Hi-
I'm attempting to scratchbuild a seachlight signal, but I don't know the dimensions. Are there standards I should follow? I know there probably are, but several Google searches turned up nothing... Specific measurements I need are mast height and the diameter of the circular backings (reflectors?) that you see from the front, not sure how to describe what I mean...
Thanks in advance,
Don't search railroads, search for GRS or US&S signal plans. The railroads generally bought off the shelf Signal components so they didn't necessarily draw the plans themselves.
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com
I inquired about the physical dimensions on Type G signals over in the Prototype Info section a couple of months back; I didn't ask because I am lazy but rather because these specifications have appeared in the hobby press over the years but I don't currently have access to my mags at this time. Unlike you and I most modelers here on the forum apparently are not particularly interested in scratchbuilding signals and hence are not able to provide the information you are looking for One responder to my inquiry pointed out that Atlas made an N-Scale Type G signal; apparently he had considerably more money than I do and was not put off by the $37.00 per unit price tag on these things. I don't ever fork out monies like that on something which I can readily construct myself.
Sorry I can't be of any precise help to you in this regard!
From the far, far reaches of the wild, wild west I am: rtpoteet
Well, I'm not really building them for a particular prototype because they're not available, I'm building them from a mostly freelanced design (although they're based on the Type G signals and the ones used on the CSX former B&A line) because any other signals are way out of my price range... I don't have to base it on anything, because the line I'm modeling is an independent shortline that's building them itself (as opposed to inheriting them from whoever the line's former owner was) so they don't have to follow the tendencies of a parent company. Basically, I'm building a generic three-lamp signal that looks like a Type G...
*hides in corner*
All I'm looking for is whether the FRA set a standard for signal/mast height or if it's up to the railroad. The setting is a modern shortline with limited resources... Most signals will be single head, although there are 5 signals with two heads so they can display diverging aspects.
I've decided that I'm going to worry about how I'll control all these signals later...
May be you can get enough information from the following links to get you started:
http://www.tslrr.com/sgnlhome.htm
http://www.gatewaynmra.org/articles/napper-sig.htm
http://www.trains.com/mrr/default.aspx?c=a&id=1130
Regards
Okay, thank you. Those should help a lot.
In addition to the links, I found a couple of magazine references that might be somewhat helpful. If you have access to any of the Mainline Modeler magazines, the August 2002 issue had some dimensioned drawings (scale not specified) of B&Oposition light signals, and the November 2003 and December 2003 had drawings (1/4 scale and 3/16 scale) of US&S N&W position light signals. These are obviously not exactly the searchlight type signals you're looking for, but they do give a lot of detail of the electrical boxes at the mast bases. And maybe you'll like the position light signals better. They make much more impressive structures.
TrainManTyAll I'm looking for is whether the FRA set a standard for signal/mast height or if it's up to the railroad.
I would say its up to the railroad because I know several stretches wher the signals are a different hieghts, such as a set that is set about 10 feet low so they can be viewed under an overpass.