wiggoforgold Posted September 8, 2013 Share Posted September 8, 2013 I want to install a bell on my layout underneath the signal box to simulate the sound of the block instrument working. Any thoughts on a suitable sounding bell? ( I don't want to buy a real block instrument!) Thanks in anticipation. Alex Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wiggoforgold Posted September 8, 2013 Author Share Posted September 8, 2013 Sorry topic heading should be "Block Bell" - I do apologise for my dodgy proofreading. Alex Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pointstaken Posted September 8, 2013 Share Posted September 8, 2013 Glad you weren't apologising for your "doggy" proofreading ! Dennis Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Trainshed Terry Posted September 8, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 8, 2013 There was a range of and types of gongs and bells used, from memory I think that it was box "A" a gong and box "B" was a bell. I worked at "Manningtree South Junction" which had 3 type's of bells which when they rang all to gether was a challage to who rang first. Terry. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gormo Posted September 8, 2013 Share Posted September 8, 2013 I want to install a bell on my layout underneath the signal box to simulate the sound of the block instrument working. Any thoughts on a suitable sounding bell? ( I don't want to buy a real block instrument!) Thanks in anticipation. Alex G`day Wiggo, I am going down this road as well, but I am doing my own block instruments. In the process of development, I have experimented with push bike bells and more recently the type of bells you find on reception counters in hotels, where you tap on the top to ring the bell. The advantages of the bell types mentioned are that they are readily available, they are inexpensive and they are small. I hope this has been of some help to you. Cheers Gormo Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wiggoforgold Posted September 9, 2013 Author Share Posted September 9, 2013 Thanks for the replies. Terry - I hadn't realized that neighbourng boxes used different bells so they could be identified - obvious when you think about it. That said, my box is the last one on a branch, so there would only be one neighbouring box. Gomo - A reception bell would have the sound I'm looking for I think. I want to operate mine remotely, so I'm thinking of using a striker operated by a relay. Alex Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gormo Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 Thanks for the replies. Terry - I hadn't realized that neighbourng boxes used different bells so they could be identified - obvious when you think about it. That said, my box is the last one on a branch, so there would only be one neighbouring box. Gomo - A reception bell would have the sound I'm looking for I think. I want to operate mine remotely, so I'm thinking of using a striker operated by a relay. Alex G`day Wiggo I am sure a relay would work...........I am using a Peco point motor with a spring return attached.......Good Luck with the project. Cheers Gormo Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Prism Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 Some old-fashioned cheap toggle switches had metal belltop casings (like this one), and make good bells if you can arrange a suitable striker. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RailWest Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 Bells came in various shapes and sizes and gave different tones and 'rings', varying from from quite loud and 'clear' to more of a dull 'clunk". The East and West boxes at Bristol Temple Meads had over 20 each ! It really depends whether what you just want "a bell" or want to try to emulate the 'railway tone'. In essence any sort of domestic door-bell can be used, just modify the wiring so that it becomes single-stroke rather than tremulous. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokebox Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 Cycle bell Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
the penguin of doom Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 Hi Alex, (long time no speak). When I was a signal man, I remember one of the bells at Bridlington South sounded like one of those cow bells you used to hear all the time on Ski Sunday. I do think a reception bell would sound very similar to one of the other box bells I've heard. We also had a rather large and really rich sounding bell at Quay Crossing, (now sadly demolished), for the single line to Hunmanby. Cheers. Sean. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted September 9, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 9, 2013 Bells came in various shapes and sizes and gave different tones and 'rings', varying from from quite loud and 'clear' to more of a dull 'clunk". The East and West boxes at Bristol Temple Meads had over 20 each ! It really depends whether what you just want "a bell" or want to try to emulate the 'railway tone'. In essence any sort of domestic door-bell can be used, just modify the wiring so that it becomes single-stroke rather than tremulous. This suggestion is probably the best - if not the cheapest - way of getting to a simple single stroke bell. To vary the tone is a simple task and all you need is a bit of Blutack inside the rim of the bell (probably more hygienic than the old method of using chewing gum ). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
clecklewyke Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 I use home made block instruments to communicate between the Bradford North Western and Clecklewyke signal boxes and they add a vital extra to the operation of the railway. I kept my eye open for any kind of electric bell going spare. I did have the benefit of working as a Telecomms Manager, so there were lots of old telephone bel;s kicking around but I also collected a few old door bells. As Railwest suggests, these can be modified by removing the trembling mechanism to make them single-strike. If you want to use them for operating the railway, which infer is a terminus to fiddle yard, then you would need at least two instruments, one for the fiddle yard and one for the terminus. I thoroughly recommend that you try this. There have been recent articles by Mike Norris and Chris Pendlenton in recent MRJs (or was it Scalefour News?) describing how they did this - both well worth a read, as is Steve Hall's article on Block working in MRJ. There is also an article by myself on how I built mine in an old Scalefour Soc News, if you are willing to delve through the archives! However, if all you want to do is to create a railway ambience, with just the sounds of bells, without fully operating instruments, then I suggest you record a few bell signals using an old cycle or reception bell, overlay these on some nice engine whistle and steam sounds dredged from You Tube, put them on to your PC and get it to play them back randomly. Now all you need is the model railway and some smoke and steam - and their smells... Good luck, Ian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimonME46 Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 Hmmm. Still chasing down some non-digital wired door chimes... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RailWest Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 It might be worth keeping your eyes peeled as you go about the locality for any houses, flats etc under renovation - it is surprising what gets ripped out and thrown into skips, so there might be the odd door-bell in there somewhere! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gormo Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 Hi Wiggo, One more thought about the bells..........if you have more than one bell, but wish to have them at a slightly different pitch, so as to differentiate between them, you can gently bend with pliers one side of the bell rim, ever so slightly, and that will change the pitch. I just thought I would chuck that one in....???? Cheers Gormo Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Londontram Posted September 11, 2013 Share Posted September 11, 2013 On my tram layout at shows I have a hotel type counter bell for the conductors bell and found in a local hard ware shop a manual bell that you fitted to shop doors that rung when the door was opened that had just the right tone to emulate the drivers foot opperatted bell, when a tram is ready to pull away from a stop you give two quick rings on the counter bell then two on the door bell. Ok its a bit twee but most people love it at the shows. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SM42 Posted September 13, 2013 Share Posted September 13, 2013 I'm always on the look out for bell type items that may be used for some future block bell simulation. I rarely throw anything out without first investigating a possible re-use somewhere on the layout yet to be. The list I have so far is: An old burglar alarm bell (obtained when a friend upgraded their alarm) Parts of an old 3 lamp domestic gold, brass style light fitting (The parts which held the glass lamp shades) These are vaguely bell shape and make a nice ring if a little tinny. (They came with the house) Parts of a very old telephone. (found in dad's shed) An old door bell. I have both bell and bing bong types. You could at a push use the bing side. Not sure about the bong side. How about a cheap child's xylophone. Might be a useful tone in there somewhere It really is surprising where these things can turn up. Andy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RailWest Posted September 14, 2013 Share Posted September 14, 2013 How do you tell your 'bings' from your 'bongs'? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LNERGE Posted September 14, 2013 Share Posted September 14, 2013 How do you tell your 'bings' from your 'bongs'? A broken hacksaw blade and a length of cotton. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bigbee Line Posted September 14, 2013 Share Posted September 14, 2013 If you want to make the sound authentic and need two bells, just take a page from a weekly notice, fold many times and push it under one of the bells. Turns it into a 'thunk'. It was a trick used by a relief signalman in the Dover area. The same guy had me working the box within a short period, a great (unofficial) teacher. Even now when I see a nice bell push I'm tempted to give 'call attention' Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SM42 Posted September 14, 2013 Share Posted September 14, 2013 Bings tend to be the first (higher) chime in a two tone bell, the bong the second one, If you have trouble telling your bells apart you could always add a clothes peg. Neither bings, tings, tongs or and other bell noise then. Just click. When I first started signalling I only had on block bell, being a fringe box. At the next box along I couldn't tell which bell was which as they were very close in tone and used to run up to the block to see which was still resonating. . After two years working at the next along from this one which had two very distinct bells, the bells at the box in the middle were no problem. Two different bells would be a nice touch but have a peg handy if you get two that are close in tone. (Is Tone the right word for a bell sound?) Andy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
11B Posted September 28, 2013 Share Posted September 28, 2013 I want to install a bell on my layout underneath the signal box to simulate the sound of the block instrument working. Any thoughts on a suitable sounding bell? ( I don't want to buy a real block instrument!) Thanks in anticipation. Alex Hi Alex Do you really need a bell? If it is just for effect, how about a mp3 track of a signal box bell. This way you may be able to rig something up using a very cheap mp3 player and head phones, of some sort of dcc sound? Just a thought Ian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
davegreenly Posted November 27, 2013 Share Posted November 27, 2013 In the past I have used an old throat tablet tin (remember Zubes?) which gave a flatter tone than ,say, a bike bell. Different size tins give different notes - trouble is plastic "tins" are more common now! Dave Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingsignalman Posted November 27, 2013 Share Posted November 27, 2013 At a garden centre the other day they were selling desk reception bells; I got some "black looks" for ringing out a light engine (2-3)! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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