Warren Branch

[Nile]

On 04/05/2020 at 15:34, MrWolf said:

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!

 

In the distant past I modified one of these to achieve this, putting the door adjacent to the rear wall. This end has to be chopped up to get the window at the front, simply swapping ends results in one window adjacent to the rear wall.

This one is due a repaint and rebuild.

[chuffinghell]

Hands up I’ve cheated!

 

I’ve painted the interior white so I don’t have to paint the window frames
 

 

The red and black lines represent the path of the wires for the lighting

 

If I’d given it more thought (and had decided to do an interior in the first place) I should have done the panelling and interior painting first before assembly but as usual this has evolved as I’ve built it

 

I'm going to paint the back wall before gluing it in place for the simple reason that I started to paint having forgotten to glue the back wall on 

[chuffinghell]

15 minutes ago, Nile said:

 

In the distant past I modified one of these to achieve this, putting the door adjacent to the rear wall. This end has to be chopped up to get the window at the front, simply swapping ends results in one window adjacent to the rear wall.

This one is due a repaint and rebuild.

Very clever. Not sure I’ve reached your level of skill to do that quite yet

[chuffinghell]

Yes I know I’m a basket short of a picnic

 

 

 

Edited May 5, 2020 by chuffinghell

[Rowsley17D]

What are you putting through those wires 240 V?

[chuffinghell]

4 hours ago, Rowsley17D said:

What are you putting through those wires 240 V?

No its actually for 415v 3phase 50hz 

The wire is only 1mm outside diameter, it perhaps looks bigger because the signal box is so small?

 

It’s the smallest gauge I had to hand to test there was enough room, I’ve ordered some pre-wired 3mm LEDs which I assume will have smaller gauge wire....I hope
 

Edited May 5, 2020 by chuffinghell

[chuffinghell]

I don’t intend to do much modelling today as I’ve got some things around the house I need to do

 

I've painted the lighter colour (although it appears to be darker than it should be) so I’ll leave it to cure overnight before painting the darker colour

 

I’m not too concerned with the obvious line at the base where I’ve extended the height as this will be disguised with ballast

I appreciate my builds are painfully slow but I’m in no rush

[saxokid]

25 minutes ago, chuffinghell said:

I don’t intend to do much modelling today as I’ve got some things around the house I need to do

 

I've painted the lighter colour (although it appears to be darker than it should be) so I’ll leave it to cure overnight before painting the darker colour

 

I’m not too concerned with the obvious line at the base where I’ve extended the height as this will be disguised with ballast

I appreciate my builds are painfully slow but I’m in no rush

Coming along great ive just been adding detail inside one of my signal boxes Chris..

[chuffinghell]

I hoped to order a nameboard from scale model scenery but they’re getting through a backlog so they are currently marked as out of stock....which is a bit of a setback

Edited May 6, 2020 by chuffinghell

[chuffinghell]

When I built the Ratio water crane I didn’t bother to build the fire devil

So I wondered if I could repurpose it for the signal box

 

I cut off the central chimney connection and moved it towards the back and stamped out a plastic disc to represent a hot plate for the signalman’s kettle?

 

 

 

It’s very very rough and needs a lot of fettling......or it might just end up in the bin

 

 

[Anotheran]

1 hour ago, chuffinghell said:

It’s very very rough and needs a lot of fettling......or it might just end up in the bin

 

I think it's a very clever bit of bespoke kit bashing, though it may make it hard to fit the roof.  

[chuffinghell]

3 minutes ago, Anotheran said:

.....though it may make it hard to fit the roof.  

Now you tell me 

 

The chimney was just placed on, hence the wonkyness
 

I've tried to tidy it up as best as I can and given it a coat of black

 

 

[Nile]

Brilliant, I may have to borrow that idea.

[chuffinghell]

2 minutes ago, Nile said:

Brilliant, I may have to borrow that idea.

Thanks Neil

 

Be my guest, I suspect you’d do a much better job

 

Chris

[Gopher]

2 hours ago, chuffinghell said:

When I built the Ratio water crane I didn’t bother to build the fire devil

So I wondered if I could repurpose it for the signal box

 

I cut off the central chimney connection and moved it towards the back and stamped out a plastic disc to represent a hot plate for the signalman’s kettle?

 

 

 

It’s very very rough and needs a lot of fettling......or it might just end up in the bin

 

 

Inspired - great bit of work Chris.  

[chuffinghell]

I’m gluing in a false ceiling to attach the led and will seal around the perimeter to stop light bleeding up through the roof

 

Drilling a hole all the way through defeats the object of doing this as it will allow light to bleed through, so I’m having the chimney going up to the underside of the false ceiling and the rest of the chimney attached to the top and up through the roof (I’m sure I’ve made that sound more complicated than it actually is)

 

I might work or it might not but “he who dares wins Rodney“

 

 

I’ve put the other end in the drill and sanded it to simulate a cowl....sort of?

I know the kit I’ve ordered comes with a stove but I wanted something different

 

In fact I’m going to have quite a few bits left over from the kit as I’m only using the token machine, desk, chair, one bell and one instrument

 

So if anyone can make use of the parts left over let me know and I’ll happily donate them

 

 

Edited May 6, 2020 by chuffinghell

[chuffinghell]

I don’t like brush painting* but I’ve had no choice at this end really.....it’s taken me ages, weathering will hide anywhere I’ve missed or done wrong
 

 

*huge understatement

 

Edited May 6, 2020 by chuffinghell

[chuffinghell]

Not perfect (which is more apparent when you zoom in )

 

 

I’m hoping a bit of dirt/weathering will disguise it

 

[chuffinghell]

On 05/05/2020 at 19:56, Rowsley17D said:

What are you putting through those wires 240 V?

The prewired LEDs have arrived and the wiring is actually thicker than what I used as a test.....

 

I may have to look at a micro LED instead, I’ve got the remains of one of the platform lamps but being an incandescent bulb I’m knackered if it blows

 

Edited May 7, 2020 by chuffinghell

[57xx]

On 28/03/2020 at 16:25, chuffinghell said:

having a eye for detail can sometimes be a curse. I once fitted some skirting board that was out of square by only 3mm over 2metres and it drove me nuts 

 

I know where you're coming from with this. When I replastered my bedroom, I got a new flat screen TV  and put a mount on the wall. I went to great lengths to get it perfectly square. However once the furniture went back in, it was obvious the floor is not level and now the wardrobe next to the TV and chest of drawers under it conspire to make it look like the TV is on the piss!!

[chuffinghell]

Advice required before I spray on the varnish
 

Too dirty?

Just right

 

or not dirty enough, as the actress said to the bishop

 

I'm also undecided whether or not to add glazing
 

 

Edited May 7, 2020 by chuffinghell

[Rowsley17D]

Looks fine to me and go with glazing.

[Gypsy]

Yep, dirty enough & go with glazing...

[chuffinghell]

1 hour ago, Rowsley17D said:

Looks fine to me and go with glazing.

 

35 minutes ago, Gypsy said:

Yep, dirty enough & go with glazing...

 

Your wish is my command......within reason
 

 

I’m going to do the barge boards and facia separately as I may have to have the roof removable if I need to replace the light

 

Riddle me this: why on earth did I bother to paint the back when it’s going up against a wall?....pillock!

 

 

Edited May 7, 2020 by chuffinghell

[57xx]

43 minutes ago, chuffinghell said:

Riddle me this: why on earth did I bother to paint the back when it’s going up against a wall?....pillock!

 

Because it will bug you knowing that it wasn't painted.

 

Looking good there, Chris. Dirty enough and glazing is my vote too.