Lever Frames

[Soar Valley Light]

I wondered where to post this for best. It's not really a project, nor is it an item of rolling stock and its certainly not scenery! So, here's where I thought I'd put it.

Does anyone know of any manufacturers of mechanical lever frames, either in kit form or built up, suitable for use outdoors? I'm really looking for something with working catch handles and as close to 16mm scale as possible, meaning lever heights of somewhere between 40 and 70mm. I'm not looking for Severn Bridge Junction or Barnetby East here , all I'm after is a couple of two lever frames and maybe a four lever one, just to act as ground frames to work the points on a crossing loop and small yard. No signals and locking is not essential as a result. What I do need to be able to do is connect some rodding onto the lever tail to drive out to the points and operate them. (That bit I can sort, I just need the frame to work it).

Any experience anyone may have of this would be very welcome if they are prepared to share it.

Andrew

[philipy]

I don't know them personally but Scaleway have been around for years and they do all sorts of signalling kit, including lever frames.

http://www.scalewaysignals.com/products ... /index.htm

or you could look at MSE.

[SpudUk]

I've been hoping to install some scale ground-frames and rodding too, shall watch with interest

[IrishPeter]

It is one of my pet projects is to properly signal my line, though the S&CLR would have been built early enough for hand levers and slot detection to be acceptable to the BOT. This is the direction the Southwold Railway went when the Lock, Block, and Brake Act caught up with them, and needed to interlock points and signals.

The Isle of Man Railway is still on slot detectors, as the points are controlled by local levers, but the signals by a group of levers or windlesses by the station building. The slot detector is fitted to the point rod, and locks the points in position once the home has been pulled off. When the home is 'on' the points can move, so departing trains can trail through the points without causing damage. They are very useful for preventing low speed collisions in loops as they prevent the home signal being pulled 'off' when the points are set for the wrong road. The only snag is that if one forgets the home signal, the departing train in the opposite direction trails through the locked points and breaks the detector. In recent years the IMR has fitted the detectors with brass bolts to create an obvious sheer point when they are run through when locked, and the signal wires have acquired indicators that 'pop-up' when the home is 'off' as a reminder to the stationmaster. Forgetting the home is a particular problem where a Lindley signal windless are in use are they do not have the obvious visual of a lever. The whole set up is rather reminiscent of Swedish Trefoten railways.

I believe there is an Australian supplier who makes signal frames in 4 or 6 lever units at about 1:16 scale, but my Google-Fu did not pop them up when I tried it just now.

Cheers,
Peter in AZ

[andymctractor]

I believe there is an Australian supplier who makes signal frames in 4 or 6 lever units at about 1:16 scale, but my Google-Fu did not pop them up when I tried it just now.
Cheers,
Peter in AZ

Are you thinking about Modratec? I believe the only bits that rust on their basic frames are the metal handles but I can't say where I heard or read that.

https://modratec.com/cart/index.php?mai ... cPath=1_12

Hope this helps.

[Soar Valley Light]

The Modratec frames certainly look robust enough to do the job and durable enough to live outside. I was hoping for something with working catch handles though; my home made points won't have over centre springs so I'll be relying upon the lever (via the rodding) to hold the blades against the stock rails.

I've googled the subject myself Peter, with no success beyond the two suggestionsalready made in this thread. Scaleway's products look beautiful but they are a good deal bigger than I had in mind and would need some significant reduction in stroke to work 32mm gauge points.

Metalworking is not at the forefront of my skills but, if all else fails, I may have to look at going into production myself in the fullness of time. Fortunately I'm not in a rush, I've got to built the railway first!

[freelander]

Hi all, I have used the Modratec frames and they are out side and have been for the past 3 years, there is no sign of any rust although I do keep the well oiled. I use these on a pulley system on points and signals, I don't use rod but fishing braid line (their is no stretch in the braid as their is with nylon line). on the points (LGB) I set them for one route and when the lever is pulled the points move to change direction as the points are under tension when the lever is returned the points return to the normal set position, one set of points are more than 3 to 4 feet away and I don't have any problems, Peco points are worked the same as LGB only this time the tension is supplied by using a small spring fixed to the points and fixed to a stake, on the signals it works just the same except that gravity works the signal arm, when the lever is pulled the signal will rise or fall depending on your layout and on the signal arm I have fixed a small weight which helps to move the arm. it may sound complicated but it is really simple to use.

[IrishPeter]

Now my squirrelly little brain is wondering whether one could use braided fishing line to set up German style two wire operation of points and signals...

Peter in AZ

[Soar Valley Light]

Wow Peter, that would be an interesting talking point. It would mean making your own frame though. I'll put good money on there being nothing suitable available commercially.

The Midland Railway Co were sometime users of this system. They used a simple weighted lever (not dissimilar to the weighted point lever used on loose heeled switches) to work signals protecting non block post level crossings. If there was any interlocking at all it would have been no more than a bar welded to the home signal lever to prevent the distant lever being pulled over out of sequence. It's a simple form of locking still seen occasionally on ground frames between the release lever and the point lever.

The other version was much better engineered. The short levers on the barrel had catch handles which (in standard Midland practise) were connected directly to the tappet locking mounted behind the barrels. The last one was in use at Barrow Hill Up Sidings near Chesterfield until the early 80's and I had the dubious pleasure of helping to recover half of it for the Midland Railway Trust, the other half went to York Museum.

Freelander - thanks for that information, I'll have a look at the possibility for my railway. Do I understand you correctly, are you using a frame with interlocking outside and if so what if any protection from the elements does it have?

[freelander]

Hi Andrew, yes I am using a lever frame 12 levers, 6 blue 6 red they are housed in a plastic box resembling a signal box out side in all weathers,
I am having problems with send you pictures of the levers and point movement. if you send me an e-mail address to my pm I will send them by email

freelander

[IrishPeter]

The German type frame is quite a rugged piece of kit, and as far as I can work out it seems to have three elements. The actual control levers; locking levers; and direction levers. The actual locking is often achieved in quite a crude way - by notches and tags in the right places. It is certainly worth expending some paper on when I have a quiet moment, or I am stuck waiting in an airport.

On the other hand, most of my track layouts are simple enough that a kick plate would prove sufficient interlocking, or something crude like slot detectors.

Peter in AZ