Signal Suppliers

[Patrick.B]

Trying to do my due diligence, and was trying to find any suppliers for signals for 7.5" gauge track.

I found one link on discoverlivesteam from the BB&WRR in Florida that sells signals as well as the take/release polls and cable. That was the only one I was albe to find though, does anyone else know of any suppliers / manufacturers of signals?

Thanks,

Patrick

[Dick_Morris]

Chuck Hackett has mentioned working of a signal design that he was planning on marketing. Don't know if they are ready for prime time yet.

[Bruce_Mowbray]

Cap't John Boots of Big Boots and Western RR in Florida had some beautiful functioning searchlight signals. I thought they were Shiloh's but I think they make G gauge. I don't know who made Johns, but they were top notch.

[Patrick.B]

Yea, I check Shiloh's website, and the largest they appear to stock is for G Scale.

Just trying to get some ideas. I think we were always figuring on building them ourselves, but it is worth noting if there were any suppliers / manufacturers to note prices and such.

[csxcarl]

Hello,

I use signals for my railroad built by Tom Budny of Sussex, WI. Tom is a member of MLES, and he visits White Creek regularly. Since I see you are from Ohio, perhaps you may have met him.
Anyways, Tom uses LED lights, he can make signal heads in any configuration you would like, they have circuit board controls and easy wiring. I'm not an electrician by any means, and with Tom's help and schematics, I was able to wire my signals here. They seem to be very reliable and are affordable.
You can get ahold of Tom by email at tbudny@wi.rr.com . Just tell him that I referred you to him, and see what you can work out. Hope this helps.

CSXCARL
Carl Schmidt

[Rwilliams]

During December, I looked at the Boston Locomotive Works website and was astounded to see their proposed 1.5 scale signals. There were CAD renderings in color of USS&S Searchlight and Semaphore style signals. The detail was incredible making them the most detailed and prototypical signal I have seen to date in the hobby. About the only thing lacking was a scale human up by the signal head looking through the gun sight style aiming device. I was looking forward to seeing the production models of this signal offering.

When I check the Boston Locomotive Works website yesterday, I could find no sign of the proposed signal offering. The beautiful signal images had vanished.

Anyone know what happened?

Robert

[Patrick.B]

I did find a company called Scale Products Company (http://trainsignals.com/) that produce signals for many different sizes of trains.

They do make very nice looking ones for 7.5" gauge. Still trying to search out anymore for comparison purposes.

[one_inch_railroad]

I had forgotten that I had seen the pictures on the Boston Locomotive Works website as well, but seeing this thread jogged my memory. I contacted them to see why the pictures were no longer on the website and if they were still planning on offering them. I got three very nice email responses from the owner Jimi, whom I have asked, and been granted permission to repost as well as the picture he sent me.

"I've gotten a lot of interest in the signals and I work on them almost daily. Some of the parts are at the foundry being cast at this moment. I'm so late getting them finished I pulled it off my web page. It's just not fair to have them advertised on my web page and not have them available. The signals are taking longer to manufacture than expected. Many personal events put a dent in my Live Steam life over the last year. (Laid off, got married, bought a house, my brother passed away, to name a few.)

However, I don't mind talking about them ! Here's a couple photos of the patterns I sent to the foundry. These are the doors to the U.S.&S. signal box. The first signals will be search light signals. Once I have those working, I'll pursue the semaphores. The patterns for the semaphores are made; it's the mechanical linkage that is going to be a trick. Especially with a dual arm signal.

I'm also working on some builders plates for the Cass RR in West VA. These are replicas of the builders plates on the Shays and Heisler.

I'm shy about posting a completion date on the signals. At one time I thought they'd be ready by the end of the year. That was in 2010. ; - ) I've kept everyone's email that has asked about the signals and I plan to let them know when I get them finished.

You read my mind. I've gotten so much info about the electronics and mechanics to build the signals I'm convinced there must be a dozen ways to configure the signals and all of them will work. Since I'm not an electronics guru I'll sell them with the wires coming from the lights to the cabinet and the user can decide which method he'd like to buy/install. That may create a Live Steam electronics signal business.

Stay warm up there !

- Jimi -
Harvard, MA
Boston Loco

[Trainman4602]

Signals another one on my bucket list

Well I’m currently working on them as we speak. As of yesterday I started to machine the semaphore casting. I have a new mechanism and I have the additional components that are designed to be interchangeable. I do plan to market the separate castings but for now it will be offered as a display piece to be used in someone’s railroad room. I have the color light signal and a searchlight signal. In the future I will also make a PRR position signal.

I made a video some time ago showing the patterns before I had castings made. I now have castings and I am starting to put the prototype together. Tomorrow I’ll make a new video on the progress.

Here is the video form some time ago.

[ChuckHackett-844]

I'm new to the list and saw this old thread and thought I would add that I have been developing a comprehensive automatic signal system designed for ride-on-railroads.

Background: I have a degree in Electrical Engineering (Computer Design) and worked all my life in software development (fault-tolerant banking and communications systems), now retired.

The signal system has been in development for over 7 years. It has gone through extensive testing over the past 5 years at Central Pasco and Gulf Railroad in Florida (lightning capitol of the world ) where there is now about 8,000 feet of railroad with 59 signals and about 100 detected tracks, all powered by a single 13.5v supply (@1.9A).

The system only requires 4 wires to be laid along the right-of-way, regardless of the number of signals. I have not yet seen any track conditions it can't cope with - including a track here in Florida that uses crushed shell for ballast (contains salt) that is a challenge when it gets wet.

Much of the last 5 years has been spent perfecting the lightning and surge protection. The controller itself (microprocessor based board I designed and assemble) has remained unaltered over the past 7 years but the firmware has evolved greatly over that time (currently only taking up only about 60% of the memory available to me).

Too many features to list but the system was designed for full-time bi-directional, go anywhere at any time, running. It is user configurable, does not require a central PC, but supports one or more PC-based real-time track occupancy displays (dispatcher(s), station waiting areas, etc.).

I also sell plastic injection-molded (ABS plastic) scale signal head assemblies (LED).

If interested, send me an email (misccdh@whitetrout.net) and I'll send you a copy of the BC-002 Controller User's Manual as well as the SCOMM User's Manual (monitoring and control PC program).

Regards,

Chuck Hackett
Tampa, Florida

[Glenn Brooks]

Somewhere buried in the forum is a thread from a guy who worked out a way to make fresnel lens with a machined die and an arbor press. As I remember he gently heated plastic lens blanks until just pliable and then pressed them into the rounded, striated die with the arbor press. Maybe he heated the die also, can't remember. However, using this method, one can make any color and any size lens. Some people posting to the thread were interested in using the process to reproduce lens for locomotive running lights and rolling stock lights.

Glenn

[Steggy]

Also MABS (modular ABS) from BCS Technology Limited.