I am building a layout that will be fully signaled. My question is when should I install the signals ideally?
Before I ballast?
After I ballast?
Before scenery?
Currently track is installed in one area and I am wiring blocks and turnouts. Generally I would imagine it should be done in the same order as the prototype. This has me thinking it is before ballast but I wanted to ask those who have already done it
- Bill Rutherford Lancaster, NH
Central Vermont Railroad
I installed my signals after scenicing and ballasting, no problems. I have replaced my signals several times over the last 20 years, again no problems.The last time was two years ago after a total overhaul using three color LEDs.
Mel My Model Railroad http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/ Bakersfield, California Turned 84 in July, aging is definitely not for wimps.
After I lay my track, wire it up, and fully test it, I then install the signals. Then, I ballast and only then do I "landscape" (trees, ground cover, etc.)
Rich
Alton Junction
Thanks guys. I think I will do signals before scenery as I am excited to mess with them.
Signals generally have a very small footprint, so installing them won't disturb the scenery much. Signal are more of a decorative element on my layout, just turnout position indicators and grade crossings. I put them on last, because I didn't know much about detection and I did them as an add-on late in the game.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
I installed the signals as I was working on the scenery. They are controlled manually.
Mike.
My You Tube
When to install signals??
I went ahead and wired them up to test the electronics and then removed them from the layout until most of the scenery was complete - some are still safely stored off the layout awaiting the scenery completion in the area. The signals I have are long OOP and very fragile, so I didn't want them damaged by basic scenery work.
Here are a couple of the mock ups before they were removed for safe keeping:
Regardless of when you install them, signals are pretty cool!!!
Have fun,
Guy
see stuff at: the Willoughby Line Site
What signals do you use? I looked at this same matter earlier for the N&W. It seemed cost-prohibitive at the time. Thanks!
kasskaboose What signals do you use? I looked at this same matter earlier for the N&W. It seemed cost-prohibitive at the time. Thanks!
If the question is directed at me, I am using Sunrise signals. They were a one man shop that closed some 15- 20 years ago. He made great searchlight SP signals - they cost @$20 per signal....
The owner passed away and the company closed down - I bottom fed on Ebay and local shops to get enough signals for the layout.
I have a signal bridge and a few free-standing grade crossing signals from Oregon Rail Supply, plus some crossing gates with flashers from NJ International. I have another signal bridge from when I was in middle school. There are a couple of other line signals of dubious origin.
I stumbled on a FB post a few weeks ago by a fellow in the UK about an import from China. The company is www.wehonest.net They sell on ebay at really good prices with great reviews. I ordered a couple and was very impressed. They probably could have done a better job of choosing a name but dont let that scare you off :)
That Ebay seller has been around for a logn time. I've bought from them several times.
I chose to install my signals after ballasting and scenery. I was more concerned with knocking them over while trying to elbow and ham-fist my way across the R-of-W when doing the scenery work.
Very easy to scrape away, after dampening an area, the scenic material to mount a base or foundation then apply a little ballast or earth around the base to blend in.
Superliner_pass by Edmund, on Flickr
PRR_9501_F3 by Edmund, on Flickr
Beeliner_1 by Edmund, on Flickr
BnO_Signal by Edmund, on Flickr
PRR_Signal bridge-alt by Edmund, on Flickr
Thank you, Ed
Very nice Ed. Who are the searchlight signal bridges by? Very interested in a couple of those!
If you are looking to make some cheap signals - sounds like you need a lot - you can check out making your own along the lines I authored in the Rail Modeller Australia magazine (www.railmodelleraustralia.com) go to downloads and check out the July and September 21 issues... hope they help and I would be interested to see how you treat them with any details etc,
Cheers from Australia
Trevor
B RutherfordVery nice Ed. Who are the searchlight signal bridges by? Very interested in a couple of those!
Thank you!
The cantilevered searchlight signal is from Model Memories. I bought it at a train show many years ago. The original signal housings were rather crude so I replaced them with BLMA searchlight heads (now by Atlas) and replaced their tri-color LED with a three-color LED assembly from Evan Designs, IIRC. These have a nice true signal green color and the yellow is also a nice shade unlike what you get with a bi-color LED on AC.
LED_tri-color-1 by Edmund, on Flickr
IMG_2668 by Edmund, on Flickr
Another Oregon bridge with BLMA heads modified with the three-color LED:
Signal_DB-west by Edmund, on Flickr
The wider PRR position light bridge is from Oregon Railway Supply as are the signal heads or "arms" as the PRR called them.
PRR_position-light by Edmund, on Flickr
I've been gathering signal parts over the past fifteen years or more. Many of the items I have are scarce to find these days, sadly.
All my signals are wired with the Signal Animator from Logic Rail. These use an IR detector between the ties (or photocell if desired) and the signals drop to red as the train passes then times out to yellow, then on to clear after an adjustable time period. I really like them.
Good Luck, Ed