I have spent the last month or so thinking about getting back into model railroads. Been working on a track plan, trying to go N scale as the room I have would be hard to have an HO layout. As I am a builder, I like the idea of scratch building and taking some sticks, flat pieces and turning it into a built up piece of something. I have looked at so many signal bridges online. I found plans for a few railroads, others were just engineering drawing of parts and pieces of them but not the complete unit. So I took what I saw and drew up these. They are not of any one signal bridge, but one that would like right if it was out there. It is wide enough for 4 tracks. I have no idea why I picked one this size as I don't even have the spot for the layout cleared and cleaned up let alone a spot on the layout for it. But it is severing a good purpose. If I can not get this done and I have a lot of trouble scratching out a signal bridge, I will really have to re-think N scale. I have (2) of the etched brass box car detail kits for the walkways. I will add those and the etched brass ladders to this as I work on it. I have the micro LEDs in the mail. Should be here in 2 or 3 weeks. Not sure what signal I will make? I like the storm troop looking ones and I like the big round ones with (2) LEDs for each color. Might go small round ones, (3) vertical with red at the top, yellow in the middle and green at the bottom. I was surprised I spent Almost $200.00 on tiny little shapes and sizes of plastic and a bit of etched brass. Add in some #6 code 80 turn outs, track cutters, N scale ruler, (2) spray cans, rerailer, and some odds and ends. Glad to support my not so local train shop. This is what I have done so far. I will build the other side. I think I will see if I can build a magnetic building board. I got a little to much glue on it and it stuck to the paper. I will get a smaller brush and not use the one in the bottle. If I can get this one built, primed, painted, weathered so it looks sort of OK, I think I can continue. Buzz.
Our club N scale layout, 4ft x 6ft, has a spot near the depot with a passing siding that needs a signal bridge. I've made a couple attempts and each is better, but not good enough. I use parts from (Model Power?) signal bridge kits for the plastic uprights. I will probably scratch build the horizontal truss from strip stock. (That MP kit may no longer be available.) The signal bridge is viewed from only one side (South on our track plan). I use bicolor LEDs that are red/green based on DC polarity. I use a $5 voltage control circuit to control the brightness of the LEDs. The red is brighter at the same voltage than the green--so I adjust the voltage to try to get as much balance as I can. The LEDs are two wire and (I think) called "top hat"--a rectangular chunk with the LED and a 2mm post for the light output. A DPDT slide switch next to the power pack controls the signal bridge. Our Senior Center has been closed since mid-March and I will build the next version of the signal bridge here at home--as soon as I sort through the clutter on my model railroad work bench and locate all the bits and pieces.
Ray, Sorry to take so long to get this posted, but... I might be able to save you a lot of agony. NJ International makes injection molded plastic signal bridges in got HO and N. They make the full bridge in 2 and 3 track versions, along with very nice cantilever bridges. Detail is as good as I've ever seen in any injection molded product. They are reasonably priced. Regrettably you will be on your own for lights. Are they fragile? You bet, they're made well to scale. Are they hard to assemble? Depends on your level of modeling. If you've never assembled any kit, good luck. If you have some experience building kits and scratchbuilding, it will be a simple job. Will you be pleased with the result? You bet, you'll never regret it and you will be looking for places to put the cantilever bridges on your layout.
As I struggled with cutting cutting the diagonals, keeping each the same length and angle. I got upset and sort of mad. So I spent the weekend making a 45 degree cutter. Now I can slide the stock in and set the stop and cut a bunch in no time. I have a few more holes to drill and tap for the hold downs. But it works pretty good. The small pieces tend to fly all over the place, might come up with a sliding cover to catch them so I don't loose them on the carpet. I built the second side but it came out 3/32" longer so trying to cut it down and make them the same length is going to be a bit tricky. I might make (2) new ones with the angled cutter. I can cut (4) of the top/bottom pieces in now time. I was thinking of using a smaller strip stock too. They look to big to me. Way over sized? Those are 0.080 wide. I was thinking the 0.060 or 0.040 would look better? I ordered these "0805 SMD Pre-soldered micro litz wired LED" in red, yellow and green. Not sure if it is OK to post links to products? These are on aliexpress. I have lots of stuff in my cart at 5 different shops, just need to pull the trigger and get them in the mail. One is (2) diesel engines, decoders and (2) flat car kits, one is for a diesel engine and 12 more turn outs, one is for height gauge more detail parts and $800.00 in pre orders, one is flex track from flea bay, just don't like flea bay, but the shipping charge for flex track is a bit high and the local shop has 2 pieces left that look like pretzel's. So, I have a dozen or so turn outs, picked up 3 more, 12 flex track, Prodigy Advance, no locos that work, no DCC loco's, 5 or 6 cars, no layout, no finished track plan, perfect time to build a 4 track signal bridge. Buzz.
If you pass on the NJ international bridge and see one later you will be in tears. It includes all the tiny bolt and rivet detail, and is remarkably stout considering how fine the pieces are. The steel shapes are as close to scale as I've ever seen. And I have no relations to the company or anyone who works there.
Bill: NJ signal bridge is too good: none on eBay and sold out at Walthers and one other online Retailer. Ray
I built a small magnetic building board. 3/4" Baltic Birch, 3M90, 1/16" sheet steel. Now I just need to make a few fixtures and other goodies. I can draw the design on the metal with marker and not worry the glue is going to stick the plastic to the paper or wood. Those are stacks of tiny rare earth magnets. They are amazingly strong for their size. I have some brass and aluminum strips I will use to make fixtures, straight edges, 90, 45, 30, 60 degree angled fixtures. Drill a hole for each magnet, CA in place. With 2, 3,4 of these little magnets, it will hold the fixture with a lot of strength. If I need more power, I have other larger magnets too. With both choppers, this board, I should be able to build and duplicate pieces a lot easier than trying the way I was. Buzz.
