Signalling

I'm putting this post in this area as there doesn’t appear to be one for signalling, so as it’s a kit I thought that was close enough.
I’ve had some Ratio signal kits in storage for over 30 years, and Setforth Junction is now at the stage where it needs some signals. The first one I’ve done is the simple home signal (460) – with the addition of an indicator board and a few detailing pieces from 466. The 460 is the one that comes 80% assembled with the operating lever and thread to operate it – something which is on the ‘things to do when the layout is nearly finished’ list.


466 was purchased last week, as the majority of my signalling requirements can’t be met from anything that is ‘ready to run’. The Hornby signals look a little too ‘heavy’ and having fully operational Dapol signals is somewhat expensive.


I’ve identified a suitable signal design from pictorial research (which involved a trip to the Severn Valley Railway last week) and various useful Internet sites which covers my requirements for the down approach to the station – a home and distant for platform 2, and two subsidiary signals on separate arms for platform 3 and the yard/MPD.


The Ratio 460 comes with lots of parts that aren’t needed depending on what you are building, so it’s a great ‘starter’ set of bits, and there will be enough left over to make at least 1 or 2 more single post signals. I also purchased 451 (signal laddering) as that has some longer lengths than in the kits, and 143 (stanchions) for the gantry hand railing. The instructions provided are not for the beginner to making model kits – neither is there a lot of useful information on You Tube or the Internet on building these things. They are very fiddly, and good fingers/tweezers, very sharp craft knife, decent eyesight and a steady hand is required. I’ve also got some 0.5mm brass rod on order following advice from my local model shop, as I understand the wire provided with the kit can be a bit ‘stiff’. If I can I want to make these signals operational, even if only from a photographic perspective rather than operational. My view may change as I begin building the operating mechanisms! If anyone has any experience of building these and has any advice / guidance / comments then please let me know.
Progress so far. The main post was shortened by about 15mm, and joined using a length of paper clip inserted into centrally drilled holes to give the joint strength, then when glued was faired down.


Note the use of hardboard as a modelling base - great for checking alingments of brackets / posts.
The 'main' signal post and the second subsidiary were then added, then access platforms and some hand railing. I’m hoping to finish that and start on the actual arms and operating mechanism later this week.

 

Hand railing finished. Just need to let everything set properly now before straightening out some of the obvious kinks. Off to do something else outside now as this has caused an awful lot of squinting and cursing

Why I can't get this picture upright is beyond me - have tried editing the source, rotating it, resizing it - but it just keeps tipping on its side when uploading So there has been more cursing!

 

Paul - all noted - I'm happy to mop up as much knowledge and input as I can so appreciate the guidance.
I had already decided to put a fixed distant signal on the branch at the entrance to the tunnel (when I was a child in the early 70’s I used to walk the track bed from the Chain Bridge to Llangollen and recall a fixed distant on that running south before the river bridge). This signal is the only home and distant signal on the down line (when Setforth Junction was a main line junction prior to 1937 there was another signal box on the south side of the station – now disused), and on the up line there will be another one at the entrance to the tunnel. All others will be ground and platform starters. I’m hoping that should be more or less correct.

 

Sol - I should not be alllowed anywhere near IT equipment and systems!

Author error, now corrected.

 

Some more progress. I’ve now painted all the hand railing, the posts and gantry supporting steelwork – just the decking to do then a bit of weathering. And I’ve also now got the main home signal working albeit on a trial basis. You will recall that I have no motivation to get these controlled by servo’s for the foreseeable future, but I do want to make them able to be worked if just for photographic purposes. So the actual rodding from the base board won’t be fitted, but I will at least get the arms and weights done.

What has been immediately highlighted with just the one signal arm operating is clearances – I’ll do a ‘lessons learnt’ post when I’ve finished which hopefully may assist others avoid some of the mistakes I’ve made so far. It could be argued that doing something more simple would have been a better route, but on the other hand doing it this way was just about every problem is going to raise its head.


I’ve videoed it working with the hand of god operating the rodding from below. It’s a bit wobbly as the foam the signal is sitting in is only loosely attached to the modelling table.