Lights & Signals

Working lights are fitted on both stations, the sidings and engine shed areas and also along the raised high street to the rear of the layout. These come from a variety of sources including Patronics for the station lights and Eckon for the yard lights. All are powered from a 12v supply and can be switched off. Colour light signals are by Eckon and Berco and the plan is that eventually these will be driven from the computer control system. Of course, with DCC it is simple to have lights on locos and in coaches, and this is very effective.

A class 73 with a mail train at night The station and yard lights The colour light signals and an illuminated class 50

The church in the corner of the layout is fitted with stained glass windows and has an internal ligh bulb which makes these shine out. Some of the other buildings can also be fitted with internal lights and this will be done at some stage in the future. The layout has spot lights over it but by turnning these and the main loft lights out and leaving just the model lights on it is possible to achieve some interesting 'night time' photographs.

A wedding at the church A 4MT hauls a rake of vans past a Q1 on the branch

There is also a level crossing with working flashing warning lights and two lower quadrant semaphore signals (for no other reason than I like this type of signal) where the branch leaves the main station. These are from Ratio kits and are motorised using Embedded Controls servo systems driven directly from the computer outputs. These drive units are superb as the servo is programmed to even simulate the bounce of a real signal arm being pulled off.

A 9f and 4MT pass the illuminated level crossing

The servo control mechanism for the signal One of the servo controlled signals

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