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Jon Fitness' average 7mm signals workbench.


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31 minutes ago, Jon Fitness said:

Nice. Is the diagram produced on the computer too? Been looking for the UNO font for ages...

JF

My main partner in crime produces the diagrams on computer. I believe the font is home made. I know he has studied endless York style diagrams to get it right. We produce lever plates the same way. One day when the department is bursting with cash we will get a set engraved.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Latest signal off the bench is an SR (Ex LSWR) gallows bracket, based on one that was at Swanwick and taken straight off the drawing that's in the SR signalling book by Mr Pryor.

The post and finial are MSE, The bracket is scratchbuilt and the arm/weightbar/backblinder and TC diamond are my own etched ones. Its LED lit but will be manually operated.

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I've had some more sheets of etch shiny stuff delivered from PPD with the production version of the LMS running line to loop brackets, Nicholls pattern Upper quadrant arms, SR corrugated upper quadrants, and a very useful little etch for those peculiar staging handrails at the top of GWR posts. All will in due course be available from the website and possibly another source too.

 

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JF

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On 29/10/2020 at 10:49, LNERGE said:

It is going to be quite a job. The end result will be very similar to yours but with two short dolls carrying main arms. We have all the bits.

 

dc3739.png

We installed the final version of the diagram yesterday..

 

Dereham Central

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Still Busy at the signal bench!

Due to the sad demise of the model layout at Saltney, I had to retrieve some of my older signals. I plan to refurbish them and either use them myself on some layout or sell the better ones on.

The first re-furb was an LMS co-acting arm signal that had the old cast whitemetal arms on. Both had broken off so I used it as a test for my new etched LMS upper quadrant arms. A new LED was needed in the top lamp too.

IMG_20201123_145233542.jpg.b5fc63f272a27b9384dbe2cb9e005200.jpgIMG_20201123_152309487.jpg.b9ab2663adcf454967b99e31babf660a.jpgIMG_20201123_161038651_BURST000_COVER.jpg.b731fad4bcb84f61f4b068b17366f6de.jpgIMG_20201128_092033350.jpg.704a9dc4333d71561a4f5c27de647231.jpgIMG_20201128_092049359.jpg.4afd3a3d3748747a6d778186d70b4346.jpg

 

Next up is another SR lattice post signal. Once again I'm using my own etched arm, disc face, backblind and weightbar assembly on this one. The bracket and "casting" are also scratchbuilt...

 

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JF

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1 hour ago, The Stationmaster said:

Those etched arms look absolutely brilliant - superbly capture the real thing and the weathering and appearance of the backs of the arms on the co-acting signal in particular looks just right.

Thanks Mike, looks like the fold over flanged edges have done their stuff. I'm trying to "improve the breed" so to speak.:good_mini:

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  • 4 weeks later...

Well! Happier New Year to all our readers!

The final project that I started last year was something a bit different. Well, for me anyway.

After a diet of mainly GW and SR signals left me wanting something to tickle my fancy so this beasty is going to be an NER gantry, complete with slotted signal arms. It will be LED lit and servo operated.

The main gantry part is made from much altered MSE GNR gantry parts..

 

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The dolls are also MSE but the main sized arms are Scale Signal Supply. The rest of the arms are MSE but not quite the right ones as those are not currently available.

I've never done an NER slotted signal before, let alone one that fits in a lattice doll! I had to get my thinking cap on to work out how it was all going to fit together.

Once assembled, the arm is effectively trapped inside as the axle has to be permanently fixed to the arm to drive the spectacle plate. I decided to cut a slot in the doll, drop on the arm/axle and trap it in with the bearing plates front and back. Each of the bearing plates also had a short length of tube soldered in and once all the parts were carefully soldered on, the arm movement was smooth and wobble free.

 

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Once I was happy with this, I added the finial, weight bar assembly, ladder, lamp and associated LED. The lamp was a bit bothersome as the operating linkage runs between the lamp and the doll, directly on to the inner end of the arm:wacko:. Got there in the end though. Just need another 4 of them.....865255766_IMG_20201217_2037549502(768x1024).jpg.6c070f0ec0dd36d3276fd1db3edaa80a.jpg2001225349_IMG_20201217_2037284232(768x1024).jpg.9f93d3be9fba4d64761f1ca45c71b205.jpg1531036783_IMG_20201217_2037387782(768x1024).jpg.ee21fc70cf0600cadc02e9056b8221b3.jpg

 

And here's the rest of them. They will probably all be mounted on a sub assembly with all the cross linkages before being added to the main structure. Going to be fun painting this one!

 

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JF

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Happy New Year Jon.

 

What a good start you're making. 

The gantry looks superb and will no doubt be a fantastic model when its completed.:good_mini:

 

The latest Covid restrictions will keep you out of the pub so no slacking.

 

Keep safe

 

Steve.

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18 hours ago, Steve Hewitt said:

Happy New Year Jon.

 

What a good start you're making. 

The gantry looks superb and will no doubt be a fantastic model when its completed.:good_mini:

 

The latest Covid restrictions will keep you out of the pub so no slacking.

 

Keep safe

 

Steve.

Thanks Steve. The nearest I can get to a pub is the cask of beer I have in my garage at the moment. Which I purchased from the pub when it closed for the lockdown. It's ok but the low temperatures aren't doing it any favours:drink_mini:

IMG_20201230_125909048.jpg

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1 hour ago, Simond said:

I thought I was doing ok with home brew, but that’s a proper job.

 

much respect!

all the best

Simon

Proper Job‽ Resists taking over the thread with Cornish beer puns, because that would be a Big Job... 

 

Out of interest Jon, what is that like please? Tried their Star, Market Porter, and Westway and all were very pleasant!

Cheers,

andy

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31 minutes ago, AndyH said:

Proper Job‽ Resists taking over the thread with Cornish beer puns, because that would be a Big Job... 

 

Out of interest Jon, what is that like please? Tried their Star, Market Porter, and Westway and all were very pleasant!

Cheers,

andy

It's a lovely pint, quite rich and treacly but not too sweet. Perfect for this time of year.  I've tried the market porter and that ones a bit sweeter. It's probably even nicer at the right temperature but the only place I can store it is in the garage. I have to decant a jug and let it warm up in the house for half an hour:huh:

Trouble is, I can't invite anyone round to assist with it and 72 pints may take a while to consume with just me and Ruth supping it. Just hoping I finish it before it turns:drink_mini:

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  • 3 weeks later...

After much soldering, swearing, burnt fingers and nearly running out of black spray paint, the NER Iron signal bridge is finally ready for sending to its new home. All LED lit and and servo'd up, tests are complete and it actually works!:good:

I've lightly weathered it with a thin wash of neutral shades to tone down the brightness. The staging was was painted from a palette of about 6 colours as it's brass rather than natural wood.

I'll do a youtube video of it working if anyone is interested.

 

IMG_20210121_104031900_HDR.jpg.60cd7a568487e54f547fa17d264646ae.jpgIMG_20210121_104130953_HDR.jpg.5deb27fc9162219843a2cea2b36bc2b9.jpgIMG_20210121_104215506_HDR.jpg.91cab2822071f80ceb74b226abb7893d.jpgIMG_20210121_104240635_HDR.jpg.dc8765ee9467b19bce71f1bf7238b25b.jpgIMG_20210121_104500620_HDR.jpg.7198a66382cf216c745a1e79c5b125f7.jpg

 

 

 

 

Lastly, there's another GWR stop signal with scratchbuilt sightboard just completed and ready to go.

 

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JF

Edited by Jon Fitness
Replace missing pix.
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17 hours ago, Jon Fitness said:

After much soldering, swearing, burnt fingers and nearly running out of black spray paint, the NER Iron signal bridge is finally ready for sending to its new home. All LED lit and and servo'd up, tests are complete and it actually works!:good:

I've lightly weathered it with a thin wash of neutral shades to tone down the brightness. The staging was was painted from a palette of about 6 colours as it's brass rather than natural wood.

I'll do a youtube video of it working if anyone is interested.

 

IMG_20210121_104031900_HDR.jpg.c52113ce7ab1c1676c72ac9f5db0662f.jpgIMG_20210121_104130953_HDR.jpg.75f8a81ce2dc0c570f13279784f266cb.jpgIMG_20210121_104215506_HDR.jpg.fbc5166fe7190c94cb11bd742b5f5128.jpgIMG_20210121_104240635_HDR.jpg.fdd5c15057b22a7c0d9c74345e24bd30.jpgIMG_20210121_104500620_HDR.jpg.e15f11f41eaae8cd96312ca098b665b9.jpg

 

 

Lastly, there's another GWR stop signal with scratchbuilt sightboard just completed and ready to go.

 

IMG_20210121_104619931_HDR.jpg.453ec7ce5284053040df99710cf3df09.jpgIMG_20210121_104544401_HDR.jpg.828f6515e02fc6a1c8f229c070878e74.jpgIMG_20210121_104553858_HDR.jpg.cc87410cd26e82d80eab174a2bfaa34c.jpg

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JF

How close is your nearest real railway? With careful placement with a real railway background these signals would pass as the real thing. 

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