TUTORIAL: Showcase Miniatures N Scale Type D Hooded Signal Build

[@scotabot7826]

Showcase Miniatures are the best, most scale signals on the market. I Love their HO line. Great Quality!!

[@ChicagoSubNScale]

They definitely are!

[@RonsTrainsNThings]

Signal came out looking fantastic, Peter. I need several of these for my layout, and these look the best of any I have seen in N scale. Great job on what I know was a fiddley build. 👍🏼👍🏼

[@peter_borcherds]

Thanks, Ron! Walter at Showcase Miniatures has given me some tips to make it a bit easier...maybe I'll share those in a later video. Definitely worth you getting a few to try out!

[@gregalanharper]

I thought this was going to be a pretty dry tutorial but, I was fascinated. It looks like a beautifully made product. I’ll have to check what the GN signals looked like in the 1960s but these would look awesome. I’d love to be able to buy extra hoods and LEDs from Showcase so you could set up signal repeaters on the layout fascia. A really well made video, Peter. All the aspects of your presentation are really professional. If Showcase don’t provide a link to your video on their social media outlets then they’re mad! 😄

[@peter_borcherds]

Thank you, Greg! I was hoping it would at least be moderately watchable 😀 The signal heads & LED’s are all available separately from Showcase. And don’t worry, Showcase have put links to this video (and an earlier build video for their searchlight signal) on the individual product pages on their website, and also a big write up in their latest newsletter.

[@CajonSub]

Awesome tutorial Peter, you make it look so easy. I’ll be definitely giving them a go. Thanks for sharing this with us. - Steve

[@peter_borcherds]

Only a pleasure, Steve! You won’t regret it! The only really tricky bit for me was the ladder, but there is a solution to that (they’re including it in their instructions)…it’s easier with two signal heads as the second platform acts as a support, but Walter has given me a tip to try

[@CajonSub]

@@peter_borcherds since I model Cajon subdivision, I may have to hold out for the big signal masts but I’ll definitely give some of these a shot for other parts of the layout.

[@peter_borcherds]

@@CajonSub there are definitely some signals like this on the Cajon Sub…so no excuse! 😀 Same on the Chicago Sub, mostly signal gantry’s and bridges, but further out they have some of these. At least you can buy the heads separately, so now just to wait for the decent bridges

[@CajonSub]

@@peter_borcherds yep, I’ll be doing some of them like this for sure. I know of a few spots with signals like this still. I think most of the triple track has the large masts. UP high line will have more of these. At some point you’ll have to show us how you wire them and program into the signal controllers. Would love to learn that part of signals too.

[@peter_borcherds]

@@CajonSub yes, I’ll show you that. I use Digitrax, but the principle is the same. When you refer to the ‘large masts’ I assume you mean the signal bridges / gantries?

[@Adam.J.Reynolds]

Looks awesome. Wish they would come out with a modern cantilever signal bridge now.

[@ChicagoSubNScale]

I’m sure they will do! Worth asking them

[@Howie2025]

Looks great. Can’t wait to see it lit up

[@ChicagoSubNScale]

Thank you! I’ve got two connected and lit up - have a look at my earlier post here. I’ll hopefully be doing a video very soon showing them as well

[@codyrapp7253]

Can I use acrylic paint for this how much is this going for and is it out yet?

[@peter_borcherds]

Yes, you can. I used Vallejo acrylic paint for this. They are out now - have a look at the links in the description

[@codyrapp7253]

@@peter_borcherds thanks

[@NSSCOTTTEAGUE]

Should have put the wires in the hole under the signal. The other way you done it looks like crap.

[@ChicagoSubNScale]

Thanks for pointing out the obvious 😀 When viewed from the aisle you don’t actually notice it, it’s only closeup you notice it. Most of my signals will be heads on gantries, so I’m not worried, but those on masts that will be next to the aisle I’ll be (trying to) putting the wires down the hole. Oh, and it’s ‘should have’ not ‘should of’ #grammarisyourfriend 😀😀

[@NSSCOTTTEAGUE]

@@ChicagoSubNScale 😅😅😅😅

[@ChicagoSubNScale]

@NSSCOTTTEAGUE, Nice layout, by the way. At least it’s NS, not that awful yellow railroad