[T-Man]

I am looking for a picture to make a replacement for the front of this tower. Anybody have one?

 

[tjcruiser]

Marx 454, I think.

Via Google ...

http://img0.etsystatic.com/000/0/6235828/il_570xN.290490580.jpg

TJ

 

[T-Man]

It looks good TJ, a 454 Automatic BLock Signal.


Thor has the directions for it.


It appears nothing is automatic, just a fancy switch to stop a train and restart manually. That is what those days were for, anyway.

I still need a good picture.

 

[gunrunnerjohn]

How's this?

 

[tjcruiser]

I don't have Photoshop, but anyone with it would be able to skew that yellow graphic back into a true rectangle (without perspective distortion).

TJ

 

[gunrunnerjohn]

You mean like this?

 

[tjcruiser]

Bingo!

I think you're gonna make T-Man quite happy!

TJ

 

[gunrunnerjohn]

I could probably go back and get it a little brighter, I just did a quick pass to see if Paint Shop Pro was up to the task.

It might need to be re-sized to fit exactly, that would be best to do first before any other graphic processing.

 

[T-Man]

I'll give it a try.

 

[T-Man]

A basic switch.

There is room to add a delay feature and make it an automatic block.

 

[T-Man]

The metal is cleaning up well. I did not totally break it down to prep. It is just about ready to prime.

 

[T-Man]

Fast Forward

Here is the switch wiring. Black is the frame. Red to red bulb, green to green bulb.

 

[erkenbrand]

That's looking really good.

 

[gunrunnerjohn]

Cleaned up real nice, now you just have to make that decal.

 

[tjcruiser]

Looks nice, T ...

... but looks like you didn't paint the brows over the two lights? Rusty, still? Everything else is so crisp.

(Sorry for the nitpick.)

How many towers to you have? I see a second one there.

TJ

 

[T-Man]

How could I be dissappointed? You are MR. Clean.

I wanted original. They were not painted. I will try to shine them up more. I can always paint since that piece is screwed on.
I do like the contrast it adds with the ladder.
The decal bottom line is barely legible. After goop it may not be. I will work on it.

I do have two. All I did was scotchbrite and a little sanding. I was not particular with the neck part. The base was sanded well then everything was primed. The inside piece of the base with the switch was not painted.

The black looks OK but I dreaming of another color scheme. I could go green/ red for the season. I did it with a crossing signal. MMMM. That could be it.

 

[tjcruiser]

Re: the light brows ...

I wanted original. They were not painted.

Oh ... I seed that now ... originally shiny. (I thought it was all painted originally.) Got it. Thanks.

Maybe untab, Dremel buff, clearcoat, and reinstall? (Nitpick, nitpick, nitpick ... )

TJ

 

[T-Man]

The pair.

To this.

The decals lose clarity when covered. I decided to mount them on the TJ's magic magnetic card. The first test and the image on the card bled through. I will try again.

From this.

 

[tjcruiser]

T,

That red/green tower looks great! I especially like the top part, with red sandwiched between the front/back green. Fun stuff!

I'm just realizing now that these things have ladders ... cool!

Question on the green paint ... I did a 1681 loco in red/green Christmas colors a while back. I used Krylon. I have a Krylon gloss red that I've used a lot, but I could only find a Krylon satin dark green ... no gloss. I like the shade of green I used, but I wish it were glossier. What's that green paint you've used? Gloss?

(My red/green 1681 here ...)

http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?p=91975&postcount=167

Cheers,

TJ

 

[T-Man]

I looked at the can, it is Kilnz spray a hunter green. I have a few cans of dark gloss green. I thought Krylon. I am not sure were I got that can.

The best part is, all the bulbs worked. :thumbsup:

Not one was burned out.