Sheehaun Light Railway

[LNERW1]

This is a topic devoted to my garden railway, the Sheehaun Light Railway. It is 45mm gauge and nominally to 1/20.3 scale, but some proprietary 1:24 or larger equipment is used. It’s Irish-based, with the backstory being, well… posted on the Irish Railway Modeller forum. Go and look at it. If you do, you’ll see it’s gargantuan! (The backstory, not the railway haha). Any questions welcome. Thanks, LNERW1
If anyone’s wondering, the username should probably be related more to narrow-gauge etc railways but it’s just my username on IRM and RMWeb so I thought I’d stick with it for clarity’s sake.

[drewzero1]

Welcome to the forum! It's interesting to hear about an Irish prototype; they've turned up on here occasionally but not very often.

I think I found the backstory thread: https://irishrailwaymodeller.com/topic/ ... t-railway/

We tend not to bicker over scale and gauge, and as one of our most prolific members can attest, we don't mind a standard-gauge username.

[Andrew]

Hello!

Looking forward to learning more about your Irish-themed line. I've got a couple of books on the Irish NG, which I find fascinating - so much variety!

All the best,

Andrew.

[LNERW1]

Thanks for the support. I may shift the main SLR thread to be this one, as I don’t want to have to keep up posting on two different threads. Just a couple more things about the railway- uses LGB track, meaning set geometry which can be interesting, and in total the railway cost €20. This was the cost of the only thing bought new, with all other stock, track, buildings, figures etc. being inherited from my late great-uncle, who ran a model- based park in County Wicklow. As far as I know it shut down in the early 2000s but he had a garden railway afterwards, and when he passed his wife sold on the most valuable stock, and passed the rest to me. A lot of it is scratchbuilt around an RTR LGB chassis block. Some of the track also appears to have been modified, with a central sleeper and a short length of rail being removed, presumably to line up with something or fit in an awkward gap. More info to come,
LNERW1

[LNERW1]

I have a question I thought I would pose to this forum rather than any other, as I an sure some member here can be of assistance. I am planning on implementing a full signalling system on the SLR, consisting of wire-in-tube "signal rodding" running from several boxes and ground frames to points and signals. My main question is where to source signals, as all I have found so far ar Tenmille components, which are out of scale and in brass, which I'm not comfortable working with, or 3D print files uploaded to RMWeb, which I think would be too brittle to use. Does anybody have a good source of laser-cut or plastic 1:19, 1:20.3 , 1:22 or 1:24 signals? Even metal components might be alright if they are in scale and easy to use. Thanks!

[Andrew]

I have a question I thought I would pose to this forum rather than any other, as I an sure some member here can be of assistance. I am planning on implementing a full signalling system on the SLR, consisting of wire-in-tube "signal rodding" running from several boxes and ground frames to points and signals. My main question is where to source signals, as all I have found so far ar Tenmille components, which are out of scale and in brass, which I'm not comfortable working with, or 3D print files uploaded to RMWeb, which I think would be too brittle to use. Does anybody have a good source of laser-cut or plastic 1:19, 1:20.3 , 1:22 or 1:24 signals? Even metal components might be alright if they are in scale and easy to use. Thanks!

Sounds like quite a project, would be great fun to operate...

Would these be of any use? https://www.cambrianmodelrail.co.uk/sto ... -p95203761

Good luck with it,

Andrew

[ge_rik]

Modeltown do a basic signal. I assume it's mostly resin components as that's what Modeltown specialise in. Also quite cost effective at £8 GBP
https://www.modeltown.co.uk/product-page/signal-dept

Rik

[ge_rik]

By coincidence, I'm planning to revamp my own signal project. I made the 19 signals needed for my railway quite a few years ago: https://riksrailway.blogspot.com/2014/0 ... s.html?m=1 but haven't deployed them very often because I've never figured out how to control them.

I've tracked down some tiny linear servos and small receivers with key fob transmitters. Not had a chance to play with them yet (still awaiting delivery from China) but I'm hopeful I can make each signal a self contained RC controlled unit

I'll let you know how my experiments pan out.

Rik

[Preseli Chris]

Another low cost source is the option of using old hornby tinplate semaphore signals. The square post variety are scale wise approx 9" wide and 12' tall . These can be found readily online. The later versions have coloured spectacles.

20240706_114637.jpg (2.51 MiB) Viewed 4935 times

[Preseli Chris]

There is an older lattice version as well.

20240706_121932.jpg (2.78 MiB) Viewed 4932 times

[Lonsdaler]

Modeltown do a basic signal. I assume it's mostly resin components as that's what Modeltown specialise in. Also quite cost effective at £8 GBP
https://www.modeltown.co.uk/product-page/signal-dept

Rik

I have some of the Modeltown signals. They are largely resin components, but have been quite sturdy. I'm sure the mechanism could easily be made to operate remotely.

[LNERW1]

Not sure on using tinplate stuff as Hornby stopped making O in the mid-60s IIRC (I’m not even old enough to legally own half the tools I use for modelling though so what would I know). This means there’s a finite quantity and they’re not as disposable as, say, an LGB flat wagon or a short piece of track. That wouldn’t be a problem if I was sure they would fare fine outdoors, but I’m not. I plan on leaving all infrastructure in situ as it would be awkward to remove components from a functioning signal system, as opposed to picking a signal up and putting it in the shed. Another problem is the visibly elevated lever making connection to a wire-in-tube signal rodding system difficult. Thanks for the suggestions though.

[drewzero1]

That's what I thought as well but it seems to work for several people who've tried it with good results. I looked into it but they're hard to get this side of the pond, so I made my own loosely following Rik's guide. Unfortunately the kids dismantled it before I had a chance to put it outside, but rebuilding it is on the list somewhere. I used some brass strip and square tubing from the hobby/craft section of the hardware store, drilled a few holes and soldered a few spots (though epoxy would work as well if you don't solder).

[Preseli Chris]

Not sure on using tinplate stuff as Hornby stopped making O in the mid-60s IIRC (I’m not even old enough to legally own half the tools I use for modelling though so what would I know). This means there’s a finite quantity and they’re not as disposable as, say, an LGB flat wagon or a short piece of track. That wouldn’t be a problem if I was sure they would fare fine outdoors, but I’m not. I plan on leaving all infrastructure in situ as it would be awkward to remove components from a functioning signal system, as opposed to picking a signal up and putting it in the shed. Another problem is the visibly elevated lever making connection to a wire-in-tube signal rodding system difficult. Thanks for the suggestions though.

It all depends on what you want and the size of your budget. The signals I bought cost less than the postage and packing , but that's dependent of the final hammer price of the auction. One could use angle cranks to operate the wire in tube system. Perhaps this link maybe of use .The etches are for gauge one railway signals which wouldn't look that much out of scale .

https://www.wizardmodels.ltd/3_manufact ... %5Btaxonom

Hope this is of help to you

Chris

[FWLR]

Welcome to the forum. looking at Preseli Chris's last posted link, you could copy the signal from one or two of their patterns couldn't you and make your own again with whatever material you like to use...

Just a thought....