Point levers

[steggy1990]

Hi I know this mite be a long shot but dose someone make point levers the single ones like you find in yards or have I got to scratch build them . Thanks

[Gordon A]

What scale?

 

 

[steggy1990]

Oo / 4mm mate 

[Enjay]

Peco do (ex Wiils. £8.95)

 

Edited March 30, 2019 by Enjay

[Gordon A]

Ambis do etched point levers in twos..

There is also a range of cast white metal detailing parts that also includes point levers; https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/233092648149

 

Gordon A

 

[CloggyDog]

There's also the plastic point hand levers by Dornaplas

 

http://www.gaugemaster.com/item_details.asp?code=DPB8&style=&strType=&Mcode=Dornaplas+B8

[Wellyboots]

Wizard Models do an etched set of point levers;

 

LS0014: Yard Point Levers

[steggy1990]

Brill I new iv seen them thanks guys top job 

[Nick Holliday]

Try Roxey Mouldings https://www.roxeymouldings.co.uk/category/87/4mm-scale-/-00-gauge-southwark-bridge-models-accessories/ At least six different types of lever in brass.

[The Stationmaster]

11 hours ago, Gordon A said:

Ambis do etched point levers in twos..

There is also a range of cast white metal detailing parts that also includes point levers; https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/233092648149

 

Gordon A

 

They are rather nice I've found although slightly (!!) fragile because of the material used.

[davefromacrossthepond]

On 31/03/2019 at 02:40, Nick Holliday said:

Try Roxey Mouldings https://www.roxeymouldings.co.uk/category/87/4mm-scale-/-00-gauge-southwark-bridge-models-accessories/ At least six different types of lever in brass.

I've been trying to research when and where the various levers were used, but haven't had any success.  Where can I find more info on that?

[The Stationmaster]

16 hours ago, davefromacrossthepond said:

I've been trying to research when and where the various levers were used, but haven't had any success.  Where can I find more info on that?

Basically on hand points.  Where would you (and can you) find hand points? - in yards and sidings, being points which do not connect to a signalled line (i.e one controlled by a signal box).

[Nick Holliday]

4 minutes ago, The Stationmaster said:

Basically on hand points.  Where would you (and can you) find hand points? - in yards and sidings, being points which do not connect to a signalled line (i.e one controlled by a signal box).

I think Dave (from across the pond) is puzzled by the wide variety of hand levers used, as per the Roxey range, and would like to know when each type was introduced, and which lines might have used each type. I don't know of a source for that info, unless Roxey can expound on the subject.

[bécasse]

Historically there were a fair number of British manufacturers of track and point and crossing work and each would have manufactured their own distinct version of a point hand lever, they would have been found mainly in (the thousands of) private sidings and on the more minor railways. The major railway companies would also each have manufactured their own designs of point levers, often with the design changing over the years. Only in the years after the Great War (effectively the post-grouping and nationalised eras) would there have been any attempt (away from the GWR, of course) at standardisation - and there would still have been a lot of variation around.

 

An inspired guess suggests that there were probably upwards of a hundred distinctively different designs of point hand levers in use over the years on the railways of mainland Britain, and that Roxey's Southwark Bridge offerings are only the tip of a very large iceberg (and not necessarily very common ones either) - although something similar to the William's design was quite common on BR in later days (say 50 years ago). Rather oddly, considering how common they were, hand point levers rarely appear clearly in period photographs.

[davefromacrossthepond]

On 02/04/2019 at 08:48, Nick Holliday said:

I think Dave (from across the pond) is puzzled by the wide variety of hand levers used, as per the Roxey range, and would like to know when each type was introduced, and which lines might have used each type. I don't know of a source for that info, unless Roxey can expound on the subject.

Nick,

Yes, there are some spots on a planned layout that it would make sense to have hand levers.  I've seen plenty of pictures that have levers similar to the etched ones from Wizard.  I am, however, attracted to some of the Roxey versions  as they are indeed different looking.  I do, however, want to be somewhat accurate in their use, but not so committed to accuracy that I'll stray much from Rule 1.  I am getting the feeling that perhaps the levers as modelled by Roxey are perhaps ones that would most likely be used by a industry or group of industries separate from the Railway.  So perhaps a few in the siding serving a brewery or gas works would be appropriate.  Gonna keep looking at pics on the net . . I'm sure I'll find some right after I order the "wrong" one! lol

 

As always, thanks to everyone for answering.  The forum and its members, to use an American term, rock!

 

Dave

[The Stationmaster]

You might find this thread of interest?

 

 

[Dave John]

I had the same issue, choosing a suitable type. Eventually references in two different books, a couple of articles and a vague photo led me to choose one of the Roxey types. Interesting I know that at least one of them was changed for a different type much later on. 

 

They are fragile, but I came up with this method of mounting which makes them a bit more resistant to the odd knock. 

 

 

[Nick Holliday]

12 hours ago, davefromacrossthepond said:

Nick,

Yes, there are some spots on a planned layout that it would make sense to have hand levers.  I've seen plenty of pictures that have levers similar to the etched ones from Wizard.  I am, however, attracted to some of the Roxey versions  as they are indeed different looking.  I do, however, want to be somewhat accurate in their use, but not so committed to accuracy that I'll stray much from Rule 1.  I am getting the feeling that perhaps the levers as modelled by Roxey are perhaps ones that would most likely be used by a industry or group of industries separate from the Railway.  So perhaps a few in the siding serving a brewery or gas works would be appropriate.  Gonna keep looking at pics on the net . . I'm sure I'll find some right after I order the "wrong" one! lol

 

As always, thanks to everyone for answering.  The forum and its members, to use an American term, rock!

 

Dave

I think you are being a little unfair on the Roxey range, as I think proprietary levers would turn up in many major companies' yards, and three in the range are actually named as NER and GWR designs. A couple of years ago I did a quick trawl through LBSC photos, and found there was no consistency in design being used, with different levers being used on adjacent turnouts.  I suspect that they were as cheap as chips to buy, and so, unless being used on a large scale, for most companies it was more economic to buy from the market, rather than try to create and manufacture their own particular design, especially as many of the manufacturers would have patented their particular efforts, and either the railway would have to pay royalties, or come up with a non-patented design of their own. I owuld think that most of the designs were pretty durable, and would survive for many years, if properly maintained.

A good source of photos, which I agree are rather rare, is within the various books on engine sheds, as most of their pointwork, once away from the main  line, was hand operated. A quick scan through a few of these again showed no consistency of type, even on the mighty Midland, I would suggest hunting a suitable title down, to see what your particular line preferred.

The most common was the simple upright lever, like the Williams' from Roxey, and similar ones in plastic and whitemetal from the likes of Dornaplas and Dart Castings.  These came with straight, cranked and curved levers, with the mechanism hidden below timber planking, or a neat raised box. As this advert shows, the Williams' design was widely used in the UK and abroad.

There was a plethora of designs for the other common type, the rollover sort with a heavy circular weight, as per some of the Roxey range. It should be noted that some designs of both types of lever allowed the movement to be perpendicualr to the rails, rather than the more common, and probably safer, parallel positioning. A third type was the complex flush fitting type, for quays and other working areas, which I think have been discussed in another thread some time ago.

[davefromacrossthepond]

Nick,

Great info. Yes i did notice the GWR levers, but in my sloppy writing i ended up not conveying what i meant to say. You comment on the railways using what was easily obtainable and finding different levers used on adjacent turnouts is fantastic and has me a whole lot more comfortable in just going ahead and getting a couple of different ones. Thanks!

[davefromacrossthepond]

As an aside, I didn't mean to be unfair to Roxey.  I think it is fantastic that Roxey has so many variety of point levers available.  Of course, deciding then become a whole lot more difficult - but that's not Roxey's fault! lol

[Geep7]

Not sure if it's too late, but Dart Castings do white metal hand point levers in their range. They even do them in bulk packs or individually along with a ground signal.

 

Hope this helps.

Edited April 9, 2019 by Geep7
Spelling

[davefromacrossthepond]

Chris,

Not to late at all- all info is good info.  While I'm not sure if I've seen the Dart casting offering before, the reminder is appreciated!

Dave

[43110andyb]

Some images on a previous thread here might help- 

 

[davefromacrossthepond]

Cool . . . . thanks!