Somewhere in the past (and I believe it came from a old Model Railroader Magazine) I once saw an ad or an announcement for a signalman figure that had a swinging arm with a lighted lantern in his hand.? Does anyone else recall such a figure??
Can't recall the scale. It might have even been a Lionel product.
I can't find anything on such a figure even with google. Just wondering if my memory is playing tricks on me.
Wigwag Willie or something like that ??
Brian
My Layout Plan
Interesting new Plan Consideration
Were you thinking of the Viessmann HO animated guard (listing here). Its a European prototype and not lit, so probably not what you're thinking of.I'm certain some modeler or another has build such a figure, and probably posted something about it on-line.
Lionel made those in O scale. It was a signalman in a shed who would come out as a train passed and then go back in. I had one. This was an item from the 1950s.
As I recall, it was grossly out of scale, close to twice O scale.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Ideal Models has two different ones for HO, we had the watchman in the shanty, when the train rolled by the guy would pop out holding a lantern (a little large - GoW bulbs were a bit too large). They had another one that I think is what you are talking about.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Clippings Found !!
Well I guess all my brain cells are not dead yet. I found those mag clippings I had saved back when I was cruising thru LOTS of old issues as I first reentered the hobby. And sure enough, I got part of it right,
The signalman was named 'Willie' ,....Wireless Willie. But he didn't have a swinging arm.
These 2 clippings are dated Oct & Dec 1985,....only about 35 years ago
The late Wolfgang Dudler once built a flagman, who raisd and lowered an illuminated lantern.
Follow his description here:
Flaggy Flagman
Happy times!
Ulrich (aka The Tin Man)
"You´re never too old for a happy childhood!"
I don't think the "Flaggy Flagman" moved his arm -- he's just holding the lantern up.
It's not an impossible task to make one with a moving arm, but it'd be difficult (to say the least) in HO and smaller...
-Dan
Builder of Bowser steam! Railimages Site
First of all I would like to say many thanks to my friend Bill Gill in Connecticut for his help in writing this article because my English is not so good. I think that he made a well readable article from my manuscript. It was some months ago that I sent the finished article to MRH staff and in the meantime I have built some more lanterns and documented the work in a second gallery on my website with English captions where the technology was slightly changed so that I reached a higher success quotient. I have written also some additional remarks about materials and technology avoiding errors and failures. Follow the link - http://us-modelsof1900.de/?p=12891. One result were also my two brakemen with lanterns in their hands where the cables are inserted into the figures, invisibly as "electric" nerves. The second figure is fixed on the platform of a caboose as a switchman - and Jeff, I did not go the way like the Australian modeler who changed the switchman to an animated one. I have mentioned his work in the article and added a link also to one of his Youtube videos however, this is not that what I would like to do in future. Your and my links show that we can do a lot more with superdetailing of figures. My preferred interest however are building of railroad cars and modifying of locomotives and so I'm not very interested to intensify this way of detailing. I have made some interesting experiences and I'm lucky to share these with you however now I'm writing two new articles with "my" themes in preparation and I hope for your interest again.
My 1st train mentor was huge into animating strctures. That seems easier than figures. Good on those who do it. Perhaps I can ask at Disney when I go there next!