The Very Last White River and Northern Railroad

[DKS]

If there was room for two LEDs back-to-back, I would have done that. But there's barely enough room for one LED. So, it'll have to look European for now. We can pretend one of the two lights is out.

[DKS]

I completed the installation this morning. First, I made a dome fixture, attaching the dome (red 1.6mm LED drilled out) to the top of thin-wall brass tube. Then I assembled the car around it, complete with a patch of road so the whole thing will be removable.

[jpec]

[DKS]

Spent the day finishing this:

Hope this one is "model railroady" enough! Will post a how-I-did-it in a couple of days--still shooting pics, writing, and wrapping up loose ends.

[mark dance]

Spent the day finishing this:

Hope this one is "model railroady" enough! Will post a how-I-did-it in a couple of days--still shooting pics, writing, and wrapping up loose ends.

Order for 6 please!  Seriously...

That looks awesome!

md

[bbussey]

Your going to shame me into doing it the proper way, instead of cheating with tri-color LEDs and stationary blades.
 

[peteski]

Spent the day finishing this:

Hope this one is "model railroady" enough! Will post a how-I-did-it in a couple of days--still shooting pics, writing, and wrapping up loose ends.

So how long are you planning on amazing us with one wonderful miniature after another?  Seriously, another awesome DKS creation.  I assume you are using (warm?) white LED with those colored lenses on the semaphore arm?  What did you use for the transparent lenses?  Tamiya paints?

Since this is a super-realistic model, is there a possibility to slightly slow down the movement of the arm?  Or it is already at a prototypical speed and I'm full of "it"?  I'm also anxiously awaiting the show-n-tell about the mechanism.  I was thinking it would be powered by RC micro servos, but what you have shown doesn't look like any servo I have seen.

[DKS]

I assume you are using (warm?) white LED with those colored lenses on the semaphore arm?  What did you use for the transparent lenses?  Tamiya paints?

Yes and yes.

Since this is a super-realistic model, is there a possibility to slightly slow down the movement of the arm?

Most train order signals were operated manually. (That's the main reason I didn't try to hide the rods that operate the semaphores.) And yes, they will be slowed down; the mechanism is being revised.

[DKS]

Well, I finished two more videos detailing how I built the train order signals, but I can't upload them--evidently YouTube is on overload. Probably everyone and their cousin is streaming something. So, tune in later when things calm down a bit.

[DKS]

[bdennis]

Wow.. Just. wow.. Awesome work.

[peteski]

Again, rather basic, but clever solution!  And the speed can easily be adjusted.

DKS, do you own/use a drill press, a lathe, or a milling machine?  If yes, what brands?

[Chris333]

The mechanism is just as wow and the signal head. I have some of those tiny gear head motors and they are small.

[DKS]

Again, rather basic, but clever solution!

I wanted a mechanism that was fairly bullet-proof. It doesn't rely on some sort of reversing linear drive with limit switches, which can get bulky; the rotary motion prevents any possibility of overtravel, hence avoiding any damage to the super-delicate signal, and using miniature motors and gears kept everything as small as possible. It's also very simple to control--one pushbutton for each signal, with one microswitch to index the blade position. No need for any sort of electronics to convert a control panel switch position into a mechanical position, as would be the case using servos. Indeed, no electronics at all. KISS.

DKS, do you own/use a drill press, a lathe, or a milling machine?  If yes, what brands?

Micro-Mark generic mini drill press, which I've equipped to use optionally as a mill. Sherline lathe with microscope attachment.

I did not use either of them for this project; I tend to prefer doing everything by hand. Anyway, the Sherline has been offline for the last several years, owing to damage suffered while in storage.

[Point353]

Is this just the lead-in to functioning figures of the operator standing at trackside hooping up the orders and crewmen in the loco cab and caboose snagging their copies of them?