brackets. They enabled me to build these two beasties...
The rather fuzzy fitting here is a 3d printed doll shoe obtained from Les Green via shapeways. They really finish off the underneath of the dolls..
https://www.shapeways.com/product/LWBD86SEE/7mm-lms-signal-doll-shoes?optionId=274287968&li=shops
These signals are both servo operated and LED lit and entirely from my own etches. Very happy with how these turned out.
Now here's something in the next post that may interest the GWR fans out there.....
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So...the results so far on an etched version of the BRW ground signal. Not entirely happy with it yet and I'm sure it would be better as 3d printed or even cast brass fittings to slide onto the small post..
With a modelu lamp case glued on the side of it with an LED inside it's now lit and servo driven. The little post cap was turned up on the lathe.
More soon
JF
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On 17/07/2022 at 14:44, Steve Hewitt said:
And here we are at Walton-on-the-Hill on Cheshire Lines Committee tracks......
Michael Delamar, whose railway these signals are intended for, has spent much time researching the prototype for this first Cantilevered Bracket so we're hoping we've got it right.
The aerial view of the area is the best source we have.
The signal controls two diverging running lines and access to three sidings to the left of the main (right hand) route.
This detail shows the signal concerned.
The general design is an LMS style welded post comprising two 15" x 3" channel sections spaced with 15" x 12" plates.
The trimmers are another pair of lighter section channel with the spacing determined by the main post - 15" - and the bases for the three dolls.
From left to right the dolls have:
- A full size arm controlling the route to the left.
- Three miniature arms controllong access to three sidings off the right hand route.
- A taller full size arm controlling the route to the right.
I've reached the stage where all the "non-moving" parts are more or less complete:
The five rocker shafts to control the arms are mounted in two sets.
The signal wires on the left side of the post control the two main running signals.
The signal wires on the right side of the post control the three miniature arms.
In 4mm scale there is no room for individual shafts on their separate brackets, so the three are co-axial, using 0.5mm wire running in 0.7mm tube, running in 0.9mm tube.
The whole is mounted to the trimmer on 7mm scale Medium Handrail Knobs opened out with a fine broach.
The other pair just require 0.6mm tube inside 0.8mm tube , again mounted in Long Handrail Knobs.
The weight bar brackets are made from 4mm square brass tube
The optical fibres have been installed after painting, here on test with a 9v PP3 battery running the single LED.
A final "up and under" view showing the turned foundations for the main post, the guide tubes for the five operating wires, the optical fibre in the purple heat shrink and 1" dia. tube which will locate the signal in the baseboard and ensure alignment of the servo motors.
On with the "moving parts" next. This brings the signal to life.
Steve.
Absolutely fantastic Steve. Just when I think I'm slowly catching up with you on the excellence, you steam back into a massive lead.!! Love it😮
JF
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Jon Fitness' average 7mm signals workbench.
in Permanent Way, Signalling & Infrastructure
Posted · Edited by Jon Fitness
Here's a quick 2023 update of a few of my constructions if anyone's still interested.....
First up is a signal I've actually done for myself as a test build for a couple of my etches. Its what seems to be known as a 1942 pattern tubular post bracket, this being the larger of the two types I do. It's also fitted with some of my GWR centre pivot arms. It has LEDs fitted but as yet no servos but as supplies of these seem a bit easier to get at last, I'll fit some soon.
Next is a 40ft Ex LSWR signal based on the one that used to be at Chard Junction using one of my etched posts......
Another test etch but done for a customer is a BR(S) railbuilt bracket signal but with some slightly more angular brackets. These are basically similar to ones at Littlehampton...
And now for some more GWR oddball signals. There were some strange one off things that seemed to grow in the Dean forest. Again some new etches for the brackets and fittings with the top arm being a rather old cast whitemetal CCW arm. I don't think this type is currently available so it's another to add to the ever growing list of bits and pieces to get etched!🤣
Anyway, back to the seemingly ever hot soldering iron..😵
JF