Hello all... finally had some spare time to surf news and came across this...couldn't find an existing thread. http://www.showcaseminiatures.net/century-foundry.html Are there any opinions or views of this product yet? Bruce
I've been considering these signals, especially after they developed a dwarf signal with a drilled body for lighting. I've created fiber optic lit signals and they are not as bright as LEDs. Three color LEDs will be a big improvement. Here is a signal I created in 2006 using fiber optic; its performance was acceptable. I plan to buy a few of their signals for evaluation.
I just bought one (pole/no cabinet) from Showcase Miniatures' ebay store. I will have to see if my fingers can assemble it. Arrives around mid-week.
See here: http://www.trainboard.com/grapevine...1-Century-Foundry-s-signal-kits-are-available and here on a different forum: http://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=30048.0
Hello all... small update to this thread... based on the pics of the products on the Showcase Miniatures site, I ordered a few of the items listed... WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I received the items VERY quickly, along with a note of appreciation, and my first AND last impression of these kits is INCREDIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The kits are truly to scale and are beautiful... the electrical cabinets, lens housings and support arms are beautifully cast in white metal and the target heads, brackets, ladder, and ladder supports are finely reproduced in PE brass...absolutely beautiful... I've taken pics of the parts and uploaded to photobucket, but, because I haven't uploaded in a number of months, and photobucket has changed a bit, it may take a bit before i can figure out the new method... I WILL be ordering more of these signals AND the new wigwags! ~Bruce
LED signal Those look nice. I've been looking for something like this for a long time. I decided to make mine with parts from BLMA signal heads, an old Alkem etching I had and a 3 color PLCC LED. Now I'm working on detectors and signal logic (or rather have been working on the electronics for a couple of years). Maybe some day I can have a CTC machine to dispatch the whole thing. (sorry I have the attachment rotated.) John
Nice signal, John. Is the finial a BLMA part? I have a 1:1 size finial and have been looking for n scale ones. Do you have a part number for the LED?
Thanks. The final is a piece of clear rod I melted and slowly pulled apart. It took about 10 before I had 2 I was happy with. I then cut the tip off and CAed them on top. The LEDs are Bivar SMP4-SRGY from Digikey: http://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/SMP4-SRGY/492-1227-1-ND/2404441 John
Very clever with the finial, John. At least the rod is relatively cheap. Do you have a technique or are 2 in 10 random? Thanks too for the pointer to the LED. I need several dozen.
Very nice.... I have a number of the BLMA signal heads...these were my original 'go to' signal, with no other real alternative being available... I always had a nagging doubt about using LEDs directly in the signal head, as part of the basic structure...LED's will fail...sooner or later...also, no matter how beautifully small LEDs have become, there is a concession to scale shape AND size when using them as part of the signal head. These new signals ARE scale, the castings of the signal head have to be seen to be really appreciated; not only are they scale, they are among some of the most perfect castings I've seen...no seams, no clean-up required. Fiber optic strands are included, and an item is being produced that will mount the fiber-optic strand (or strands) to a 'below-the-layout' LED souce...focusing the LED to the end of the strand, with almost no 'light escape', greatly increasing the brightness of the light in the signal head. I'll post pics of the individual parts today...I will also try to get some work done on one of them...I need to research the correct height of the ATSF target signals before I start Bruce
Bruce, can't wait to see what you will do with these!they sure look beautiful! My challenge is the fact that to be accurate, I need a wide variety of signals....targets, targets on cantilever and A frame structures, three light color lights, and pots on both one lense and three lense configurations, and I want to standardize the electronics as much as possible. The fiber optic solution has me scratching my head about using it on cantilever and other bridges... Would that work? Is the fiber small enough and flexible enough? Otto K.
Otto, The fiber-optic strands, included with each kit, are as thin and flexible as any LED wire you'll find...there won't be any issue with the fiber optic that you still wouldn't encounter using wire to LEDs...bunde-ing it, threading, etc... Here are some pics of the individual parts...with a US dime in the last pic to show scale...photo etch hoods are also included, if one wants to roll and form them (a la the BLMA target signals), but I'm going to stay with the hoods as molded onto the light assembly...more scale and 1950's looking. I might add that being able to pose these with the battery box doors in the open position is a very neat bonus!...this kit is of the single box type...I also have multiples of the double box versions and the 'pole' versions...each kit includes parts to make two targets on a single pole...so there are a number of variations that can be built from each kit....I also have a number of the new Wig Wags heading here...the power poles and the transformer pole assembly is also very nice! And I haven't even mentioned the very thorough instructions included....very detailed, very well technically written, with plenty of diagrams and history... ~Bruce
some more pics.... I scanned the instructions (both sides) to show how well they're written and illustrated...no guessing here. nothching the mast/tube for the fiber-optic strand seemed, at first, a little daunting....in practice it was quite easy, using the advice given in the instructions...threading the fiber-optic strand is easy;the strand has no issues going into the mast/tube and through to the bottom, that is, once you 'thread-the-needle'. even easier is drilling the signal head for the strand....the end of the strand will be 'heat' flared and secured into place with Krystal Kleer.....I love the groove cast into the back side of the signal head....I'll CA the strand into this groove so the strand can be made to look as if it is exiting from the bottom of the signal head (a la the prototype)...the instructions show diagrams that illustrate the different ways one can thread the cable/strand into the mast. These signals are, truly, little works of art! I am really excited about FINALLY having these scale signals available....I'm going to inquire about the possibility of adding a cast finial for the top of the mast...it would be the very last perfect touch...but, of course, many didn't have an ATSF-style finial (I'm the proud owner of an actual ATSF finial...procured just west of Tolar, NM, during the massive signal replacement in 1996...it was a shame to see all those beautiful searchlight signals knocked down and laying on their sides for miles and miles) Thanks for looking, Bruce
Here is a pic of my first trial signal...almost complete...apart from the fiber-optic strand and subsequent painting...all I have left is to glue the signal 'number' plate...the kit provides all manner of shape and size plates...I have yet to determine which I'll use for this one... I wanted to produce an ATSF-style signal from this one....going through all my period photos that show ATSF signals only served to confuse me further as to ATSF practice...I have pics of signal targets centered on the mast...offset to the left (as viewed by the engineer), not to mention the orientation of the electrical cabinet, if one was integral with the signal! I finally decided to orient the cabinet this way, simply because i had more pics that showed them this way! I might add, that I spent, roughly, an hour and a half throwing this one together...not bad for the first-subsequent builds will go much quicker after this one is almost behind me. Thanks for looking, ~Bruce
Bruce, Nice signals. I would gladly put a SP finial on my eastern signal.To me it's an iconic feature. Do you think you will be able to thread two fiber optic strands through the mast?
Nancy Jean, I've already tried it, just to make sure; and, yes, two strands will thread through the mast. each kit contains quite a length of fiber-optic strand so there shouldn't be any worries. ~Bruce
after a quick paint job...I placed the signal in the roughed-out position on my little layout-in-progress...forgive the 'lean'...just wanted to take some pics with an engine in the shot to show the scale perspective... I still need to flare the end of the fiber-optic cable and thread it through...I'll scure it with Krystal Kleer, then paint the protruding cable silver....decal the placard, liquid mask the 'lens', then an acrylic flat coat...voila! (note-I changed the orientation of the electrical cabinet after perusing more pics. Obviously, I'm very excited about these products, and am looking forward to building and installing more...including the beautiful Wig Wag, and power poles! More pics as progress continues. Thanks for looking, ~Bruce
Winner, fasure, Bruce! Glad to hear two strands will fit down the pipe. If two round fibers fit, then I would think three would fit also. I have a few places where I need 3 head signals.
