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Model Railroader 1937 September
CONTENTS
A TYPICAL O GAUGE ROAD the jb&t started as tinplate, met scale at the Chicago fair, and now look
OLDEST MODEL RAILROAD Massachusetts line started in 1905; original equipment still in service
THIRD RAIL SHOES simple methods of making inconspicuous yet serviceable collectors
AN AUTOMATIC INTERLOCKING simple circuit with only 5 relays completely protects single track crossing
TWO-RAIL TIPS
THE WESTERN PACIFIC RY. San Diego layout discontinued when navy calls brass hat to east coast
BUILDING ARCH BAR TRUCKS they are outlawed on real railroads, but quite satisfactory for models.
A MODEL DYNAMOMETER CAR harry bondurants bay line in nowd equipped to measure drawbar pull
THE CANADIAN CENTRAL O gauge tinplate road will use car ferry to bridge gap in track
BUILDING A LOCOMOTIVE part 9 finishing up the superstructure detail, steam pipes, steps, etc.
Following Signal Prototypes.
THERE are probably no items on a model railroad which can be so noticeably wrong as signals. There are any number of little quirks which, to the experienced railroader, mark the difference between right and wrong and which can immediately classify you as either knowing your stuff or not knowing it.
First is the matter of semaphore blades. Advertisements, popular magazine illustrations, and even some model magazines, have blades pointing every which way from the mast. There is only one right direction. On every American steam railroad, including those with left hand running, the signal blade should extend to the right from the mast. On electric roads, but not electrified steam roads, the standard, but not quite universal, semaphore points to the left from the mast, for the reason that it is then better seen in spite of all the poles along the track.
Signal blades have several color schemes, and if your road is free lance you can pick the one which best appeals to you. But be sure it conforms to standard practice. For instance, while it looks nice, there are no signal blades painted orange with a black stripe. The nearest you can get to this is yellow with a black stripe, and this type blade can be used either for an automatic signal, pointed end, or a distant signal, fishtail end. The square end is always reserved for interlocking signals where the yellow and black color scheme is used.
Most popular color scheme for signal blades on real roads at present seems to be red and white, red blade and white stripe. This is for automatic block, interlocking, and train order signals. The few signal blades which are exclusively distant signals are painted green with red, black, or white stripes, or yellow with black stripes.
The shape of blades must be as close to scale as possible, and if, for mechanical reasons, it cannot be exactly scale, several patterns should be cut from paper until one is found that still retains the proper appearance, for signal blades look very funny to one who knows signals if they haven't the right appearance, especially around the pivot end at the spectacle casting (the holes containing colored lenses).
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