New line of signals?

arbomambo Jul 28, 2013

  1. arbomambo

    arbomambo TrainBoard Member

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    some better pics, which show the signal in a better light...(NOT leaning)...I placed a square of cork to the side of the track where the signal will be located...this brings the signal 'up' to the proper height in relation to the rail.
    Thanks for looking,
    ~Bruce

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  2. Westfalen

    Westfalen TrainBoard Member

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    They turn out rather well. Between these and the ones promised by Traincat and BLMA N scale is going to be well served in the signal department.
     
  3. arbomambo

    arbomambo TrainBoard Member

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    a quick 'tease' of the product being developed to really make these signals SHINE by focusing the light from the LED into the fiber-optic cable lighting these little gems!...this little kit is going to really make a difference!
    These new items from Century Foundry really have me excited!
    ~Bruce

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  4. mtntrainman

    mtntrainman TrainBoard Supporter

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    NICE !!! Gettin better by the minute. :cool:
     
  5. hoyden

    hoyden TrainBoard Supporter

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    Bruce,

    I like your "tease" product because it addresses both issues I face implementing signals; mounting the signal and positioning the fiber optic. I hope it can be viably produced. Are you showing mounting for a SMD LED or one with leads?

    Last night I ordered some dwarfs and two tall mast signals. A couple weeks ago I bought the SMD LEDs John recommended upthread. I haven't thought through how to wire and mount the fiber to LEDs.

    Technology has advanced since I developed my prototype 5 years ago using Plastruct shapes to hold the LED and NJI cantilever mast. I could see problems because the mounting parts were hand made. I figured out that just because I could make one, I wouldn't necessarily desire to build them all this way. I was happy the prototype worked and understood it left a lot to be desired.

    The technology has taken a few steps forward and I see lots of potential in the signals, LEDs, and related mounting hardware.

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  6. arbomambo

    arbomambo TrainBoard Member

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    Guys...
    just to be clear, these aren'y 'my' products...Walter (Century Foundry) is producing the whole line and graciously sent me this 'trial' run of this REALLY neat kit...
    hoyden, you are absolutely right about the way this kit addresses being able to use LEDs and fiber optics,without losing the 'intensity' of 'signal head mounted' LEDS....before I went to bed last evening, I flared the end of the fiber optic cable....and inserted it into the signal head....then threaded it though the 'focuser' part, flared the other end, and used a very small mini light I had on my keychain to shine into the end of the fiber optic...I was AMAZED at the brightness of the light in the signal head...and that was just with my fooling around,with no real light capture, and without the 'box' assembled to focus the entire light output of the LED into the end of the fiber optic!
    To me, the REAL beauty of this setup is the allowing of scale signals, both in size and shape...it also allows the LED to be replaced irrespective of the actual signal.
    A fantastic design that really complements the signals and allows them to be used to their full operating potential!
    ~Bruce
     
  7. arbomambo

    arbomambo TrainBoard Member

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    excuse me...Joe Warren...I posted 'Walter'...
    Respectfully,
    Bruce
     
  8. hoyden

    hoyden TrainBoard Supporter

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    I appreciate the update, Bruce. I was thinking you were affiliated with Century Foundry in some manner. I have been following the CF website since they introduced their dwarf signals. Your review of the CF signals highlights their construction and capability nicely.

    Flaring the fiber optic really helps with the appearance. I believe I used a soldering iron and placed the strand in close proximity to get the desired effect.
     
  9. arbomambo

    arbomambo TrainBoard Member

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    I have been talking to Walter and Debbie...they have been incredibly helpful and gracious...both in customer service and in customer appreciation!....again, nothing but fantastic things to relate on both the quality of products and the customer service!
    ~Bruce
     
  10. arbomambo

    arbomambo TrainBoard Member

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    I started assembling the new pre-production fiber-optic LED light focuser for these beautiful signal kits...

    I, first, heat-flared one end of the fiber-optic cable, then threaded it through the signal head, out the back, then down into the drilled hole in the mast, then all the way through, to hang below the signal.
    I secured the flare end into the signal face with a bid drop of Johnson & Johnson 'Future' floor wax,; an acrylic clear coat with an unrivaled clear-coat glossy finish...this not only 'glues' the end of the fiber-optic cable into the signal head, but also has the effect of creating a larger clear 'lens', AND helping the flared end of the fiber-optic cable to intensify the LED-created light even more.
    Once the clear 'lens' was dry, and the fiber-optic was secure, I painted the exposed cable the same Floquil bright silver as the rest of the signal was painted.


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    Per the instructions, I threaded the loose end of the of the fiber-optic cable through the cast, cylindrical 'focuser'. then through the provided small diameter brass tubing....the I heat-flared this end. This is the end that will receive the light directly from the tri-color LED. I made a clean slice with an exacto knife through the heat-flared end in order to provide a flat surface to this end; it will help to gather more light.



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    I, then, pulled the fiber-optic cable through the brass tube until the flared end was flush with the tube; I secured it here the same way as the signal head, with a drop of Future acrylic floor liquid.



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    When that was dry, I pulled the tube back into the cast white metal cylindrical focuser, and secure it all the same way.



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    This cylinder will slide into the bracket that hold the LED and attatches to the underside of the layout. A pretty ingenious way to light a signal! (if an LED fails, it can easily be replace while leaving the signal and it's fiber-optic strand in place on and under the layout!
    More to follow....
    ~Bruce
     
  11. John Raid

    John Raid TrainBoard Member

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    Very nice Bruce. I also experimented with fiber a long time ago but couldn't get it bright enough for my taste. That mounting bracket and focusing plug looks like a good idea though.

    I just finished my 2 automatic search lights for Gladstone. I have a little bleed through on the back of the signal I need to fix with some paint but overall I'm satisfied. You certainly won't have that problem with fiber. On the green photo you can see the infrared emitter on the mast where the head attaches. This will illuminate an IR transistor in the track as part of my detection system. I should probably get some scenery done sometime though.

    John

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  12. hoyden

    hoyden TrainBoard Supporter

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    John,

    Nice signals. You were able to mount the LED at the head in a satisfactory way? I bought some of the LEDs you recommended upthread and will consider my options when my CF signals arrive.

    I agree fiber optic will never be as bright as an LED, but maybe the fiber will be bright enough.
     
  13. arbomambo

    arbomambo TrainBoard Member

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    the fiber optic on mine are nice and bright ...the focuser makes all the difference...so does flaring both ends of the cable....I'll post pics soon!
    ~Bruce
     
  14. hoyden

    hoyden TrainBoard Supporter

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    I received my CF signals yesterday and I had a couple of "wow" impressions. Really nice detail and proportion. The signal mast has a really small diameter. I did not know they made brass tubing that small. The fiber optic is also really small! I used 0.0225" fiber optic on my prototype signal and it is huge in comparison.
     
  15. Bourkinafasso

    Bourkinafasso TrainBoard Member

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    Guys,
    I'm just curious. Those signals look awesome and the fibre optic option is very clever.

    You can use a 3 coloured led that would obviously not fit on the layout to illuminate the signal from under the layout... but is it prototypical to have only 1 circle target and be able to show several colours???
    It's just a question i haven't been able to answer from my net searches.

    Thanks.
     
  16. hoyden

    hoyden TrainBoard Supporter

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    from http://www.trainweb.org/signals/usssls1.htm

    "Searchlight signals display up to three different colors or "aspects" through a single lens. They do this by moving a colored filter or "roundel" into a light beam which is projected out of the unit. "
     
  17. hoyden

    hoyden TrainBoard Supporter

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    Last night I experimented with attaching the fiber optic to one of the dwarf signals. The supplied fiber optic is 0.0095" diameter and I used heat from a soldering iron to flare out the end to 0.0225". The flared end is quite a bit smaller than the space in the signal and I would like to make the flared end bigger but was unsuccessful. Then I took a strand of 0.025" fiber optic and heat flared it to 0.040" and that filled the display nicely. If I use the larger fiber optic then I will have to drill the head to the larger diameter. The larger diameter could work for the dwarf signal but not for the mast signals.

    My next step will be to fire up my LED signal controller to see how each looks lit up, which in the final analysis is what counts.
     
  18. Bourkinafasso

    Bourkinafasso TrainBoard Member

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    Thanks for the link.

    Don't forget to post a few pics of the dwarf signals.

    Seb
    N scale US trains
     
  19. arbomambo

    arbomambo TrainBoard Member

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    Hello all...
    I wad off of work today, and finally, had some time to post a few pics of the signals from Century Foundry/Showcase Miniatures, lit with a tri-color LED and fiber-optics, using the prototype 'focuse' and bracket sent to me by Walter and Debbie...
    I couldn't be more happy with the results...I used a 9 volt battery with a box and two leads, soldered the leads to 6 position rotary switch. I used a 1000ohm resistor on the anode wire...and split it to three separate leads and soldered them to individual terminals on one side of the rotary switch; like wise, I soldered the three 'color' wires to seperate terminals on the opposite side of the rotary switch...
    Now I can manually set the signal aspect once I mount the switch and knob on the fascia of the small Kingman Canyon layout (this will be the only signal on this layout; I can't wait to build a few modules so I can create a scene using multiples of these great kits!
    The tiny LED kindly supplied with the trial focuser /bracket kit is quite bright..far too bright to use as the actual signal head...the effect with the fiber optic is exactly what I want...a scale signal effect.
    Forgive the slightly out of focus pics...also, after uploading these pics, I realized I wasn't shooting the signal 'straight on', but slightly offset...you can see the effect even when not looking directly at the signal.
    Thanks for looking,
    ~Bruce

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  20. mtntrainman

    mtntrainman TrainBoard Supporter

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    N I C E !!! .........:cool:
     

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