Who makes wooden HO crossbucks with signage appropriate for a U.S. railroad in the transition era, c. 1947-55? I'm not finding any on an Internet search.
I'm looking for ones such as these on the Rix Products website with numerals, etc.
https://rixproducts.com/product/crossbucks-milepost-ho/
Better still, I'd like to make them myself using scale lumber and decals. I believe I once read an article in MRM or a Kalmbach book on how to make them, but cannot find it now. Any ideas?
Kerry
Try Howards Hobby, got mine there, I see them at the Amherst show.
Sorry, don't know how to make a clickable link.
Good luck,
Richard
cowman Try Howards Hobby, got mine there, I see them at the Amherst show. Sorry, don't know how to make a clickable link. Good luck, Richard
Alton Junction
This can be one of those coffee stirrer scratchbuilds. I used to collect these, all kinds, wooden sticks and plastic tubes. It's perfect material for crossbucks. You hit the nail on the head with the decals, too.
Cheap craft paint will give you a realistic flat finish that will look fine too.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Tichy has a nice selection of signs from several eras:
https://www.tichytraingroup.com/Shop/tabid/91/c/ho_signs/Default.aspx
I add a little distress and age weathering to some of the ones I use. On some it is better to clip the sign off the thin plastic post and use a more durable support made of bronze wire or spring wire.
Hope that helps, Ed
gmpullman Tichy has a nice selection of signs from several eras: https://www.tichytraingroup.com/Shop/tabid/91/c/ho_signs/Default.aspx I add a little distress and age weathering to some of the ones I use. On some it is better to clip the sign off the thin plastic post and use a more durable support made of bronze wire or spring wire. Hope that helps, Ed
Richhotrain and Cowman,
It appears that Howard's:
1) is a passive website for showcase purposes only; no way to order;
2) has not been updated since at least 2016;
3) has no information at all on materials, save for its casting products; and
4) may be defunct
MisterBeasley This can be one of those coffee stirrer scratchbuilds. I used to collect these, all kinds, wooden sticks and plastic tubes. It's perfect material for crossbucks. You hit the nail on the head with the decals, too. Cheap craft paint will give you a realistic flat finish that will look fine too.
Since they were at the 2019 Amherst show, I'm prettysure they are still a going concern. If you go to their page, then "contact us" it tells you contact information.
GNMT76 Ah, were not that they're made from styrene.
Ah, were not that they're made from styrene.
J L Innovative Design has a number of styles including the posts that were different back in an earlier era. I do not believe they are plastic but cannot swear to it. They use a lot of paper and wood in their products.
https://www.walthers.com/custom-deluxe-railroad-crossbucks-two-tone-pkg-2
https://www.walthers.com/custom-railroad-crossbucks-pkg-2
By the way just a couple of years ago I was considerably surprised to be driving through Byron IL and came across several sets of the old outdated 30 degree crossbucks rather than the 90 degree type you see today. BTS has a model
https://www.walthers.com/crossbucks-kit
Dave Nelson
Try Osborn Model Kits. I've used some of theirs and been happy with them.
https://www.osbornmodelkits.com/
Mike
In case you might feel like going a step further, I got these from Oregon Rail Supply. They were quite inexpensive, and came with a pair of independently wired LEDs, two per crossbuck.
I powered these with Rob Paisley's detection and flasher circuit, which works quite well with the optical photocells supplied. I also built a pair of crossing gates from NJ International, with similar detection.
doctorwayne GNMT76 Ah, were not that they're made from styrene. Well, it's nice to see that your link here actually goes to a suitable site. However, on the other forum, where you posted the same request, I've replied with some info that may address your needs. Wayne
Thanks, Wanye!
Water Level Route Try Osborn Model Kits. I've used some of theirs and been happy with them. https://www.osbornmodelkits.com/
Mike,
I've checked out the Osborn kit shown in this link. How well does it fit the transition era, c. 1940s-1950s?
https://www.osbornmodelkits.com/copy-of-rra-1037
MisterBeasley In case you might feel like going a step further, I got these from Oregon Rail Supply. They were quite inexpensive, and came with a pair of independently wired LEDs, two per crossbuck. I powered these with Rob Paisley's detection and flasher circuit, which works quite well with the optical photocells supplied. I also built a pair of crossing gates from NJ International, with similar detection.
GNMT76 Water Level Route Try Osborn Model Kits. I've used some of theirs and been happy with them. https://www.osbornmodelkits.com/ Mike, I've checked out the Osborn kit shown in this link. How well does it fit the transition era, c. 1940s-1950s? https://www.osbornmodelkits.com/copy-of-rra-1037
https://www.shorpy.com/files/images/SHORPY_8d26661a.jpg
Water Level Route GNMT76 Water Level Route Try Osborn Model Kits. I've used some of theirs and been happy with them. https://www.osbornmodelkits.com/ Mike, I've checked out the Osborn kit shown in this link. How well does it fit the transition era, c. 1940s-1950s? https://www.osbornmodelkits.com/copy-of-rra-1037 From what I've looked, it appears this design was relatively new, but was in use. See this photo from 1943. https://www.shorpy.com/files/images/SHORPY_8d26661a.jpg
GNMT76
Water Level Route Try Osborn Model Kits. I've used some of theirs and been happy with them. https://www.osbornmodelkits.com/ Mike, I've checked out the Osborn kit shown in this link. How well does it fit the transition era, c. 1940s-1950s? https://www.osbornmodelkits.com/copy-of-rra-1037
From what I've looked, it appears this design was relatively new, but was in use. See this photo from 1943.
That Shorpy link is kaput.
GNMT76 In case you might feel like going a step further, I got these from Oregon Rail Supply. They were quite inexpensive, and came with a pair of independently wired LEDs, two per crossbuck. powered these with Rob Paisley's detection and flasher circuit, which works quite well with the optical photocells supplied. I also built a pair of crossing gates from NJ International, with similar detection. The Oregon Rail site does not have a photo for this item, presumably #113. Is that what's in your photo? My layout is DC. How would I power these signals?
In case you might feel like going a step further, I got these from Oregon Rail Supply. They were quite inexpensive, and came with a pair of independently wired LEDs, two per crossbuck. powered these with Rob Paisley's detection and flasher circuit, which works quite well with the optical photocells supplied. I also built a pair of crossing gates from NJ International, with similar detection.
Yes, I think that is the catalog number. LEDs are included, but the detection and flasher circuit is not.
These do not run off track power, so DC or DCC doesn't matter. They do require 12V DC for the circuit. I happened to use a lot of 12V DC anyway, so I just wired it in.
I bought the circuit prebuilt, but you can save a few dollars by soldering it together yourself. The crossbucks need assembly and painting. I forget if the LED wires were long enough or I had to use some thin magnet wire to do these.
MisterBeasley GNMT76 In case you might feel like going a step further, I got these from Oregon Rail Supply. They were quite inexpensive, and came with a pair of independently wired LEDs, two per crossbuck. powered these with Rob Paisley's detection and flasher circuit, which works quite well with the optical photocells supplied. I also built a pair of crossing gates from NJ International, with similar detection. The Oregon Rail site does not have a photo for this item, presumably #113. Is that what's in your photo? My layout is DC. How would I power these signals? Yes, I think that is the catalog number. LEDs are included, but the detection and flasher circuit is not. These do not run off track power, so DC or DCC doesn't matter. They do require 12V DC for the circuit. I happened to use a lot of 12V DC anyway, so I just wired it in. I bought the circuit prebuilt, but you can save a few dollars by soldering it together yourself. The crossbucks need assembly and painting. I forget if the LED wires were long enough or I had to use some thin magnet wire to do these.
GNMT76 Water Level Route GNMT76 Water Level Route Try Osborn Model Kits. I've used some of theirs and been happy with them. https://www.osbornmodelkits.com/ Mike, I've checked out the Osborn kit shown in this link. How well does it fit the transition era, c. 1940s-1950s? https://www.osbornmodelkits.com/copy-of-rra-1037 From what I've looked, it appears this design was relatively new, but was in use. See this photo from 1943. https://www.shorpy.com/files/images/SHORPY_8d26661a.jpg Mike, That Shorpy link is kaput.
https://www.shorpy.com/node/14899?size=_original
Fully automatic operation requires something like photo detectors to sense the train, a circuit to turn on and off the lights, and maybe an alternating flasher for the lights. The Paisley circuit does all of this and is the most reasonably priced module, at least a few years ago when I did this. There is a different circuit that will operate physical crossing gates as well.
I tried to make this work with IR photo diodes, but conflict with ambient room lighting made that impossible.
You could do this manually with a toggle and an alternating flasher, but I really wanted an automatic system, not a manual one.
That link works. Thanks!
MisterBeasley Fully automatic operation requires something like photo detectors to sense the train, a circuit to turn on and off the lights, and maybe an alternating flasher for the lights. The Paisley circuit does all of this and is the most reasonably priced module, at least a few years ago when I did this. There is a different circuit that will operate physical crossing gates as well. I tried to make this work with IR photo diodes, but conflict with ambient room lighting made that impossible. You could do this manually with a toggle and an alternating flasher, but I really wanted an automatic system, not a manual one.