Jon Fitness

Ooh looking forward to that! Kit bash or scratch build?

Well, having been a little too absorbed with the signals I've neglected my own stash of bits. Having just built a large bracket signal and an even larger structure in the offing I thought I needed a quick diversion. An Ex LMS 20ton coke hopper. I've been wanting to try this one for a while so here we go. The hopper sides and ends being prepared. Loads of rivets to punch out. No idea how many, never count them! Soldering the overlays on with the RSU. 4 sides assembled and only a fag paper off being square too! The central hopper chute seemed too narrow and slightly the wrong shape so I scratched up a slightly bigger version from scrap sheet... All the main chassis bits prepared for assembly The assembled chassis bits and a trial fit of the hopper body. A bit of care should see it balanced well and fitting snugly More soon (honest!) JF

The plate and angle signal is now painted and finished off. I always prefer to spray as much of the structure as possible and that can lead to some complex masking but the end result is worth it. Straight after the masking tape was removed. The most difficult job was the linkages as usual. There was quite a lot of tidying up of the paint here and there but here is the end result, including a light weathering... The decking planks are .8mm ply, stained wit a mix of matt black and Humbrol 62, Leather then drybrushed with a bit of green. Next up will be my first ever NER slotted signal.. More soon JF

Fantastic work. Love the big lattice chap. Very elegant. JF

Evening all! The 4 doll plate and angle signal is just about finished buildwise. There's about an hours stripping, scraping , burnishing and washing to do on it and then the paint shop beckons. Anyway, the etches from PPD for the BR(W) lower quadrant arms have now been corrected (my bad) and I've done a quick test on most of the major bits. All seem OK so once I've come up with some basic instructions, the frets will be for sale for £20 each. There's enough to make 8 arms including 2 distants and one goods line arm. Etched in 0.3mm nickle silver they incorporate inbuilt arm stops, the correct folded over arms (bending tools necessary) and punch out bolt detail on the blades. (Rivet tool necessary). The bracket signal ready for cleaning! The fret of BR(W) arms.. Stop, distant and goods line arms... More Soon JF

Thank you! Glad to be of help. Hope to see some progress as you go along. Any questions feel free to ask JF

Some more progress on the P&A bracket. All the bracketry assembled (found some little etched bits to brace the joints) and also fitted the staging bearers. Weightbars prepared ready as well... More soon JF

Hi Steve, I wish it was as easy as that! Artwork is always best designed with a specific scale in mind. Many kits have fallen by the wayside for the simple reason that artwork rarely scales properly, up or down. If I just scaled it down, holes wouldn't etch properly, fold lines would be too small, witness marks for rivets would disappear and the designed in flanges at the edge of the blades wouldn't be big enough to fold and things like weightbars and backblinders would be too thin and weak. To do a proper job I'd really have to entirely re draw the artwork to get a good result. As I'm all about 7mm at the moment, that's where the design work is going but never say never as yes, I agree that 4mm scale could definitely do with an upgrade of quite a lot of signalling etches. If the demand is there, I may be persuaded! I've only just got back into the CAD after a few computer based problems so I'll see how fast I progress with the range I'm hoping to produce. If anyone can think of anything signalling related that's needed in 7mm scale, feel free to suggest, preferably accompanied by scale drawings! JF

And here's a little taster of something soon to be for sale once the artwork's been re-jigged if anyone's interested. 7mm scale only of course..

Making a start on the P&A bracket signal. It's that long since I did one, I've had to refer to earlier pages in the thread to remember how I did it Anyway, shamelessly using the information from Mick Nicholson's excellent book I soon got back into it. Once everything was off the jig it was trimmed up and mounted on a base. This time, I've even managed a rather wonky attempt at the angled drip strip near the base... Work then started on the trimmers and fittings Trimmers fitted up to the main post with the doll stands and little flanged brackets underneath, the only etched bit so far. Everything else is scratchbuilt.. It all looks a bag of spanners at the moment but once it's all hidden under several layers of paint, I'm sure it'll be ok More Soon JF

I may start a thread on that soon! A little taster....

I'm on permanent holiday now!!

, Well, I'm back on one of these again. It'll make a nice change from all the GWR ones I've been stuck on!! JF

Lovely stuff Stephen. Does the route indicator operate? They are on my list of "got to get those etched"! JF

Absolutely stunning work Steve. The gantry is an engineering masterpiece! JF

Anyone for a bit of CIE/IR signal? The arm and balance weight are Tyrconnel Models to which I've added the distinctive V profile to the blade. Not sure about the fluorescent colour, I think it starts off red then fades to orange eventually.. LED lit and servo operated. The LED is powered by the +/- 5V feed to the servo with a 330ohm resistor in circuit.. More Soon JF

Lovely work on the big bracket Stephen. Did the same myself but only in 7mm scale.. JF

Looks great now Steve. Coming together very nicely.

The one on page 43 at Swindon looks a bit nearer to it, but I see what you mean. Does look rather odd though..

A quick update! Everything still seems GWR or more correctly, BR(W)! This is a GWR 30ft distant. It uses a Borg-Rail Etched post, Scale Signal supply arm, Modelu lamp and Finial and Southwark Bridge built up ladders. Theres a few of my own etches there and the little cabinet is scratchbuilt. These 2 are a couple based on structures at Park Jc in South Wales. They use MSE brackets, Modelu lamps and finials, a scratchbuilt ground signal and my own etched arms, weight bars and ladders and a few scratchbuilt odds and sods. The staging is 0.8 ply, and the whole is weathered with enamels. If the handrails look 'orrible, its because they represent the signals in recent years fitted with modern replacements. More soon... JF

Interesting! Which MSE Bracket have you used..?

What a gorgeous bracket signal and the engineering put into it still stuns me. Love the mix of corrugated and Nicholls pattern arms too. I doff my hat to the master! JF

Advice? work carefully around the LED! Check your switch first! If you can expose the connections on the back of the LEDs, with a meter, check continuity back down to the resistors and also the earthing to the structure. If all else fails, I'll check it next time I come up to Freckleton...whenever that will be! JF

Good news indeed!

Ooh! Theatre indicator failed? Oh dear...... Cracking cab ride video though. Having attempted something similar many years ago I can appreciate how time consuming and sometimes difficult it can be. JF