Jon Fitness Posted January 1, 2014 Author Share Posted January 1, 2014 Hi Jon, Well for 2014 I'm starting another diorama Old Oak approaches,image.jpg So in a few months if you fancy it il need these two. Cheers & a happy new year Steve They look interesting...a route indicator on a bracket too! Is that Ranelagh Bridge then? JF Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve fay Posted January 1, 2014 Share Posted January 1, 2014 No Jon, This is the entrance exit to old oak common, I want to Build a small diorama 4 footX 1 foot just so I've got something to take to my two local model shows, as canton will be sold on after April. It will be a nice mace to photograph locos on. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted January 1, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 1, 2014 They look interesting...a route indicator on a bracket too! Is that Ranelagh Bridge then? JF It (the bracket) applied to the Up Engine Line at Old Oak Common East - if the link works it is right at the bottom of the diagram (sorry it's small but I can't post the full size one as it's an SRS copyright). 3 routes from the one on the Engine Line and 4 routes from the straight post signal at right of shot which was for moves out of the Van Sidings and Coronation. http://www.s-r-s.org.uk/html/gwa/S10.htm Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve fay Posted January 1, 2014 Share Posted January 1, 2014 That's the one thanks Mike Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Fitness Posted January 2, 2014 Author Share Posted January 2, 2014 3 routes from the one on the Engine Line and 4 routes from the straight post signal . http://www.s-r-s.org.uk/html/gwa/S10.htm Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted January 2, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 2, 2014 Don't worry Jon - it was a double handed job (and I'm fairly sure there was a Booking Boy as well) for the 160 lever frame. It's just over 50 years since it went - replaced by Old Oak panel 'box (the first one) - so I never knew it during my railway career but I knew quite a few blokes who had been Signalmen there and it was apparently a place where you had to be on your toes and keep pace with what was going. The bottom pair of lines worked t/from Old Oak Engine Shed plus the yard ground frame just south of them (diagram is south at the top), then the main part of Old Oak Carriage Sdgs, then a pair of Up Goods Line (again stencil indicators off them - 4 routes each) then the Up & Down reliefs, then the Up & Down Mains, then the two Down Goods Lines one of which worked to Old Oak West and the other to Aberdare Sidings ground frame - they were fed off the Down Main and the Victoria Branch. To the east (left) there were the two overbridge Engine & Carriage Lines (which were automatic colour lights with Calling On signals beneath them as they were Permissive), then a siding followed by the Up Goods, the Down Goods & Carriage, Up & Down Reliefs, Up & Down Mains and a Down Goods Loop. And of course over the top was the West London Line. There must have been an awful lot of block bells! It was gradually simplified over the years but there was still quite a lot there and I had the time of my life (not) for the best part of 12 hours on New Year's Eve 1978/79 using a steam lance and half a ton of salt to de-ice all the pointwork on the north side of the Relief Lines and keeping it de-iced because the point heaters hadn't been lit and were by then choked with frozen snow. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Fitness Posted January 2, 2014 Author Share Posted January 2, 2014 Don't worry Jon - it was a double handed job (and I'm fairly sure there was a Booking Boy as well) for the 160 lever frame. It's just over 50 years since it went - replaced by Old Oak panel 'box (the first one) - so I never knew it during my railway career but I knew quite a few blokes who had been Signalmen there and it was apparently a place where you had to be on your toes and keep pace with what was going. The bottom pair of lines worked t/from Old Oak Engine Shed plus the yard ground frame just south of them (diagram is south at the top), then the main part of Old Oak Carriage Sdgs, then a pair of Up Goods Line (again stencil indicators off them - 4 routes each) then the Up & Down reliefs, then the Up & Down Mains, then the two Down Goods Lines one of which worked to Old Oak West and the other to Aberdare Sidings ground frame - they were fed off the Down Main and the Victoria Branch. To the east (left) there were the two overbridge Engine & Carriage Lines (which were automatic colour lights with Calling On signals beneath them as they were Permissive), then a siding followed by the Up Goods, the Down Goods & Carriage, Up & Down Reliefs, Up & Down Mains and a Down Goods Loop. And of course over the top was the West London Line. There must have been an awful lot of block bells! It was gradually simplified over the years but there was still quite a lot there and I had the time of my life (not) for the best part of 12 hours on New Year's Eve 1978/79 using a steam lance and half a ton of salt to de-ice all the pointwork on the north side of the Relief Lines and keeping it de-iced because the point heaters hadn't been lit and were by then choked with frozen snow. I would have loved to work somewhere like that, but not being the sharpest tool in the kit I probably would have struggled a bit! TBH I'm more worried by how I'll get a four shutter route indicator to work in 7mm scale..... JF Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
garethevans1986 Posted January 3, 2014 Share Posted January 3, 2014 It'll be going on our layout at Uppermill...once I've built the signals for it! JF Awesome, you'll have to pass me out on the box once everything is installed! Gareth Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Fitness Posted January 6, 2014 Author Share Posted January 6, 2014 Well, thats about as far as I can assemble the signal before it hits the paintshop. It'll be grey with a white front face to the main post and black ladders. Getting the order of assembly/painting right is something I always struggle with (it's a "me" problem!! ) That's why there's a small gap in the handrails. I much prefer to solder up the handrails and ladders before spraying but that usually ends up with some pretty complicated masking off and a lot of post painting assembly. The gap in the handrails will be bridged once the arms are on. More soon JF 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Fitness Posted January 8, 2014 Author Share Posted January 8, 2014 (edited) Nearly done! I've got the footboards, extra ladders and some paint on it now. Still to do are the gap in the handrails, a TC diamond between the stop and distant arms and the smoke hood to fit by the spandrel brackety things. In due course it'll meet up with the weathering brushes to tone it down and will be installed on the layout just by the loco shed. More soon and a video of it operating if anyones interested....and no, the weightbars don't move (I'm just too lazy !) JF (Edited to change photos..) Edited January 9, 2014 by Jon Fitness 12 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simond Posted January 11, 2014 Share Posted January 11, 2014 Jon I think you can be proud of that! Simon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Fitness Posted January 22, 2014 Author Share Posted January 22, 2014 I haven't been posting but I haven't been idle either! The LMS lattice bracket is now installed on the layout, powered up and tested but I haven't done the switches/levers for it yet. The distant will work automatically with the branch to main home from the main Saltney panel/frame and the the home and the shunt signal will be operated from yet to be wired levers on the Astley Bridge frame. Latest builds are 2 GNR(ish) structures with LNER upper quadrants. The config is what the customer requested and has he hasn't come up with a track diagram for me to work from, I just built what he asked. He has a layout just to run his collection of Linda Lovelace Laurie Loveless A4s and golden age Pullmans on! More GW signals to follow as sadly I'm now a bit busy to build the LNW signals for our layout.... Jon F 9 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Fitness Posted January 26, 2014 Author Share Posted January 26, 2014 (edited) GW signals Generally I use MSE for GW signals as they do a reasonably priced sheet of signal arms which also includes a bracket etch too. They now do a specific little etch for a single GWR tubular post/later pattern arm kit (S7/KW2) and the arm is somewhat smaller than the ones on their larger sheet! The arm in this kit couldn't be used on the same signal with the arms off the MSE SO15 etch but now matches the size of the equivalent Scale Signal Supply GW arms... So, to the kit...as usual I couldn't resist modifying and swapping a few bits to my taste so here we go. The contents. The prominent bolt heads on the arm are shown as indents on the blade which I wasn't happy with so I gently tapped them with the riveter to mark the positions on the back, turned the arm over and punched them out from the back. Helpfully, the red aspect opening on the spectacle is left as a smaller hole for if you are making a shunt signal.(The green should also be smaller and "banana shaped" as well but that hasn't been provided!!) I opened this out with my tapered broach as this will be a normal stop arm. The blade and spectacle plate were then drilled 1mm for my choice of 14BA bolt as an axle. These then had a little solder paste smeared on the mating faces, aligned, held together with a nut and bolt and the soldering iron held on the back to make it permanent. An arm stop to prevent the arm going above horizontal will be fitted but we'll come to that later. There is a generous amount of tube provided in the kit so quite a tall post can be constructed but this one will be a scale 26ft tall (approx.) The lower and thicker part of a GW tubular post (the "butt"... snigger.....) is generally about 12ft above rail level regardless of the total height, so a suitable length was prepared. A chamfer was put on the upper end using my trusty diamond disc in the minidrill.. and the two halves telescoped together for about 15mm with a smear of solder paste in the joint. The tubes were aligned by eye and a piece of brass, roughly the same thickness as the butt tube wall placed under the thinner tube to keep the alignment straight. The joint was then heated with the iron until the molten solder showed at the joint. (not unlike a Yorkshire pipe fitting!) The kit includes some thinner tube for various bearings, the internal diameter of which provides a good running clearance for a 14BA bolt. A small length was soldered about 7mm from the top of the post using a piece of brass rod to hold it while the iron was wielded. Once this was on I decided to try a different version of my usual GW arm stop to see if it was any easier to fit. A piece of 1mm x 0.5mm strip was soldered to the back of the spectacle plate and trimmed back with a view to this contacting a piece of wire through the post when horizontal. The post was then marked and drilled for a short piece of 0.7 wire to be soldered through. A bit long winded (sorry) but it seems to be a solid idea so I thought I'd share it! That's enough for this post I think, so more soon... JF Edited January 26, 2014 by Jon Fitness 9 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Fitness Posted January 26, 2014 Author Share Posted January 26, 2014 The base provided in the kit is too small for my purposes so was replaced with my usual 50x32 one. A hole was drilled to accept the post and then set up on the bench ready for soldering. I usually align by eye, cut a little piece of 188 solder, curl it round the base of the post and add a good blob of liquid flux. Once happy with the alignment either a hot soldering iron or a mini gas torch can be used to heat the area until the solder flows. Having a bolt as the signal axle means I can easily lock it up with a nut for a quick check that everything is correct. The finial is whitemetal and is just resting on top for the pic. It looks a little "undernourished" to my eye and will probably be replaced with a brass Scale Signal Supply item. As this signal will be LED lit, the whitemetal lamp case in the kit (which looks a bit.er..not GWR!) will be replaced by a nice hollow brass one from SSS. This was soldered to the post with 188 solder (I love brass castings!) and a 3mm warm white LED secured in by carefully picking up the negative(short) tail against the lamp with a bit of 145. Take care not to overheat the LED!! All good so far. Time to turn on the soldering iron again... JF 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold RedgateModels Posted January 26, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 26, 2014 Looking great Jon, look forward to the next update Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Fitness Posted January 27, 2014 Author Share Posted January 27, 2014 (edited) Time to put some oil in the lamp! A 0.7mm hole is drilled into the tube near the lamp case and a length of fine insulated wire soldered to the positive leg of the LED. This is then fed down the tube and out through the base ready to be terminated at a 1k ohm resistor I like this single strand wire but my stocks are getting quite low now and the place I got it (All Components) doesn't stock it any more. In fact it's become a bit of a running joke at the AC stand at each exhibition as the proprietor swears blind he's never stocked it each time I ask! I'm sure he recognizes me and you can see an odd look on his face as he tries to recall each time he tells me! I might put him out of his quandary next time I visit his stand and show him this... Anyway, for single LED use I like to use these surface mount resistors. They are tiny but quite robust to handle and solder as long as you don't linger with the soldering iron! I solder them to a small piece of double sided copperclad which has been gapped on the top surface. Tin both sides with 145 and solder the resistor across the gap, holding it down with a cocktail stick during soldering. Leave a large enough area either side of it so that soldering on the wires won't affect the solder near the resistor. The servo (TowerProSG92) has had its tags taken off to save space under the base and will be held in place with some double sided trim tape (thin spongy and very sticky). It's probably best to remove the label from the servo as this will sometimes trap grease that has oozed out of the gearbox as it was made at the factory. I have to work out where the servo will sit for each signal, drill the hole for its drive rod and tin an area on the base so that adding the resistor "pad" won't get in it's way. The servo is then secured to the base.. and that's the base taken care of. Next up is the weight bar. The ones provided are spot on GWR shape and size and have to be soldered up form the texture required. The bearing plate is folded up and I drilled all the pivot holes 1mm to take a 14BA bolt. The lower tail on the weight bar is for when they are used as a crank at the base of each doll on a bracket signal. As this one will be at the base of a main post the tail will be snipped off. To fit the assembly after drilling the post, I want to solder the bearing plate and a captive nut to the post. The trick (which usually works) is to chemically blacken a bolt first, pass it through the post and the bearing plate, tighten a clean shiny nut on the bolt and solder the nut to the post. The blackening should keep the solder away from the bolt whilst allowing everything else to be correctly lined up and fastened on... That's enough pics for now! Hoping this is not too long winded! JF Edited June 4, 2015 by Jon Fitness 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Fitness Posted January 27, 2014 Author Share Posted January 27, 2014 Drive Rods! I used the supplied 0.45 nickel silver wire for this. An angle plus tail was formed at the end of this rod, threaded through the arm from the back and the arm positioned and secured with its nut. A kink was introduced lower down as per drawings/photos I have to allow the rod to step out from the front of the post and align with the weight bar. A couple of rod guides are needed (both for appearance and for mechanical reasons!) and these were made up from scrap LED tails. These bits are soft iron, tinned and of a square section. I never throw them away as they extremely useful for all sorts of jobs like ladder stays and little brackets etc. That's definitely all until tomorrow! JF 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold RedgateModels Posted January 27, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 27, 2014 Those rod guides are lovely Jon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
N15class Posted January 27, 2014 Share Posted January 27, 2014 Cracking work as usual Jon. I will have to re read when I come to do my layout. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Fitness Posted January 27, 2014 Author Share Posted January 27, 2014 I haven't done a good "how to" for a while. I'll finish it tomorrow and get back to work. It's surprising how much time photographs and typing absorbs! JF Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
scot6p Posted January 28, 2014 Share Posted January 28, 2014 Thanks for posting that "how to" John that was very informative on how to construct a signal. Does SSS make parts for LMS signals and have they a web-site? I was chatting to one of the S7 guys at the Bristol show on his signal and he uses Minx Microdrives for his signal which was very small (think I might have try this). Keep posting like you have done as I find it very informative. Len Cattley Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Fitness Posted January 28, 2014 Author Share Posted January 28, 2014 Thanks for posting that "how to" John that was very informative on how to construct a signal. Does SSS make parts for LMS signals and have they a web-site? I was chatting to one of the S7 guys at the Bristol show on his signal and he uses Minx Microdrives for his signal which was very small (think I might have try this). Keep posting like you have done as I find it very informative. Len Cattley Thanks Len, The Minxes are very good but seem mind-bogglingly rather expensive! I don't think SSS have yet organised a website (It's just Pete and his wife running it) but I have his current price list hosted on my website here . Some of his kits are also available on Ebay via this seller Cheers JF Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Fitness Posted January 28, 2014 Author Share Posted January 28, 2014 (edited) Finishing the Construction; Ladders and staging. A very fine lamp-man's staging and top handrail are included on the fret. The handrail needs very careful removal from the fret; I used a scalpel blade. Remember, if cutting off the fret like this, do so on a hard surface to prevent it from deforming. The staging was braced with a thin strip of nickel silver bent round the post and the whole assembly once added is quite strong. As nice as the staging/handrail are, I think they are for the earlier wooden posted signals but nevertheless look very nice when soldered on to the post. For the uprights, I used 25mm hard brass lace pins which are ideal. The heads are below the staging and the sharp ends trimmed off but if I was making a Southern Railway signal I would use them with the heads uppermost as per pictures and drawings I have. The MSE ladder looked a bit wide and the rungs were somewhat damaged when I got it out of the packet so I replaced it with a D&S models one. A ladder brace was made up from some scrap fret and fitted about half way down. The back blinder is soldered up from 2 components and added to the rear of the signal arm axle and there you have it. Time to clean it up, strip it down and get some paint on it.. Time to get some more work done now!!..... More soon JF Edited January 28, 2014 by Jon Fitness 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Fitness Posted January 31, 2014 Author Share Posted January 31, 2014 The next GW signal was built in the same way as the last one with the addition of a ground disc at the base of it. This lot has to be lit and made to operate.... First job was to add a few bits to the disc itself. A 14BA bolt for an axle, a piece of 1 x 0.5mm N/S strip to act as a stop (there is a small block on the whitemetal base post for it to catch on) and a pin for the drive rod to connect to. Soldering all 3 bits without them all moving/dropping off was fun . There is a choice of etched or cast weight bars; I chose the etched one for strength as I intended to couple it up. Again, a 14BA bolt is the axle. The lamp case is a bit too big to be used so I called on a trick I used on the MR signals. The cap of the lamp was sawn off and used to put a lid on a short length of brass tube with an LED in it. The LED/lampcase combo was then carefully soldered to the base post and wired up. After drilling holes for the lamp wire and drive rod the assembled lamp was then soldered to the base of the signal. This type of ground signal usually sits on a timber or sleeper so a small piece of copperclad was soldered to the base for it to sit on Another one ready for the paintshop! A platform mounted signal, fixed at danger and provided with a calling on arm is next up... I have used an MSE arm for this one but modified it slightly. I have reduced the size of the spectacle plate around the lens areas and soldered a flange along each edge to give it a bit of texture. Not sure if it looks as good as I thought it would..opinions? The calling on arm was made from scratch and the lamp with the box for the "C" or "S" was cobbled up from bits again. A pint or two of "midnight oil" should see this one done before bedtime!! More soon JF 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold RedgateModels Posted January 31, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 31, 2014 Would the fixed arm not have a spectacle plate at all and a red lens on the lamp? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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