The Potters Orchid Railway

[tom_tom_go]

Looks great and as it's brass you could chemically blacken it so it will not suffer paint chips or discolour in the sun.

[FWLR]

You will need to “Patent” that idea…..

Seriously, that is a well thought out idea and like you say it looks a far more sturdy lever….Brilliant.

[Hydrostatic Dazza]

You will need to “Patent” that idea…..

Seriously, that is a well thought out idea and like you say it looks a far more sturdy lever….Brilliant.

Thanks every one. I like the chemical black idea, I have never done this so I may give it a go for kicks and giggles. I expect the Brass to oxidise under the blackening and our harsh sun and rain will work away on it. It will be interesting to see how it fares.
As for my idea, well I actually was inspired by a photo of some one else who had used a screw and crank on the sleeper. I saved the photo for later reference. I reworked the idea so as to use quality bicycle gear cable casing with its plastic ferral that has a rubber sealing ring in its end, the 1.10mm stainless wire, bought via ebay. I am yet to have the frame installed and all hooked up. It takes just as much or more time thinking it through than making it. The crank ratio is such to get the throws correct. Points are 4.50 -4.60mm and the lever is 8.00mm and to also one has to allow for lost movement. Actually a little bit of over movement so one can elongate the a hole-slot to get the correct amount of movement. The frame end will have a bicycle frame gear adjuster to take up or loosen slack as well. This is all to be inside a Pendle Valley Goods Shed resin kit. The signal boxes are too small for over scale Godzilla hands and to also fit in the battery supply for the LED lamps.

Now I am surprised that in the 16mm world there is not a complete semaphore signalling system on the market for garden railways, considering the range, investment and effort that goes into the other aspects of the scene. I must admit I give some idle thought to this while doing some dull filing etc, but I am flat out with my hobby large and small. (currently doing my steam engine ticket and stuff at the Mary Valley Rattler railway which is soon to start operations again. First trains were down the branch last weekend. ) I would get a tool made for the base and cable stopper to shoot the wax and do these as stainless steel investment castings, 2.5mm thread for the crank pivot and bush. Laser cut the cranks, and produce the little crank bushes. The Shimano gear cable casing is available in a boxed roll, cut to length with casing cutters and the ferral caps are also Shimano. Then the interlocked or non interlocking Lever frame will be the hardest part as Harold at Modratec is trying to slow down. I would make the base so one can reverse it for left and right input wire direction and maybe the base adaptable to fit a servo. The signal kits ? maybe the Pendle Valley offering but I think also an option of a simpler more robust one with LED lamp installed might have value. Also a mass production base with a quick release method of removing the signal from the base is needed. But I can assure you, I will not be the one starting this off unless an investor approached with a lot of gold coin to tempt, bribe me to move from my hobby to an aspect of professional expression.

[philipy]

Fascinating idea, but it sounds expensive and I'm not sure how many actual customers you'd get, tbh. I have a suspicion that anyone who would aspire to that level of detail/realism would probably prefer to build their own anyway.

[tom_tom_go]

I like it when you use bicycle parts in your work, it reminds me of my first job as a kid working in a local family bike shop - happy days!

[FWLR]

I really do like the way you think though, it does help me and others also I suspect, to think of ways to improve our own lines.

[IanC]

IMHO the reason there isn't a signalling system on the market is that many UK narrow gauge lines don't have signals, or it they do they are minimal. Interesting idea though, which might be transferable to other scales and gauges.

Ian

[Hydrostatic Dazza]

IMHO the reason there isn't a signalling system on the market is that many UK narrow gauge lines don't have signals, or it they do they are minimal. Interesting idea though, which might be transferable to other scales and gauges.

Ian

Fair enough.

[ge_rik]

When I made my signals, I speculated about ways of operating them. I did wonder about using a mechanical system, but I want my signals to be removable as I think they would be susceptible to damage if left out continuously. If there was some way of having a mechanical system which enabled the signal to be slotted into it and the removed, I think it would be a winner.

If anyone has the skills, expertise and imagination to invent such a system then you must surely be the chap with the yellow jersey (to adopt a cycling metaphor).

Rik

[FWLR]

How about selling the idea———patent to a company for them to build. I am sure once they have seen your comprehensive way of doing things, they would snap your hand off.

Just a thought…..

[Hydrostatic Dazza]

When I made my signals, I speculated about ways of operating them. I did wonder about using a mechanical system, but I want my signals to be removable as I think they would be susceptible to damage if left out continuously. If there was some way of having a mechanical system which enabled the signal to be slotted into it and the removed, I think it would be a winner.

If anyone has the skills, expertise and imagination to invent such a system then you must surely be the chap with the yellow jersey (to adopt a cycling metaphor).

Rik

Previous page of this thread (P 10) I have a prototype signal that is mechanical and removable. It uses a Pendle Valley kit, my idea was to make it reliable, robust and removable as they would not last a week here with Summer Storms, ferocious sun, Bush Turkeys, Cane Toads, Water Dragons, Green Tree snake (he lives in the block wall) and Carpet Pythons to bash them up. The intention is they are all numbered and will be removed and live in a numbered box on a shelf some where. The hardest part of gig is finding or creating storage space. The power supply for the LED lamp is plug in using some small RC type connections one buys from Jaycar. I recently got a better crimping plier tool and did some test practice runs to make nicer crimping, because my crimping was as rough as a dogs breakfast, not fit for public consumption. I am now to the stage of setting up the lever frame and I will post updates on this. I have pencil paper sketch drawings done and after some confirmations after trails I will produce the 3D and 2D drawings. However all is slow at the moment as I am a trainee on a 1632 Diesel, RM2000 and RM76 railmotors and also doing my Reciprocating Steam Engine ticket, Steam Loco driver training for being part of the train crew at the Mary Valley Rattler which is due for restart next month, fingers crossed, so all is huff and puff and keep shoveling the black rock in to keep steam up, phew! It is a big year for Dazza ! But I hope to visit the boiler inspector this Sunday in regards to my wet leg copper boiler and my steel Briggs 5" boiler.

[Hydrostatic Dazza]

How about selling the idea———patent to a company for them to build. I am sure once they have seen your comprehensive way of doing things, they would snap your hand off.

Just a thought…..

Nice thought, nice idea. I am not sure I can patent any of this as railways have been doing it like this for 200 years. Also the costs and effort and the returns......................
One would make more $ with less stress if I set up to make metal bridges, lower cost set up, ease of flexible design offerings and tooling and there is a demand. (I have a bridge on order and I am waiting patiently, a situation I appreciate and understand and agreed to )
If one has experience with plastics and production along with retail set up, such as perhaps, Peco, then perhaps there is a chance. However what would the market be ?
The plural of anecdote is not fact. Meaning a dozen keen modelers is not a market. Creating or finding and sating the market is the hardest part of the gig.
Some want scale fidelity, some like me want robust operation and the fun of operation. Hard to do both.
Any how, it is all good conjectural fun.

[ge_rik]

Previous page of this thread (P 10) I have a prototype signal that is mechanical and removable. It uses a Pendle Valley kit, my idea was to make it reliable, robust and removable as they would not last a week here with Summer Storms, ferocious sun, Bush Turkeys, Cane Toads, Water Dragons, Green Tree snake (he lives in the block wall) and Carpet Pythons to bash them up. The intention is they are all numbered and will be removed and live in a numbered box on a shelf some where.........

Sorry, I somehow missed they were removable - I must read more carefully. A neat system.
Rik

[Hydrostatic Dazza]

Saturday, I managed to check the fit of the point crank/connection. Also a trial run to check the friction of of the Shimano gear casing and the solid 1.10mm stainless wire with all the curves and bends through the drain tubes in the concrete track base to points and signal bases. All is super sweet. Next will be boxing, cement base for the signal frame that will live in a goods shed with removable back wall and roof. The plan is to have a weather box to cover the lever frame when not in use that is also inside the goods shed. 9 more signal kits are on order. All this is going slowly as I am very busy with my Reciprocating Steam Engine Ticket Training, steam, diesel and Railmotor training on weekends at the Mary Valley Rattler Railway, which is soon to commence passenger operations.

https://www.maryvalleyrattler.com.au/

[pandsrowe]

I do like this system of operating points, so neat and relatively unobtrusive. Do you know if the Shimano casing is available in long lengths? So far my internet trawl has not come up with anything over 2.1mtrs and I will need around 5mtrs for the longest run on my railway.

[tom_tom_go]

What is the distance from point to lever out of interest?

[philipy]

Phil,
This guy sells it by the metre :
http://vi.raptor.ebaydesc.com/ws/eBayIS ... 2000&ver=0

and this is for a full 50M roll:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Shimano-OT-S ... SwBdRbYKDb

There are others just search on ebay for "shimano gear cable casing"

[IanC]

Excellently engineered solution. Do you find time to sleep and eat?

Ian

[Peter Butler]

I have had a cable system operating on my railway for over a year now and can confirm the system works well and hasn't suffered from weather related issues either.
There are no cranks involved as the wire works on a push-pull basis and is able to allow a loco to run through a point set against it even though one cable is three metres long and has various curves in its run......

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[Hydrostatic Dazza]

I do like this system of operating points, so neat and relatively unobtrusive. Do you know if the Shimano casing is available in long lengths? So far my internet trawl has not come up with anything over 2.1mtrs and I will need around 5mtrs for the longest run on my railway.

4mm Shimano STI casing is available in a 50 meter shop box roll.
You would need to get a packet of casing caps, do not use the alloy ones, they oxidise in no time at all. The black plastic with the rubber grommet are super.
Perhaps the local bike shop has a shop roll and they can you off a 5m length for a tener ?
or a 6 pack of beer :-)