212 Cantilevered Signal Gantries from scratch

This video includes a discussion of the recently completed cantilevered signal gantries and the supported signals. How they were built, what I used with some secrets revealed.
Accurascale Class 66 EWS 66171
Short Running Session
In the final scene, a freighter is seen from under the bridge.
This is a shot I have been thinking about
since I started working on the bridge project.
Step by step building a model train layout.
NOTE: There is an error at 4:04. FC203D is green and yellow, not red and yellow.
All of the newly built signal heads are capable of 3 aspects, but some of the control circuits are only capable of 2 aspects. Upgrades are in the works and will be added when available.

[@mikejames8192]

Great Video Rob , Like the ideas will have a go and see what I can create. Love the bridge clip and that added click clack. Thank you for your time in producing this for us Mike

[@FarlandHowe]

Hello, Mike. Styrene is an amazing medium for creating models. I wish I had been exposed to it years ago. Anything imaginable can be created. Look at some of the examples on the Evergreen webpage. I have been wanting to make the under-bridge clip since the bridge went in. ;-) My pleasure. Thank you, Rob

[@stephenpike3147]

Oophs, added this in the wrong place, my apologies, Just copied to the comments top thread. Hi Rob, nice job on the lights and “metal work”, your diffusers certainly work very well. I see you suspended and positioned correctly so viewable on LHS as approach each. Great to see that lovely bridge and scene again, a certainly the right decision to incorporate and enough room to film from literally “down under” , lol. Signal planning at that level of detail is good to see, done the same for all my ground signals and running line 2 to 4 aspects and associated controls, timely but enjoyable in doing, I only intend in installing and wiring it all once……All the best Stephen

[@stephenpike3147]

Hi Rob, nice job on the lights and “metal work”, your diffusers certainly work very well. I see you suspended and positioned correctly so viewable on LHS as approach each. Great to see that lovely bridge and scene again, a certainly the right decision to incorporate and enough room to film from literally “down under” , lol. Signal planning at that level of detail is good to see, done the same for all my ground signals and running line 2 to 4 aspects and associated controls, timely but enjoyable in doing, I only intend in installing and wiring it all once……All the best Stephen

[@FarlandHowe]

Hi Stephen, Thank you. The design for my signal heads and signal bridges has evolved as my skills have improved, and I have discovered better materials and developed better ideas and methods. Hopefully, I am almost there. I sometimes like to use my Wi-Fi-equipped onboard camera as my eyes, and I drive the train from the screen on my phone. You see the line as a driver would see it when you do that. As a result, it forces your attention to viewability and, with a second train running ahead on the same line, signal function. With as many signals as I have and the way they are connected to sensors and control circuits, I needed names and a record of how I set them up. Otherwise, I forget how they work, where they are, and what they are connected to, and have to do forensic engineering to figure it out again if they need attention. Putting master name tags next to all related devices is the biggest help. That thing about doing it once...the problem with that is one finds making changes advantageous at times. I have wanted to shoot up under the bridge since I built it to see a train crossing it. ;-) Rob

[@stephenpike3147]

@@FarlandHowe Hi Rob, yes I like the extra detail you have added e.g. handrails, ladders, safety cage and the gusset plates which all add interest - same applied to the bridge - it brings it to life. That’s a great way to enjoy driving your trains and I see more KZbinrs using them for content, it’s certainly a different perspective and interesting too. Saw a wifi camera some 8 years ago built into the RTR engine, but the cost then was ridiculous. Using mnemonics combined with your signal diagrams is a great way to help you recognise what is what. I wrote a lot of industrial PLC programmes and used mnemonics to identify what each bit represented, it made it so easy to relate to particularly when dealing with over a thousand in some instances, made very few mistakes as a result. For my main signals I am using a couple of SIGM20 colour light signal controllers with block detection and some point status reporting which will trigger the signal transitions running over Loconet. The SIGM20 also allow reverse operation on my goods line which is a bonus. For the ground signals I plan to have a separate status mimic with LEDs to reflect what the ground signals are set to (acts as a signalman) , they will mostly be set using my hand controllers either individually or as part of a route - like you the diagrams are essential for enjoyable and hassle free operation - I hope! The way I am going just thought adding the wifi camera could mean there is a train driver, responding to a separate signalman’s commands and timetable/ sequence of operations - fun for family and friends…. It’s a limitless hobby and never been a better time to enjoy all this technology and parts/ adhesives for building our models. All the best Stephen

[@FarlandHowe]

@@stephenpike3147 Aha, that explains your technical proficiency. I did not program PLCs but I did write many sequence of operations documents which were used to create the PLC programs. What brand of PLC were you usually working with? This is very interesting. My working life was spent in packaging machinery where the systems and machines were all PLC controlled. I was deeply involved with jointed arm robots the last 5-7 years I worked.

[@stephenpike3147]

@@FarlandHowe Goodness, that also explains your approach and methodology. You like me must have seen so much change in your industry technology, techniques and maths - all that multi axis positioning wow. I did not realise some folk specialized in sequence of ops alone. Which plcs? Suspect you must have used a lot of servos and stepper motors too. I started on SqD series 100, 300 and 500 (just over 1000 I/O) all for a specialized steel mill. Then SqD 400 and 500 moved to Toshiba their Ex250/500 system as three other large drive and control projects- all with dc drives at their core and part of my design remit. Had other smaller with Siemens and Mitsubishi, all using ladder logic and associated maths, digital and analogue I/O plus high speed counters as required. Good fun it was, challenging but never a dull moment. As a drives and motor control company we realised all these different PLCs were a bind and costly so developed our own distributed event driven logic system which was graphically programmed. It used noise immune fibre optic comms and was laden with all our own developed function blocks (simple to very complex) including state machines. Rarely after that did we need any more PLCs for our projects once that was fully established. So enjoyed my time using that kit, sadly it was dropped after approx 16/17 years of use. So now retired and model railways is a more relaxed way of working/ passing my time!! All the best Stephen

[@FarlandHowe]

@@stephenpike3147 Huge changes in my industry. I started in 1978 and there was a complete revolution by 1997. We mostly used Rockwell Automation equipment. That was primarily what our US customers wanted. Honeywell purchased the company I worked for after I retired, so I expect they will use more of their equipment now. The robots could be any, but we usually used KUKA for our high-speed, high-throughput machines. They had the best software for the type of machines we were making, so it was easiest to get the best results. You can't write a good sequence of operations unless you understand how the programming would work. Early on, it was clear that no one would buy our creations unless they understood them. It was noticed when I went out with the salesman and could explain the proposed system to the customer that they were more likely to buy from us. Over time, I transitioned from pure engineering and design to pure sales. As I like to say, I started out in engineering but became a personality mechanic when I retired. I loved the work in the early years. It was towards the end I lost the enjoyment factor. By then, the numbers were getting very large and the pressure intense. A model railway is perfect. You can pursue whatever interests you as deeply as you want, be it art, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, or electronics. cheers, Rob

[@8492946able]

What scale are these

[@FarlandHowe]

This layout is 1:76.2 or 4 mm to the foot. I model in US n scale as well. Thank you, Rob

[@GrahamFoulston]

Absolutely stunning work Rob, they look as if they had been bought from a store, certainly not made at home. Well done sir! 👏👏👏. Cheers. Graham

[@FarlandHowe]

@@GrahamFoulston Graham, Thank you, my friend. This was a very enjoyable build. I took my time and found improvements to my methods and material selection with each one, then I could go back and improve the previous ones. As I demonstrated with the before and after pictures, my earlier efforts of a few years ago were very toy-like. I was never happy with them compared to what I could see of the real thing. Even though I had to make compromises for strength and could not exactly miniaturize the prototype, I am happy with the result. cheers, Rob