Warren Branch

[Stubby47]

How well do the point rods line up with the point levers?  For a taller 'box, with a locking room below operating part, it would not be a problem to route all the rods together to leave the box in a neat row.  With your levers having direct action on the rods, would the rods all enter in a neat collection or would they be aligned directly with the appropriate levers (given than there are signal/disc levers in-between the points ones)?

[MrWolf]

It would make sense to have the top half of the signal box door glazed for two reasons.

When it is closed, ie about 8 months of the year, a solid door would completely obscure the signalman's view in one direction.

Can anyone think of any prototype signal box where if the door was in the forward half of the "glasshouse" wasn't half glazed for sighting purposes?

I suspect that kit is meant to have the end panel with the door in it at the opposite end, thereby putting the door in the working area of the cabin rather than the lever frame or front area.

But no doubt, like with my signal box you absolutely have to have the door where you want it! I am busy reversing a Ratio GWR box and scratchbuilding my own base, just because!

 

Sorry to be a drag old chap!

Edited May 4, 2020 by MrWolf

[chuffinghell]

40 minutes ago, Stubby47 said:

How well do the point rods line up with the point levers?  For a taller 'box, with a locking room below operating part, it would not be a problem to route all the rods together to leave the box in a neat row.  With your levers having direct action on the rods, would the rods all enter in a neat collection or would they be aligned directly with the appropriate levers (given than there are signal/disc levers in-between the points ones)?

that’s true, I think I’d better stop what I’m doing and have a think about it

 

What you say makes perfect sense so I think I’m going to have to redoing the rods again or go for a taller box

 

Edited May 4, 2020 by chuffinghell

[Nick C]

That's why the list I suggested had the point and FPL levers all together in the middle

 

I think a small box like this would have had a knee frame, i.e. one where the base of frame is higher (knee level), with the locking in the base. They then have shorter levers to compensate. I don't know if the GW were common users of knee frames though? If not, then you'd need a taller box to have room for the locking underneath.

Edited May 4, 2020 by Nick C

[chuffinghell]

38 minutes ago, Nick C said:

That's why the list I suggested had the point and FPL levers all together in the middle

 

That makes sense and very clever!

so if I removed the advanced starter from your original list

 

1. Home signal RED

2. Shunt signal at home RED

 

3. FPL on 4 BLUE 

4. Loop points BLACK

5. Loco release points BLACK

 

6. Shunt signal at loco release RED

7. Loop shunt signal RED

8. Starter RED

 

 

38 minutes ago, Nick C said:

I think a small box like this would have had a knee frame, i.e. one where the base of frame is higher (knee level), with the locking in the base.

 

Now I’m not ignoring your advice/recommendations but I’m going to stick with the frames I’ve got for a couple of reasons

 

If anyone asks there’s a pit under box to allow for linkage clearances etc 

 

 

Edited May 4, 2020 by chuffinghell

[chuffinghell]

Once again a big thank you to @Nick C for stopping me from having a nervous breakdown 

[Harlequin]

You could keep the box and rodding as is, just raise the box up, say 2ft-3ft, on a brick base. Easy to build from card, plastikard or whatever, and there are lots of real world examples of that.

 

You'd have to redo the slot you've already cut in the front but that shouldn't be a problem.

 

Edit: And you'd need to build/kit-bash some wooden stairs to reach ground level - but I'm sure you're up to that, as well!

Edited May 4, 2020 by Harlequin

[5BarVT]

20 minutes ago, chuffinghell said:

If anyone asks there’s a pit under box to allow for linkage clearances etc 

(G)WR ground frames were built into a pit so you have a good provenance to follow.

When Westbury South was closed (late 70s) I’m fairly certain that a covered GF was provided which had about 8 levers.  If you could find a photo of that it would confirm the approach to take.

Paul.

[chuffinghell]

I’m wondering if I should stick to my original idea of having the door shut and limo tinted glass 

[chuffinghell]

9 minutes ago, 5BarVT said:

(G)WR ground frames were built into a pit so you have a good provenance to follow.

When Westbury South was closed (late 70s) I’m fairly certain that a covered GF was provided which had about 8 levers.  If you could find a photo of that it would confirm the approach to take.

Paul.

Thank you, I’ll have a look for that
 

I’ve set the frame into the flooring to give the impression of the flooring being put in around the ground frame (instead of cheating and just sticking it on the top)

 

I’m going to raise the floor another 2mm so it’s just below the door opening, I realise that’s only another 6”

 

Edited May 4, 2020 by chuffinghell

[MrWolf]

8 minutes ago, chuffinghell said:

I’m wondering if I should stick to my original idea of having the door shut and limo tinted glass 

You could go modern image, board it up and give it a coat of scruffy grey paint, replace it with a boring portakabin or nothing at all.

Yep, that would just be depressing.

[chuffinghell]

1 hour ago, MrWolf said:

.... I suspect that kit is meant to have the end panel with the door in it at the opposite end, thereby putting the door in the working area of the cabin.....

 

I thought that but it’s built as per the instructions

 

I looked at swapping the ends over but that meant the end with just the window would have the window at the back

 

What they should have done is mirrored one of the panels so the front half is all glazed and the door is towards the back maybe?
 

1 hour ago, MrWolf said:

....Sorry to be a drag old chap!

 

no need to apologise I appreciate everyone’s help and advice.......even trouble makers 

 

I just feel guilty when I’m unable to follow everyone’s advice 

 

9 minutes ago, MrWolf said:

You could go modern image, board it up and give it a coat of scruffy grey paint, replace it with a boring portakabin or nothing at all.

Yep, that would just be depressing.

 

I don’t do modern although it would have solved a number of issues

[Stubby47]

Pick and choose the advice you want to and happily ignore the rest.

 

No-one will mind.

 

(Nice bow by the way, I miss hunting for wayward arrows  )

 

[MrWolf]

" I don't do modern although it would have solved a number of issues."

 

I'm 100% with you on that one. Each to their own, but pretty much anything modern bores me to death. Everything built to a price rather than a standard and so called designers tweak details on amorphous blobs created from a set of computer generated parameters. Zero artistry. I detest modern cars, however much 'better' they are than the old ones. My other half put it best I think when asked her opinion on all things from cars to bicycles: "Everything modern looks like a @£#*?!% Dyson".

 

Anyway, if you were going modern image with the branch line station, we would all be impressed with your efforts to replicate a couple of dozen identical bogus Tudor farmhouses with silver hatchbacks parked out the front, probably named Old station Close!

[chuffinghell]

I’ve ordered an interior kit from Lcut to use some of the bits n bobs

 

Would I just need Just one block signalling instrument and one bell in my little signal box?

Apologies for asking what maybe a stupid question but I don’t have a clue

 

Edited May 4, 2020 by chuffinghell

[ian.dunn46]

Plus the token machine.

[chuffinghell]

6 hours ago, ian.dunn46 said:

Plus the token machine.

Thank you

 

Am I right that I’d only really need one instrument and one bell?

[richbrummitt]

8 minutes ago, chuffinghell said:

Thank you

 

Am I right that I’d only really need one instrument and one bell?

 

One instrument and bell for each box that you are connected to. As the last Bobby at the end of the line you'd only have one.

[chuffinghell]

14 minutes ago, richbrummitt said:

 

One instrument and bell for each box that you are connected to. As the last Bobby at the end of the line you'd only have one.

Thank you

[chuffinghell]

Will I get away with this?

 

[chuffinghell]

In a effort not to be a copycat I’m doing my interior differently to @MAP66’s having the planks running horizontal to mirror the outside

 

 

I’m still undecided on whether to do it planked top to bottom or just the lower half planked and the top half plain as I don’t want it to be too elaborate (unlike me I know)

[saxokid]

1 hour ago, chuffinghell said:

In a effort not to be a copycat I’m doing my interior differently to @MAP66’s having the planks running horizontal to mirror the outside

 

 

I’m still undecided on whether to do it planked top to bottom or just the lower half planked and the top half plain as I don’t want it to be too elaborate (unlike me I know)

Coming along treat now Chris..

[chuffinghell]

I’ve decided to keep it simple and done the planking floor to ceiling

I’m deliberately offsetting the back wall to give a cavity for the lighting wires

 

Always method in my madness 

[saxokid]

2 minutes ago, chuffinghell said:

I’ve decided to keep it simple and done the planking floor to ceiling

I’m deliberately offsetting the back wall to give a cavity for the lighting wires

 

Always method in my madness 

Sometimes there can be to many options!!

Looks grand though!!

How you getting on buying kids crayons...

[chuffinghell]

2 minutes ago, saxokid said:

Sometimes there can be to many options!!

Admittedly I went for the easier one

 

5 minutes ago, saxokid said:

Looks grand though!!

Thank you

 

5 minutes ago, saxokid said:

How you getting on buying kids crayons...

That’s on the back burner for the moment, I can’t multitask so I can only pinch one persons idea at a time