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Jon Fitness' average 7mm signals workbench.


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21 hours ago, The Stationmaster said:

It stood at the east end of Platform 8 but applied to No 6 Bay (between Platforms 5 and 8).  The big water tower (the source for hydraulic power for the station) in the background helps fix the spot.   All totally unrecognisable today apart from Reading Bridge House in the left background which doesn't look much different from back then.

 

I recognised the location and used to catch the DEMU there to travel to Crowthorne for a few months in 1967. I worked in Reading Bridge House at one time. Oddly enough I cannot remember what was there before probably because after crossing the lock I would walk across to the railway and follow that round. There always used to be a black pannier or two around in my schooldays.

 

Don

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Thank you all for your helpful pictures and suggestions. After an agonising week of backache, I've managed to complete the bracket signal and get it to work. Fortunately my customer only wanted one route indicator flag to work and didn't need the RI itself illuminated which made things much simpler. The etch for all this will be modified to sort all the problems out when the next batch of things go for etching..

Cheers

JF

 

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 4 weeks later...

Another bracket signal but of a company I've never built a signal from.

SECR balanced bracket made entirely from my own etches. it has scratchbuilt trimmers, MSE finials and planks laser cut for me by Nikki Wilkes. The spectacle plates weren't available so I had to get those etched and the brackets are 2 part back to back etches for each side. It's servo operated and LED lit. The LEDs are wired to the servo feed as usual..

 

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More Soon

JF

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Posted (edited)
14 hours ago, Donw said:

Nice work Jon, I wonder why they needed the shade over the green.

 

Don

Usually in conjunction with a colour light head for Y (YY) G at the fringes of a colourlight area.  The Southern were particularly fond of that fringing arrangement.

Perhaps that part is yet to come.

Paul.

See below for correct explanation!

Edited by 5BarVT
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1 hour ago, Donw said:

Nice work Jon, I wonder why they needed the shade over the green.

 

Don

It was known as an Annett's Shield after the signal engineer who designed it. Very common on the L&SWR. It's purpose was to prevent 'stray' light from behind the arm giving a false 'green' when the arm was at danger.

 

When the SR changed from LQ to UQ arms the position of the green aspect changed to being in front of the post rather than to the side  - not a problem on nice thick wooden posts, but with lattice posts or those built of 2 rails with a large gap between them the same risk of a false green existed. That was solved by fixing a rectangular plate to the post immediately behind the spectacle plate - often not noticeable in photographs unless the arm was 'off'.

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1 hour ago, 5BarVT said:

Usually in conjunction with a colour light head for Y (YY) G at the fringes of a colourlight area.  The Southern were particularly fond of that fringing arrangement.

Perhaps that part is yet to come.

Paul.

That was a different thing from the purpose of an Annett's Shield, which is what the photo shows. In the C/L example, I think the semaphore green aspect was blanked off completely ?

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All interesting answers about the shield. I just fitted them as the various pictures of SECR signals I was working from showed either the shields or the brackets formerly holding them to be fitted. As previously pointed out, the LSWR fitted them too and the practice was carried on by the SR. When I built my first rail built signal I wondered why the plate was on the post until I had that "oooh yes" moment of realisation 😆....

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13 hours ago, RailWest said:

It was known as an Annett's Shield after the signal engineer who designed it. Very common on the L&SWR. It's purpose was to prevent 'stray' light from behind the arm giving a false 'green' when the arm was at danger.

 

When the SR changed from LQ to UQ arms the position of the green aspect changed to being in front of the post rather than to the side  - not a problem on nice thick wooden posts, but with lattice posts or those built of 2 rails with a large gap between them the same risk of a false green existed. That was solved by fixing a rectangular plate to the post immediately behind the spectacle plate - often not noticeable in photographs unless the arm was 'off'.

Thank you - should have gone to . . .

Now I look properly I can see that the shield is fixed to the post not the arm.

I wonder if it’s the same Annett as in GF release instruments.

12 hours ago, RailWest said:

That was a different thing from the purpose of an Annett's Shield, which is what the photo shows. In the C/L example, I think the semaphore green aspect was blanked off completely ?

Yes, a plate in place of the green glass.

Paul.

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1 hour ago, 5BarVT said:

Thank you - should have gone to . . .

Now I look properly I can see that the shield is fixed to the post not the arm.

I wonder if it’s the same Annett as in GF release instruments.

Yes, a plate in place of the green glass.

Paul.

Yes

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Annett was in charge of LSWR signalling around the turn of the century, so no surprise on them being fitted to many LSWR signals. The SECR may be a different matter, I think that the SR may have fitted them though on checking I see the SECR also used Stevens arms. The southern were not averse to using equipment far from its original stomping ground i.e. the finials-LC&DR - on the home signals at seaton junction (there is a good photo in Southern Infrastructure vol 2)

 

Mr Annett was seemingly very innovative,amongst other things he also designed a route indicator, which was very similar in operation to the GWR cash register type, he even took out a patent for it but I have never found an instance of it being used in anger.

Edited by Stephen Freeman
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