**LAYOUT DETAILS!** The Signals.

[@richardcolemanjr3749]

You are right about the lack of RTR modern items including signals. For example manifest trains today are made up of primary plastic pellet covered hoppers, various tank cars especially in the 16,000 and 25,000/30,000 gallon range with different valve covers etc. I'm hoping for a 6200 capacity Trinity plastic pellet covered hopper. They come in many shades of gray and beige. Come on Walther's.

[@AbelG8781]

Agreed. Most trains around me are Houston petrochem trains made of mostly plastics hoppers. Unfortunately, N scale only has 1 of those 4 bay hoppers and they're quite disappointing.

[@herbertw.jr.carrier6122]

Awesome job on those signals, building and cross bucks! It definitely increases the realism of railroading and I too hope that a manufacturer will take the lead and produce some quality structures and signals.

[@williambryant5946]

You did a good job building those signal bridges. I think you've got a good point about the signals. They're not offered in enough variety or often enough. The model companies need to make signals more available by producing them more continuously and manufacture all the different forms of signals from the signal bridges to dwarf yard signals to old school types of signals. 👍

[@kevinneiheisel673]

Dan, that looks FANTASTIC, always enjoy your work and always thanks for sharing this incredible modeling with us.

[@bigneasy2106]

If you don’t want to power it look into maybe putting some MV lenses in place (hard to find) or some florescent paint.

[@MLWQC]

Good jobs on the cantilever signal bridge you did a great job. The signal bungalow is very nice. All the signals looks great ! I wish I had them on my layout. Nice crossing signal too. You did very well! Impressive.

[@gfandwrr1]

Sure would like to see details on how you built the signals.

[@daylightdave9405]

Dan, I can't tell you how frustrated I am w/ the lack of nice signals.. I have a number but I too "Pray" for more! 🤗 David BAC V RR

[@LeeK-31]

The details look amazing, especially the upgrades to the gates and the custom bungalow. Looking forward to more.

[@brtree74]

Hiya Dan. The layout looks awesome. Looking forward to seeing more👍👍👍

[@epacm50]

I ordered some of the custom HO signals off of Ebay through China. So far, they have been pretty good.

[@gregoryamer]

Nice work.

[@joedelusso1415]

Dan you're are going have to scratch build alot of the modern stuff that you want for your layout,you can look around but to save yourself frustration your better off scratch building since your prototype modeling a specific area,Excellent job on those signal bridges too...

[@sdrailproductions]

@17:29 that looks pretty cool and love the progress

[@randysrockandrollrailroad8207]

Great job on all them signals, love the crossing gates 😊

[@MosriteCharlie]

For trackside structures check out Hobbylinc. Walthers used to carry some by Alexander Scale Models.

[@donnieshaffer8807]

It was very interesting to hear that you were modeling the "Iron Triangle" area of Fostoria, OH because I view a channel called Railstream on Roku and the "Iron Triangle" of Fostoria, OH is one of the free live camera locations. I can view FOSTORIA, OHIO - EAST and FOSTORIA, OHIO - PTZ. Of all the free live camera locations, this is one that proves most active.

[@BattleshipOrion]

I went to Fostoria for a train show, plan on going this year it aint the much of a trip for me as I live in Auglaize county, I might hit up Deshler too. Also for the hobby gripe, I feel ya. Cant find a damn thing modern anywhere for a good price because "everyone" likes to model the past I need MoW equipment, signals, and buildings, not the SP Tank Train, it's to the point that I put a modern GEVO up against Frontrunners, with PRR trailers.

[@sdrailproductions]

Otter Vally Railroad has several BLMA signals & hopefully you see this!!!

[@SFCRambo60]

Hey Dan, I want to share a idea that I really enjoy. I bought a rechargeable toothbrush with 2 heads, so I pulled all the bristles out of the heads and took 2 sided tape and put sandpaper on the tape than cut it out for what i might need. So one was oval and the other is triangular and I turned the rechargeable toothbrush into an orbital sander. Hope it helps you out.

[@OhioCentralModeler]

The selection of vintage signals isn't that great if you care about accuracy though. My planned layout will be relatively modern but using largely old B&O CPLs and Pennsy PLs that haven't be replaced yet, but nobody sells B&O or Pennsy dwarf signals at all, and good luck getting any fancy marker lights on a commercial B&O signal...

[@markmccummins8049]

Jacob: sad indeed. There was a company that was making vintage signals in O & HO; even planned S scale. He sold off all stock & went out of business. And he had every variation of PRR PL & B&O CPL signals. So sad.

[@SFCRambo60]

Really nice signals, it sure takes a lot of patience. I work with N scale.

[@silverman785]

Outstanding Dan. I’m with you on the frustration with signals. Atlas bought out BLMA and they have not reproduced their stuff . It sucks

[@KingTrump2024]

Haven't seen much from the BLMA line since the buy out.

[@neooooo6127]

its fking impossible to find modern nscale signals and gates since nj international stopped making their stuff

[@sidewaysonhighways]

The model railroading hobby primarily caters to the old timers whom love the vintage eras. Granted I have my respect for them too; Art Deco and mission style of the southwest. Either the model train industry easily forgets about the younger generations or thinks we’re all playing “Candy Crush” on our phones. You can only try to get their attention to produce the modern stuff. Sadly, I think it would take popular demand by the modeling community to get modern stuff back on the shelves for longer than a limited run, which is a super slimy way to treat your customers by frustrating them and drive prices through the roof. My local hobby store is making it worse, by not putting in their pre-orders when new products were announced, so the customer would have to try their own luck after the fact. They used to be a great store in the 90’s and early 2000’s when they had their stock out, and were a participating Walthers dealer. They have since moved closer to me, but you can’t go in and browse anymore. You have to order online or do curbside, if you spend $50 or more. That business model says “under new management by owner’s son” all over it. Anyway. I have been turning to some stuff sparingly from the German brands for modern influence. Their prices are still high, but at least they try.

[@25mfd]

i still have railroad model craftsman books from the 80s with eric broomans utah belt articles... that dude was kitbashing SD40-2s LONG before the first one was commercially available... he did the same thing making IPD boxcars from old 40ft athearn kits... fast forward to today and i would think there would be a very SMALL need for any kitbashing if any but not true... if those companies can make ROTATING BEARING CAPS for railcars then they can certainly make more modern structures, i'm just wondering what's taking them so long

[@sidewaysonhighways]

@@25mfd I guess they assume the hobby is dying along with its target audience, and that is not true. I don’t mind some kit bashing and a little scratch building here and there to prototype something or custom building, but like Dan said, we shouldn’t need to do it to acquire common, modern items such as crossing signals and trackside buildings which have evolved over the past 70 years. They can’t speak for everyone. I’m Hispanic. Why would I want to date back to the 50’s? Didn’t these guys see “West Side Story?” I mostly see the limited supply issue with locos and rolling stock. Not usually a super hard time finding structures.

[@BattleshipOrion]

Yeah I agree, limited run equipment is a pain. I like my older stuff, but not every one is modeling the Chessie or Super Chief.

[@sailormatlac9114]

I politely disagree with that negative outlook on this hobby. To be honest, it's not what I witness since a decade. The old timers are mostly a thing of the past and if you look a new products, most of them now cater toward more modern prototypes and younger audience. Certainly they make a few steamers, but it no longer has traction on the market except a very few classic models. A few years ago, Rapido announced a bunch of classic Canadian steamers. People were always telling them the market didn't cater to that incredible untapped demand. Except for a very few famous models, they had to cancel a bunch of stuff they were absolutely certain would sell like hot cakes and pre-order significantly underperformed while their modern products went sold out. While people like to complain about the video game generation, it only applies to the same bunch of people without passion and hobbies that wasted their entire life watching TV, listening to radio or reading gossip magazines. I know a lot of people in their twenties and early thirties modelling a lot and having a keen interest in developing their skills. Dan is a good example of that trend. If you look at the most interesting newer layouts on internet, most of them are from younger people, often it's their first serious attempt and they strike homerun that most "older true modelers" were never able to do. Back in the 1990s, the LHS owner complained the hobby was dead and I took his work for truth... the reality was that HE was dying, not the hobby. He never cared to develop a new audience and other people took his place. So no, I don't believe in that "the hobby is dying because of phones and computer". If it was the case, most manufacturers would waste their time churning out new models with amazing details because, at this moment, the market would be drastically shrinking and could handle that. I've been told my hobby of collecting vinyl records was dead, it wasn't. I've been told miniature figure painting was dead back in the early 2000s, it isn't. In fact, it has never been more popular. I've came to understand the "hobby is dying" rhetoric is basically aging people staying in their own bubble, no longer aware others are following them and simply projecting their own death on the hobby. And if you want to save the hobby, constantly remind people it's dying isn't the best selling pitch in town. Nobody wants to associate with dying fads and funerals. Funnily enough, some people ask me about layout design advices from time to time... Most are aged between 25 to 45yo and want layouts set in the late 1980s to the mid-2000s.

[@sidewaysonhighways]

@@sailormatlac9114 i respectfully believe you misunderstood my comment? I never said that the hobby was dying and all the youths are gamers. I was saying that I was under the impression that manufacturers believed those things. I have seen youths in model railroad clubs at the train shows, sometimes selling stock. I have seen them in the Walthers catalog in the competitions with their layouts and dioramas. I see a lot of them online, like Dan, whom have very keen skills and abilities to pull out some very impressive work. Not everyone has the time and patience for it. I’m 38, and enjoy getting into the model trains; mood and life permitting. On and off I have been into it for 31 years. It’s my longest lived hobby. I know the old timers aren’t killing the hobby. They brought a lot of joy and influence to the younger generations by building those public layouts that are so awe inspiring that they ask their parents to take them to a model train store to look at train sets and start their own little journey. My fist set was the Rugged Mountain RailRoad. I still have all the cars and rolling stock. It’s great for all ages after 8.

[@MITracks]

Theres several 3d printing services out there now. You would still have to assemble the components but may be something to try.

[@MITracks]

Checkout shapeways

[@neooooo6127]

my dad does 3d printing for our layout, since his business is 85% 3d printing, and since he knows 3d softwares, it turns out just as good as kits maybe better

[@205004gs]

Awesome 👏

[@railfanryan8547]

Funny I’m on my way back from fostoria great video

[@NicholassTrainChannel]

Hi Dan just found your channel those signals really do look the part on your layout so do the crossings as well i have seen a few of your weathering videos as i will be weathering my models soon. hope to see more. subbed.- Nicholas.

[@ronduz1281]

Looking real good

[@chatanugadotorg]

Looking good!

[@thecanadianrailfan9321]

Looking good

[@MITracks]

It’s actually quite common now to see three light heads with only two lights used. Theory is its cheaper to buy a bunch of three light signals and just not use the third one instead of ordering three and two light.

[@darnellhamlin3917]

Hobby lobby has a few signals in stocks, they are WALTHERS kits. Seen them last weekend..hope you get some before their sold out and resold on ebay

[@503railfan]

The layout's looking real nice!

[@richardcolemanjr3749]

I believe there is a video of a modeler using a 3 mode light switch for his signals. Can't remember who it was though.

[@epacm50]

You've mentioned Fostoria! That is my favorite railfan spot in the world. Did Conrail own one of the lines up there prior to 1999?

[@shawiniganterminal7061]

Showcase Miniatures did some modern stuff.

[@Prostyle0079]

Sweet!!!

[@FKHTrump2024]

Looks good! Are you going to put leds in them down the road?

[@DansRailroad2011]

I won't with these, I would have to see what came out on the market to easily convert for operation.

[@needs2quit1atgmail87]

Sweet

[@tomstarcevich1147]

Maybe you should make these modern signals and crossing signals and sell them👍🚂🚃🚃🚃😊

[@carstrainsandcrossings8639]

Were you able to save the maroon and blue HCLX engine

[@DansRailroad2011]

It's currently in lease with the WSOR so the plans got shelved for now.

[@carstrainsandcrossings8639]

@@DansRailroad2011 that’s good so it’s still out and running

[@MosriteCharlie]

Operating crossbucks see AZATRAX they carry NJ International (might be out of stock at the moment)

[@FKHTrump2024]

There was a guy from Tiffin Ohio that used to make all types of signals from scratch and sell on eBay but I have not seen any of his work in a few years I don’t know what happened to him or if he just quit making them. If anybody knows please let me know

[@michaelstone9160]

I don’t have a 3d printer and looking to build signal bridge can you do them for me based of pictures I can send you. Thanks

[@lestatdelc]

It is bad for you that you are forced to scratch-build a lot of this stuff, but great for us because we get videos about your scratch-builds.

[@AbelG8781]

The most disappointing part of the model railroad hobby at the moment, in my opinion, the lack of modern crossing signals in N, HO and O scale. Hate to say it but the NJ models are pretty ugly with those ugly oversize LED's sticking out. So far Tomar is my favorite but they are older model signals. Hope we see modern signals in the future!

[@ianisaacs2340]

I was so pissed about BLMA discontinuing their yard office 🤬

[@tas7997]

I think Atlas bought out BLMA.