Stephen Freeman

here is a diagram for a dpdt switch which might make it clearer. Servo 2 and 1 the same really. Still not sure it will work though. However I do know that a multipole rotary switch will work. I have located a dpdt switch not in use, so might just build a slotted signal (have all the bits) just to satisfy my curiosity.

Call me a doubting Thomas but I'd be very careful about giving too much weight to such drawings. I know some never saw the actual light of day even though they might have been patented. An actual photo is really the only evidence of existance. Of almost no relevance but Ffestiniog had a bi-directional slotted 3 position signal with a lamp on top but no spectacles. Of course the lamp would possibly rotate presumably, though not sure how. There is replica at Tany-bwlch station (hope that is the right spelling). Here is a model I made under construction. I used 2 sg90 servos but with 2 channels each using a rotary switch for each arm to apply the positions of the arms. The power to the servos is constant, it is the signal to them that needs to be changed - position 1 stop (servo 1 channel signal off), position 2 caution (servo 1 channel signal on), position 3 clear (replacing servo channel 1 and connecting servo 2 channel on), so you need the rotary switch to change the channels over as well as on/off, also the wiring from the servos needs altering as they cannot be directly connected to the controller board it has to go through the switch. Lamp is purely decorative. Thinking about it now I might have made it more complicated than it needed to be in that a centre off dpdt switch might be used, the deciding factor being that I had plenty of suitable rotary switches to hand but no centre off dpdt ones. If I had then position 1 -control signal wire from servo 1 connected to centre tag, both channels off, position 1 servo channel 1 on, position 2 servo channel 2 on. If both channels off, the arm would need to be in a common position i.e. arm at caution. The other pole being used to switch the channels on or off.

I had another look at The NER ones (they are the ones on the old D&S etch) and I think they are going to be the closest available s003/4 and s003/4M. The design isn't quite the same as the drawing but with a little file work to alter the shape of the spectacle is probably the closest unless you go for an entirely new design. Having said that it also appears that upon investigation the SE&CR had some spectacles that were a modification (shape of spectacle aperture differed) of the standard Stevens ones and they don't appear to be catered for either!

From the drawings , I would say Wizards fret for S&F arms (S0010) and for the spectacles the Stevens fret (S0011) Mick Nicholson did an article on it for the NERA book, which I think also appeared in the model press.

You may recall this signal Well I have fitted lenses to the lamps and think they look much better. Here is another video. I have had to replace one of the servos, this time with a standard 9g analogue one, much quieter than the digital ones! I haven't set any bounce on the centre one yet but may have another go to refine the operation of all 3 when I have a moment

I hope you don't mind me commenting on your superb layout and signalling. I too have an interest in Peterborough North albeit in a different scale and earlier era but one thing both periods have in common is wide variety of signalling. I think you have commented before on the complexity of the bracket signals and the lack of trade support for them (Wizard only seems to do a small selection and probably less so in other scales). With that in mind I got PPD to do some for me, fortunately I think I will only need a smaller selection than you have had to cope with, so just acquired some etches of some of the larger types in 2mm scale, whilst I was at it I did some in 4mm scale just in case I might need them. With regard to your DCC woes, the only time I ventured into macros was using JMRI PanePro. All the macros were stored on the PC, the handset wasn't involved.

one more to do after this one probably tomorrow

I have done a couple of short videos First one is the lbscr signal above. I have used a MERG Servo4 for the video using Sema4 firmware, but I didn't set any bounce. The second one is of a Penzance starter signal. Again using the same servo control board, no bounce set. The shunt arm is unmotorised though capable of being so.

Still busy.. I have a couple of videos still to do but here is the latest. just noticed the stray bit of red, which will be fixed pdq. Video replaced by the next one, which is much better

Personally, being a Member of MERG I would use their Steady State Accessory decoder to switch a suitable relay to effectively simulate a simple On/Off switch. If I wanted to use Panel Pro. I wouldn't consider just using the DCC controller, that's for driving trains in my book.

depending on whether your DS64 outputs a constant voltage or not, if not you will need a latching relay. Personally I cannot see the advantage of using DCC for the control of signals or turnouts unless you are using such as JMRI panel pro on a PC.

I take it the Velux is new since I visited last?

I appear to have answered my own question by reading the book carefully. Yes until the long burning lamps came in they were removed during daylight hours.

I know that the GNR removed the signal lamps during the day but did this practice extend to Ground Signals too? I understand that this stopped around the time of the Great War, not just due to the lack of manpower but the adoption of long burning lamps at about the same time.

Still slightly puzzled. Surely it is easier to work outwards from the Vee? If you put the Vee down first, you just gauge outwards, much easier to get it right rather than trying to work from a stock rail.