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Semaphore Signals - 4mm Scale (Mainly)


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Hi Micle,

 

For all my soldering of Brass and Nickel Silver, including Electrical Connections I use 179 Dec C.

This has 2 percent Silver, is very free flowing and makes strong joints.

 

For white Metal I use 100 Deg C solder rather than the often recommended 70 Deg C.

This has the advantage of not demanding prior tinning of the brass or N/S surface with ordinary solder.

(this is still good practice though).

 

For all soldering I use 12 percent Phosphoric Acid flux.

 

A comprehensive range is available from Hobby Holidays at https://www.hobbyholidays.co.uk/products.php?cat=40

(No connection other than satisfied customer).

 

Hope this helps,

Steve.

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5 minutes ago, Steve Hewitt said:

Another Gantry for the GWR terminus..........

 

A couple of months ago or more I showed the Gantry controlling the Up approach to the Edgeware Road terminus.

Its now time for the Down lines partner to be built.

This gantry is a similar design, but with a shorter span.

Only three dolls, each with one working arm. The two dolls for the main running routes also have Fixed Distants.

 

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The main structure has 12 inch square H section main posts supporting 9 inch channel section trimmers.

The corners are strengthened with two pairs of small brackets.

 

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The dolls are hollow 3D printed items, from Les Greens Shapeways Shop.

The bottom of each doll is turned to give a location spigot (hidden by my fingers above).

 

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To  ensure the doll spacing is correct I prepared this simple jig.

I drilled holes to take short lengths of silver steel, the same diameter as the bottom of the dolls.

Using the table of my tiny milling machine made this a very simple task.

 

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Each doll requires a socket into which it will eventually be glued.

These were drilled and cut from 4mm square brass bar in the lathe.

 

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The doll sockets were soldered in place between the trimmers with everything checked for squareness and alignment.

 

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Holes for the Handrail Stanchions were also drilled in the milling machine, using the table index to get the correct spacing.

 

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The supports for the staging are made ffrom 1mm x 0.5mm brass strip.

The stanchions are 0.45mm dia Lace Pins.

 

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A base plate was prepared for each leg.

Because of subterranean obstructions the servo motors to operate this signal will have to be located under the right hand leg. The access ladder is also located at this end, leaving only the optical fibres for the lights to be routed down the left hand leg.

The right hand leg is therefore finished with a 1/2in dia brass tube, which will locate the signal with the servo assembly.

The turned foundation for the left hand leg is some 8mm dia and will only require a clearance hole in the baseboard to prevent any rotation of the signal.

 

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The guide tubes for the operating wires are fitted in the recess of the H section right hand leg.

 

 

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To get the operating wires across the gantry to the dolls requires three cranks mounted on the trimmers.

 

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A trial fit of the dolls.

 

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The signal mounted on its Transport & Test frame has received its access ladder and handrails.

At this stage it was given a really good clean with scrapers, files, emery boards etc. and then treated to a trip in the dish washer.

 

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With all the components mechanically cleaned they enjoyed a bath together in cellulose thinners, after a thorough drying its time for the paintshop.

 

More about that when the paint is dry...................

 

Steve.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Very nice Steve. That block of Tufnol looks as though it could tell a few stories...

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On 22/11/2020 at 09:08, RailWest said:

You are correct :-)

Not sure and not applicable here but for the sake of completeness I think the tubular versions did. I stand corrected, just couldn't think of any fixed distants on GWR tubular posts to check on.

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22 hours ago, Stephen Freeman said:

Not sure and not applicable here but for the sake of completeness I think the tubular versions did.

All post versions erected for fixed distants on the GWR did not have spectacle plates.   I say that having never seen a fixed distant on a concrete post but as spectacle plates weren't provided on fixed distants mounted on timber, lattice, and tubular steel posts it is probably not unreasonable to assume they were the same if any were mounted on concrete posts.  Judging from one I knew of mounted on a lattice post which pre-dated what I know of GWR use of concrete signal posts it is also I think reasonable to assume they would have been mounted in the normal way on a concrete post.  

 

Incidentally there was an excellent example of fixed distants mounted on wooden gantry dolls at Abbey Foregate at Shrewsbury which can be seen by scrolling down this page  (an unusual gantry structure too) -

https://www.roscalen.com/signals/Shrewsbury/AbbeyForegate.htm

 

BUT do not overlook the fact that if a distant signal happened to be reduced from worked to fixed at caution it is hardly likely to have been altered until such time as the signal was renewed and the spectacle plate would have remained.  I can't off hand think of anywhere that this happened.  And I also need to find a picture (or even my picture!!)  of Exeter West's Up Main Line Inner Home Signal to settle - one way or the other - a potential niggle in the back of my mind.

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7 minutes ago, The Stationmaster said:

And I also need to find a picture (or even my picture!!)  of Exeter West's Up Main Line Inner Home Signal to settle - one way or the other - a potential niggle in the back of my mind.

"Glory Days - Western Signalman" by Adrian Vaughan, page 31 - a lovely colour photo by Peter Gray taken on 22/8/59. There's a more distant view from the back on page 33 of the same book, taken by Dick Riley on 23/6/62.

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6 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

"Glory Days - Western Signalman" by Adrian Vaughan, page 31 - a lovely colour photo by Peter Gray taken on 22/8/59. There's a more distant view from the back on page 33 of the same book, taken by Dick Riley on 23/6/62.

Thanks St E - I have found an online picture as well (but still can't find my own picture of it  in full colour 'somewhere on RMweb' :help: ).  It confirmed what I originally thought - that the two fixed distants definitely didn't have spectacle plates although the one worked distant did have one..

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