Ratio GWR Signal Box (kit 500) - is it me?

[spikey]

So I am building this kit, and the windows are of two types: type 19 which fit from inside the frames, and type 20 which fit from the outside.  The instructions call for 7 of type 19 and 5 of type 20, making a total of 12 windows.

 

There are 12 windows on the sprue, but whichever way I look at it and however many times I count them, 5 are type 19 and 7 are type 20.  This can only mean one of five things:-

 

a) I cannot count, or

(b) I cannot tell one type from the other, or

© the instructions are wrong, or

(d) they cocked up with tooling, or

(e) something else

 

Can anybody please tell me which it is?  I'll be over there in the corner, curled up quietly whimpering ...

[allan downes]

Beats me but Ratio are pretty well on the ball usually. But just 5 windows for a signal box seems rather inadequate to me.

 

Cheers.

 

Allan.

[TheSignalEngineer]

I haven't got one of these but looking at pictures I would say that 5 fit from the inside and 7 from the outside, so 5 Type 19 and 7 Type 20

.

Edited January 6, 2018 by TheSignalEngineer

[spikey]

I haven't got one of these but looking at pictures I would say that 5 fit from the inside and 7 from the outside, so 5 Type 19 and 7 Type 20

.

Yep, that's what I reckon the picture on the box looks like, so that's how I've built it.  There's now two of us here reckon the instructions are wrong, but what's now done is done.  A chap's got to move on.  So much layout to build, so little time ...  

[Captain Kernow]

That looks to be the 'Highley' signal box kit, which is a McKenzie & Holland example. Churchward Models (now part of Phoenix Precision) do a set of replacement etched windows for that kit, which really enhance the appearance - https://www.phoenix-paints.co.uk/products/churchward/detail/churchward-detail-both/cm61

[brian777999]

Who else has built this kit ? I am having problems getting the planking sides (yellow) to fit the frames (brown) from behind. Some of the pieces fit but others are not even close.

Edited July 10, 2018 by brian777999

[brossard]

Here are some views of the box I built:

 

 

 

 

Hope it helps you to figure out where things go.

 

John

[brian777999]

Thanks. How did you get the effect of concrete between the bricks ?

[brossard]

Hi Brian.  It was a long time ago.  IIRC, the plastic sheet was primed with Red Oxide.  After it cured I think I would have painted the individual bricks with various colours a la Rice.  Brick walls of the time were not a uniform colour.

 

I then painted on some dilute acrylic cream/concrete and wiped it off using IPA on a paper towel to get the mortar lines.

 

These days, I tend to use Scalescenes brick paper on card, much easier and looks far better than I can do.

 

HTH

 

John

[brian777999]

I have also bought the Ratio signal box interior : How many levers would typically be in a signal box of this size ?

[brossard]

Brian, it would depend on the layout.  Not all turnouts are controlled by the signal box.  Those in the yard would have hand levers.  You would need to figure all that out.  There would be a couple of spare levers.  Lever colours denote  types of turnout (facing point lock for example) and signal.

 

I'm on a limb when talking about this stuff so perhaps others with better knowledge will amplify.

 

John

[brian777999]

My signal box is almost complete : I just need to glue the windows in. I was thinking of putting some lighting inside. What is a safe ''bulb'' to use so that there is no danger of the plastic melting ? I would have thought that modern LED's produce little heat but I am not sure.

[flyingsignalman]

I have also bought the Ratio signal box interior : How many levers would typically be in a signal box of this size ?

Highley box has 14 levers but Broughton Crossing on the Brymbo branch and virtually identical apart from the size of the locking room windows had 20 levers.

[crompton 33]

My signal box is almost complete : I just need to glue the windows in. I was thinking of putting some lighting inside. What is a safe ''bulb'' to use so that there is no danger of the plastic melting ? I would have thought that modern LED's produce little heat but I am not sure.

LED's will be fine to use.  No danger of melting plastic.

[brian777999]

The finished product at last. The weathering does not show up much on the photos. I would not bother fitting an interior if I built another one of these as it cannot be seen through the windows ! It might be visible if the signal box was lit from within on a ''night time'' layout.

 

 

 

 

Edited September 12, 2018 by brian777999

[timbowilts]

Just one point re the interior, brian777999. The levers should not be all the same colour but should be painted according to what they are controlling.

 

Red for stop signals and shunt sighals

Yellow for distant signals,

Black for points and

Blue for facing point locks.

 

There are other colours but you don’t need to worry about them.

 

Tim T

Modelling Cwm Cynon in EM

[Joseph_Pestell]

And painting the levers will help them show up through the windows.

 

If Brian could post his trackplan, we could devise a diagram and tell him which levers should be which colour. But perhaps that is going too far?

[brian777999]

And painting the levers will help them show up through the windows.

 

If Brian could post his trackplan, we could devise a diagram and tell him which levers should be which colour. But perhaps that is going too far?

 

No track plan as yet ; we just bought a house yesterday and move there about 35 days from now. I am thinking about what I can fit and where in one of the spare bedrooms.