RMweb Premium AdeMoore Posted May 18, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 18, 2020 Amazing work Steve, always marvel at what you post here. Cheers 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Rowsley17D Posted May 18, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 18, 2020 Some beautiful engineering there, Steve. 4 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Popular Post Steve Hewitt Posted May 21, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Popular Post Share Posted May 21, 2020 (edited) Continuing assembly.............. More measuring, bending, fiddling, swearing and the other three signals were connected by their operating wires. The strengthened lower ends of the six operating wires. Ready to install the servos. I'm using the very common 9gm SG90 model. First I built the "Transport & Test Frame. This simulates the location on the layout where the signal will be installed. The objective here is confidence the signal will work properly and be easy to transfer from this frame to the layout. The position of the signal on its baseboard is determined by its Foundation Tube (5/8 in dia) and its base plate. The position of the servos is determined by the same Foundation Tube, and the surface of the servo mount, which is a bespoke construction. By making the Frame from the same material as the baseboard, the relative position of the signal and the servos is guaranteed. First part of the servo mount, location plate. Aligned on the T&T frame by a length of 5/8 dia brass tube. Servos mounted on the second part of their mount, careful alignment with the operating wires determines exact position. (Not the same servos, but the principle is the same.) The connection to the Servo Horn from the Operating wire is made by an individually fashioned 3/64 in dia tube. This is initially a sliding fit over the strengthened end of the operating wire. With the servo set to its "Safe" position - mid throw - and the signal arm manually adjusted to mid way between "Danger" and "Clear", the joint in the connection is soldered . Soldering the operating wire. The signal arm in "Safe" position. With all the arms connected, and the servos adjusted. Ready for transport. On arrival is can be tested prior to installation. Once happy, set all the arms to "Safe". Dismantling consists of releasing each operating wire from its servo horn, ease them out in turn with tweezers. Disconnect the LED from the Optical Fibres at its bayonet connector. Push the signal up by finger pressure on the Location Tube, then remove and put safely to one side. Unscrew and remove the servo mount. Carefully drill the 5/8in hole in the baseboard, then install the signal in the reverse sequence to dismantling. Finally mount the GF Controllers (3 off) somewhere convenient, connect up to servos, power and switches. Connect the LED to the signal and a power supply. Adjust each signal arm. Operate the railway, and don't have any SPADs. Steve. Edited May 21, 2020 by Steve Hewitt Remove surplus photo. 9 14 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Fitness Posted May 22, 2020 Share Posted May 22, 2020 What a gorgeous bracket signal and the engineering put into it still stuns me. Love the mix of corrugated and Nicholls pattern arms too. I doff my hat to the master! JF 3 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Steve Hewitt Posted June 24, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted June 24, 2020 Another bracket signal - GWR this time.............. This is another "square post era" model for a fictitious minor London terminus. The off-set right hand design is required due to fit in a very restricted location. The main post and integral doll will be made from a Mosokits etch. The main arms will all be Masokits as well, but the Calling-On arms will be private Les Green etch. The two shorter dolls will be 3D prints from Les Green's Shapeways shop, as will the Lamps, and the C/O bearing/lamp assembly. MSE will provide the bracket work etch, modified a little. The etched brass main post, made from two folded "U" sections soldered together. Regular readers will know I like to have firm foundations for my signals, usually comprising a bespoke turning to secure the Post and ensure it is vertical to its baseplate. It will also have the Guide Tubes for the operating wires to provide a smooth bearing and minimise buckling. The whole is then fitted inside a brass tube which will be a good fit in the baseboard when the time comes for installation. The turned brass tube mounted on the baseplate. The hole is tapered by using a cutting broach and is a very good fit on the main post. The guide tubes are clustered to the rear of the main post. The half inch dia. brass tube is a good fit on the flange of the turning. This is the first sub-assembly. The modified MSE etches. The upper bracket has been drilled to eventually take the handrail stanchions. The six weight bars, from Les Green etches in two bearings cut from square brass tube. To be continued.......... Steve. 10 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Fitness Posted June 25, 2020 Share Posted June 25, 2020 Interesting! Which MSE Bracket have you used..? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium 4069 Posted June 25, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 25, 2020 That bracket doesn't look remotely GWR. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Steve Hewitt Posted June 25, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted June 25, 2020 2 hours ago, Jon Fitness said: Interesting! Which MSE Bracket have you used..? Hi Jon, Its the 11ft cantilever bracket, S0046. (GN/LNER) The motivation was the signal in Plates 44 and 45 of Adrian Vaughn's GW Signalling. Steve. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Fitness Posted June 27, 2020 Share Posted June 27, 2020 (edited) On 25/06/2020 at 23:40, Steve Hewitt said: Hi Jon, Its the 11ft cantilever bracket, S0046. (GN/LNER) The motivation was the signal in Plates 44 and 45 of Adrian Vaughn's GW Signalling. Steve. The one on page 43 at Swindon looks a bit nearer to it, but I see what you mean. Does look rather odd though.. Edited June 27, 2020 by Jon Fitness Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted June 28, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 28, 2020 One minor point - the word 'BAY' on GWR signal arms only ever appears to have been used on signals reading from a bay, and not on signals reading to a bay. I've definitely never seen a photo (or indeed in years past an actual signal) which was any different from that. 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Steve Hewitt Posted June 28, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted June 28, 2020 24 minutes ago, The Stationmaster said: One minor point - the word 'BAY' on GWR signal arms only ever appears to have been used on signals reading from a bay, and not on signals reading to a bay. I've definitely never seen a photo (or indeed in years past an actual signal) which was any different from that. Thanks Mike, I'll check the requirement with the railway's owner. Steve. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Steve Hewitt Posted June 28, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted June 28, 2020 Putting the bits together....... The main post of this signal is brass, so all the parts which can be soldered together were tackled first. The two parts of the bracket were soldered to the main post followed by the staging beams. The broach had produced a shallow taper in the base, so the post was a good fit and just required soldering at it lower end. The pre-drilled holes in the top of the bracket gave a good alignment and foundation for the stations. The stanchions will be adjusted as necessary when the handrail is added at a later stage. The weight bars and their bearings were seen previously. A broken HSS drill was used to ensure alignment whilst they were soldered in place. I'm sorry I forgot to take pictures of the assembly of the dolls and their subsequent fitting to the brackets. The dolls are 3D prints by Les Green, as are the Lamps, and Calling-On bearing/lamp assemblies. These non-metalic items were assembled using either "Power Bond" cyano or a UV Light cured glue which is a new experiment for me. This glue is fairly viscous and crystal clear. It allows careful adjustment of positions etc., before a 5sec dose of UV light from a small LED Torch which was supplied. (No good for fixing flat surfaces of opaque items, as the light has to reach all the adhesive to cure it.) The main "static" assembly is complete, including the Handrails, Ladders etc. and the bearings for the cranks which will connect the Down Rods. Ready for a scrub and polish then a bath in Cellulose Thinners before a trip to the beauty salon. More of which later. Steve. 10 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Fitness Posted June 28, 2020 Share Posted June 28, 2020 Looks great now Steve. Coming together very nicely. 1 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Steve Hewitt Posted July 2, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted July 2, 2020 (edited) After painting....... First task is to install the Optical Fibres and terminate them in another of Les Green's 3D printed connectors. There are six fibres - one for each lamp. They are routed through the signal structure, becoming quite unobtrusive. One LED then provides the light for each lamp. And the Backlight where the fibres leak. The other components were painted, ready for the assembly. Weight bars, cranks etc. And a whole batch of signals. The first three items assembled. More to follow....... Steve. Edited July 5, 2020 by Steve Hewitt Remove surplus photo. 4 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted July 3, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 3, 2020 Steve what period does the model represent please? If it is GWR days - but depending on the date - the Calling On arms might be the wrong colour. The GWR changed to the standard red/white/red colouring for Calling On arms in the 1930s - prior to that they were painted red with the letters 'CO' on the front, see my photo below. When the arm is off the rectangular glass area of the lamp case is revealed as basically white background showing the black letter C 1 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Steve Hewitt Posted July 3, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted July 3, 2020 Thanks Mike, This signal and previous ones for this layout have the later style Calling On arms, with the Black "C" on the extended lamp casing. Steve. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Freeman Posted July 5, 2020 Share Posted July 5, 2020 Just a quick note to say that anyone else fancy having a go at the Carmarthen signal referred to might like to know that S008/3 from Wizard Models is probably closer to the prototype bracket, just needs some minor modification. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Popular Post Steve Hewitt Posted July 5, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Popular Post Share Posted July 5, 2020 Add the moving parts.................... The six arms each require one Operating Wire/Weight Bar/Down Rod: To prevent buckling, the Down Rods pass through guides on the main post: The two arms on the first doll can be reached directly by their Down Rods, so don't require cranks. The third down rod is for the stop arm on the second doll, and it has its crank to the left of the main post: On the right hand side of the main post are the first cranks for the remaining three arms. They share a single axle, which means things get quite crowded. The two cranks for the second doll are next along the bracket. The final pair of cranks are for the two arms on the third doll: Once all the linkages were installed it was time to add the timbers to the staging and finally the 3D printed Finials from Modelu. With the LED connected to a 9v PP3 battery, the signal is looking fairly complete: Next will be installing the servo motors.......... Steve. 10 14 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Steve Hewitt Posted July 9, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted July 9, 2020 (edited) The servos............... The servo mounts: There are six servos to mount for this signal, one for each arm. I always prepare a bespoke mount for my signal. They are made from plywood and designed to locate accurately with the signal operating wires. A piece of plywood is cut on the bandsaw and drilled for the servo fixing screws. Once the servos are in place, the sub-assembly is mounted on another piece of plywood which will eventually secure the whole to the underside of the baseboard. This second piece has a hole to match that in the baseboard and the signal's foundation tube. The relationship of the plywood parts is determined by " rack of the eye" to ensure the operating wires can be linked to the servo "horns". The joints are reinforced with beading, the whole being glued together. Off cuts of ply and MDF are glued together to create the Transport & Test Frame. This represents the layout's baseboard for thickness, and facilitates the assembly process and testing of the signal. It also allows the signals to be transported safely, tested for operation and easily transferred to the layout. The signal is located by its brass foundation tube, and secured by friction only. The relationship of the operating wires and servos can be seen here. The operating wires are 0.4mm dia Nickel Silver. The lower portion, from ground level downwards, is fixed into 1.32in dia brass tube. This helps to prevent buckling, and is a good running fit inside the "guide tubes" which are built into the signal base (seen previously). More brass tube, of 1/16in dia is used to link the operating wires to their servos. This slides over the operating wire, and is soldered to it once the relationship is adjusted. Each one is made to fit, and is a simple push fit into the servo horn. One of the links between operating wire and servo horn. The servo horn has been shortened and the fixing holes opened up to 1/16in dia to fit. The intention is to use the maximum amount of angular motion to move the signal. This giving the best control. Using the "safe" feature of the GF Controller, the servo is locked in its mid-position. With the connecting tube still free to slide on the operating wire, the signal arm is adjusted to a corresponding mid position - neither clear nor danger. You can just see a small nick in the tube to facilitate soldering. Liquid flux, a hot iron with a little solder and its all over very quickly. Each signal arm and servo are dealt with similarly. The GF Controller for each arm will be adjusted and the whole signal given a good testing...................... Steve. Edited July 9, 2020 by Steve Hewitt Spelling correction. 4 13 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
richard i Posted July 10, 2020 Share Posted July 10, 2020 You make it sound so easy, but it is not, it takes real craftsmanship to make it work smoothly. My signals are still static 5 years after starting them for that reason. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Nelson Posted July 12, 2020 Share Posted July 12, 2020 Hi Steve, Thanks for the inspirational thread and for your and Les’ specific advice via pm. I thought you might like to see the latest signal I have built for ‘Aylesbury’ - https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/24951-modelling-aylesbury-station-risborough-district-mrc/ This is a two doll bracket with an elevated shunt signal:- Roy 10 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Bigcheeseplant Posted July 12, 2020 Share Posted July 12, 2020 4 hours ago, Lord Nelson said: Hi Steve, Thanks for the inspirational thread and for your and Les’ specific advice via pm. I thought you might like to see the latest signal I have built for ‘Aylesbury’ - https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/24951-modelling-aylesbury-station-risborough-district-mrc/ This is a two doll bracket with an elevated shunt signal:- Roy That looks great Roy, if any is interested in the brackets that support the post let me know as I can 3D print these for a small cost. 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buckingham Posted July 18, 2020 Share Posted July 18, 2020 On 12/07/2020 at 13:25, Lord Nelson said: Hi Steve, Thanks for the inspirational thread and for your and Les’ specific advice via pm. I thought you might like to see the latest signal I have built for ‘Aylesbury’ - https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/24951-modelling-aylesbury-station-risborough-district-mrc/ This is a two doll bracket with an elevated shunt signal:- Roy Roy, really nice modelling, interested to see the guy being modelled, I assume it is in wire, I was contemplating adding guys to my taller signals, but was thinking of using EZline as they need to be removable with some kind of plug at ground level to retain them. The LNWR generally seemed to use 3 wires on their signals, one out to the side as yours and also one fore and aft, parallel to the track. This is one of the signals that I need to retrofit the guys too. I have two sets for each signal location as I want to have two periods, there is a lower quadrant variant of this one. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Nelson Posted July 18, 2020 Share Posted July 18, 2020 Hi, I’ve attached one of the Club’s photos of the prototype with a close-up of the tie rod which according to Warburton’s “A Pictorial Record of LMS Signals” is 1.5” in diameter. For the model I used 0.5mm brass wire. The base of the signal and the ‘return’ wire will be set in the layout underlay. You can see from the lean on the prototype that the tie rod was needed (and was maybe not entirely successful!). This angled tie rod anchored in a concrete block replaced a horizontal wire which I believe was attached to another post. Hope this is helpful, Roy 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grovenor Posted July 19, 2020 Share Posted July 19, 2020 Quote (and was maybe not entirely successful!). But then all the other posts in the pic are also leaning over as is the train. So the signal is unlikey to be leaning anywhere near as much as the photo might suggest at first glance. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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