Semaphore Signals - 4mm Scale (Mainly)

[Highlandman]

I wish you good luck for your January deadline but I'm sure you'll make it. I will watch with great interest your next build.

[Steve Hewitt]

I've decided to start with the bracket signal.

 

Using the height to the Rule 55 Diamond as 12ft above rail height, or 13ft above ground, I've estimated key dimensions as follows:

 

Height from ground to top of staging is 18ft; and to centre line of top arm is 27ft. The lower arm is 2ft lower.

 

The design seems to be straight forward LMS, so I've used Graham Warburtons book for all the other dimensions.

 

The only unusual feature seems to be the high position of the balance levers, just above the Diamond, and they are at 90 degrees to the track direction rather than parallel to it.

 

So to the model:

The bracket assembly is at the very heart of this signal so I've started with that.

I turned three sockets for the main fixings. One for each doll, and one for the main stem.

The sides of each socket ensure the channel sections are the correct 12in apart and the whole is true and square.

I forgot to photograph the simple jig I used.

It was a piece of MDF, drilled 2mm for each doll position and 1/8in for the main stem.

Using HSS drills to position the three sockets, the two channel sections were held in position and the whole soldered together.

The brackets for the rocking shaft are 7mm scale medium handrail knobs.

 

The four angle section trusses were prepared together to ensure uniformity.

I soldered four pieces of brass angle together into a cruciform section, and cut and filed the bend positions before separating the pieces for assembly.

 

The balance arm pivot is prepared from a small pice of square brass tube:

 

The supports for the wooden staging were made from brass strip.

The main assembly then looks like this:

 

More to follow.

 

Steve.

[Michael Delamar]

enjoyed the write up in the MRJ on the Lime street dolly signal Steve

[Steve Hewitt]

Some more components:

Here is the base plate, marked out and drilled in a piece of Nickel Silver sheet:

 

This is the turned foundation tube which will be soldered into the base plate to ensure the main stem stands vertically:

 

The two dolls are brass tube of 2mm dia. with the arm pivot and lamp bracket added:

 

In place the two dolls are braced with a N/S rod:

 

Ladders, lamps and handrails to come next.

 

Steve.

[Steve Hewitt]

Many moons ago I used to make ladders using etched sides, or stiles, with individual wire rungs soldered in place.

No matter how careful I was, and how many jigs and aids I used, the result was always a bit disappointing.

I now use etched "ready to use" ladders, but with fine wire soldered to each stile to give strength and improved appearance.

 

The following snaps show my latest attempts:

 

This front view shows the wire soldered to the flat etch.

 

After soldering the wire in place, the sides are carefully filed smooth and flat:

 

This rear view shows the "un-improved" side, which is normally not easily seen when the ladder is added to a signal.

 

The handrail stanchions are my usual fine lace pins, soldered through the brass supports.

The handrail is 0.4mm N/S wire.

I started the forming at the semi-circular safety hoop, and worked round to the opposite or front side of the signal. The two ends of the handrail were joined by a short length of fine brass tube. The O.D. of the tube is only 0.6mm and it slides easily over 0.4mm wire.

This new range is very useful!

 

 

 

You can see the lamps have been added.

These are MSE white metal castings, drilled out to take the fibre optic cables for the lighting.

 

 

Thats it for now on this signal.

I'll make the two single post LNWR lower quadrants before they all go to the paint shop in a batch.

 

Steve.

[Steve Hewitt]

These two LNWR signals are being built on real wooden posts.

I happened to have in stock two posts made for me some time ago by Scale Signal Supply.

 

They make up into a nice model, but the building techniques can be somewhat unusual for me, relying heavily on super glues!

(I haven't found the correct flux to allow me to solder brass to wood.)

 

I started as usual with a few components:

The two arms were made from MSE etches.

 

The balance arms are assembled from Alan Gibson etches.

 

The balance arm bearing is also from an Alan Gibson etch, here seen with the balance arm in place.

 

The lamps are MSE castings, drilled out for fibre optic cables.

 

The lamp brackets are made from brass tube:

A length of 3/16in dia Brass tube had a scrap of brass etch soldered over the end.

 

The tube is chucked up in the lathe.

 

With the end turned flush.

 

The lamp bracket can be cut off with a piercing saw and filed up to give:

 

More to follow......

 

Steve.

Edited November 19, 2012 by SteveAtBax

[Steve Hewitt]

Starting with the arm bearings, these are made from 1/32in brass tube soldered to a small piece of scrap etch which can be glued and pinned to the post.

There are two small holes 0.45mm dia, one each side of the bearing.

 

Keeping the brass tube extra long makes positioning it for gluing much easier.

Once the bearing is glued in place, the small holes are drilled through the post and my favourite lace pins used to reinforce the joint, with a dab of Loctite superglue once more.

 

After its all fully cured, the brass tube is trimmed with very close cutting end cutters.

I sacrifice another pin during the cutting to pevent the tube collapsing.

 

The lower ends of the posts have been turned down to set the correct post height, and facilitate mounting at a later stage.

The balance arm bearings are glued in position, and the pivot pin will be glued as reinforcement at the final assembly stage.

 

Each base plate was marked out on Nickel Silver sheet, drilled and cut to size:

 

The hole for the foundation tube was cut to final size using a taper broach:

 

The foundation tubes were turned from Brass bar:

 

Assembled in the base plates, with the guide tubes (1/16in brass tube) also in place:

 

The mounting tubes are 1/2in dia brass tube, and will locate the signals in the layout and ensure the servo mountings are in the correct position:

 

 

More later....

Steve.

[Steve Hewitt]

Progress has been a bit slow recently.

Taking Lime Street to the Warley show took precedence.

 

However, the two wooden post signals have been assembled.

Here we see the base of one post glued securely into its brass foundation tube:

 

The post cap, lamp bracket and ladder have also been added:

 

The three signals have been cleaned and are now ready for the paint shop:

 

A few coats of Halfords White Primer then they were masked up ready for the Halfords Satin Black:

 

The upper areas of the bracket signal are too fiddly to mask for spraying, so they will be brush painted later.

 

More in a little while,

 

Steve.

[Jon Fitness]

Getting the black and whites on. Always my favourite bit of the construction process for some reason. Looking good Steve!

Saw you on Lime St on Saturday at Warley but you'd just taken over one of the operators positions so I didn't want to disturb. Then the crowds closed in around the layout!!!

Jon F.

[Steve Hewitt]

Getting the black and whites on. Always my favourite bit of the construction process for some reason. Looking good Steve!

Saw you on Lime St on Saturday at Warley but you'd just taken over one of the operators positions so I didn't want to disturb. Then the crowds closed in around the layout!!!

Jon F.

 

Thanks Jon, sorry we didn't get to chat on Saturday.

I'm afraid the painting is my least favourite process. I never feel really in control of it.

My favourite part comes shortly - assembling all the components and linking them up.

Its at that stage that the signal comes to life for me.

 

Steve.

[Steve Hewitt]

Once the Halfords black had dried, the masking was removed and the brush painting completed.

 

The fibres optic cables to the lamps were then carefully threaded through the drilled out lamp castings and down the signal structure to disappear into the main stem and out below ground level.

The fibres are "tie wrapped" with white cotton thread at strategic points along their route.

Although fully visible, they are very unobtrusive on the finished model.:

 

 

Now its time to start on the operating linkages.

 

First the "Rocking Shafts" which transfer the movement of the signal wires along the bracket:

 

The balance arms are also fitted to their bearing:

 

More soon,

 

Steve.

[Steve Hewitt]

The operating wires are 0.4mm N/S, blackened with "Gun Blue".

 

The links down below ground are soldered into 1/32in brass tube, to slide smoothly in their guide tubes which I showed earlier.

The ends of each wire are bent at a right angle to pass through the appropriate crank etc, and the ends pinched with the "parallel plyers". These have a great mechanical advantage compared to ordinary plyers, making the job really easy.

 

The result:

 

Steve.

[Steve Hewitt]

Once all the operating linkages are installed its time to prepare for the installation on the layout.

As I said earlier, these three signals are destined for our club layout "Oxenholme", so I have prepared a "Storage and Carriage" frame which will ensure safe handling whenever the signals have to be moved.

This will also double up as a set-up and test tool, so I've made it to accurately represent the baseboard in the place each signal will be installed.

 

What we have is a top surface which is the same thickness as the baseboards:

Two end supports ensure there is ample room below the "baseboard" for installation of the servos and LEDs.

The 1/2in plywood is OK for one signal, which is in the cess.

The other two are in the ballast, so the thickness has been increased by a couple of mm. using thin balsa wood.

The location is drilled 1/2in dia. to take the foundation tube for each signal.

 

Each servo motor is mounted on a small sub-board which is also located by the foundation tube:

 

 

Each servo board is fixed below its signal, ensuring accurate location with a longer piece of 1/2in brass tube:

 

This procedure will be repaeated on the layout boards when the signals are installed.

 

All three servos mounted:

 

Looking vertically upwards, you can just see where the lower ends of the operating wires, sleeved up to 1/32in dia with brass tube, align with the servo "horns":

 

This gap is bridged by a length of 1/16in brass tube, carefully bent to get the alignment exact, and with a right angle at the bottom end where it locates in the servo horn.

The operating length of this tube is important, and is adjusted as follows.

First, connect up the servo motor to its controller, in this case I'm using Embedded Cotrols units, which have been standard for all our club layouts for years.

Carefully adjust the controller to set the servo to "mid-position":

 

If necessary refit the horn on its spline to its best position.

Slide the 1/16 tube over the operating wire (1/32in tube) and locate it in the servo horn.

With the servo in mid-position, now adjust the signal arm to its mid position (the operating wire will slide inside the 1/16in tube to allow this.

When all is correct, solder the 1/16in tube to the 1/32 tube.

 

To make this final solder joint, I file through the edge of the 1/16in tube, where it will expose the inner 1/32 tube:

 

Drop of flux, hot iron with a little solder and the jobs done:

 

Finally adjust the servo controller to give the desired movement of the signal arm:

 

On the layout, the 12v supply for the LEDs will be provided by a transformer feed.

For now, I've lashed up a 9v supply using a PP3 battery:

 

And here we are:

 

 

 

A small video will follow, if its up to it.....

 

Hopefully some shots of the signals on the layout in a little while,

 

Steve.

[Steve Hewitt]

Here's the video clip for what its worth.

 

 

Steve.

Edited December 3, 2012 by SteveAtBax

[Jon Fitness]

Steve.

For what its worth? It's always worth it! Cracking work as always and keep them coming .

Jon F.

[Steve Hewitt]

The majority of the signals I've built have been for LMS or BR (M) layouts and as such either LNWR or LMS products.

This next signal is a bit out of my usual area.

 

It is the Swindon East Down Inner Home bracket signal. (Thanks Stationmaster)

This rather dull image is photogaphed from a reproduction of the cover of a book, but it shows the main characteristics quite well:

 

The model is to 4mm scale and will be servo operated.

The three Calling On arms will be dummies, ie. not operating.

Because it will normally be viewed from the rear, there is to be no lighting on this model.

 

Steve.

Edited December 13, 2012 by SteveAtBax

[Jon Fitness]

The majority of the signals I've built have been for LMS or BR (M) layouts and as such either LNWR or LMS products.

This next signal is a bit out of my usual area.

 

It is the Swindon East Down Home bracket signal.

This rather dull image is photogaphed from a reproduction of the cover of a book, but it shows the main characteristics quite well:

 

The model is to 4mm scale and will be servo operated.

The three Calling On arms will be dummies, ie. not operating.

Because it will normally be viewed from the rear, there is to be no lighting on this model.

 

Steve.

 

Don't worry Steve, they don't hurt and the sooner you've done it you can get back to the proper stuff!......

 

JF

[The Stationmaster]

Don't worry Steve, they don't hurt and the sooner you've done it you can get back to the proper stuff!......

 

JF

 

Bloomin' cheek - everybody knows that proper signals go down for 'off' (just like the LNWR ). BTW that signal is was the Inner Home - the Home Signal was about 100yds in rear of it and sited in the 6ft - just an ordinary plain stop signal.

[Steve Hewitt]

Bloomin' cheek - everybody knows that proper signals go down for 'off' (just like the LNWR ). BTW that signal is was the Inner Home - the Home Signal was about 100yds in rear of it and sited in the 6ft - just an ordinary plain stop signal.

 

Thanks for the insight.

I'll pass the info on.

I suspect the Home might be "off scene" for the layout, but I've not seen the whole trackplan.

 

Steve.

[LNERGE]

Bloomin' cheek - everybody knows that proper signals go down for 'off' (just like the LNWR ).

 

It looks like i have the privilege of 'fixing' some of these signals in the very near future.. Simply chop off the bit of post with the offending lower quadrant arm and plonk an LED searchlight on top. Simples. Photo on Monday if all goes to plan.

Edited December 12, 2012 by LNERGE

[Jon Fitness]

It looks like i have the privilege of 'fixing' some of these signals in the very near future.. Simply chop off the bit of post with the offending lower quadrant arm and plonk an LED searchlight on top. Simples. Photo on Monday if all goes to plan.

Ouch..

JF

[LNERGE]

Ouch..

JF

 

Not my idea a hasten to add. I'm simply testing afterwards.

[The Stationmaster]

It looks like i have the privilege of 'fixing' some of these signals in the very near future.. Simply chop off the bit of post with the offending lower quadrant arm and plonk an LED searchlight on top. Simples. Photo on Monday if all goes to plan.

sacrilege - but at least the post will survive (I hope)

[theoldmansminion]

Excellent work Steve

[Steve Hewitt]

This signal is going to use mainly MSE etched components, with Brass tubes and other sections etc. as required.

 

I always like to start with a few components to get in the right mood:

 

 

 

Finally for today some ladders:

 

I've just realised that some of the bits I've used are from some new etches my friend Les Green, of Lime Street Roof fame, has drawn and had etched for me.

I'll take some photos with details tomorrow.

 

Steve.