K&R Custom Signals

Just saw the same email and watched the same video.  not bad for 3D printed signals.  Not the nicest ones out there, but they are priced to move, and probably look great at 6 foot.  The thing that gets me though is the times yellow.  I want the ability to tie the signals together so that if a signal is red, then the one behind it is yellow, and stays yellow until the train has moved on to the next block.  Some signals you can do that as they have leads for all the lights, but these ones look like they only have power and one sense.

Saw the same email  yesterday as well!  I have to admit, in my humble opinion, that my in house dwarf switch signals look much better than those, and you can see the lights from both sides.  Maybe I should start mass producing some of my stuff?

Anthony

We need affordable (like, less than $50.00 each) PRR position light signals.

@Arthur P. Bloom - Couldn't agree more!  I had placed one of them in my Cart, looked at it for a bit, and then replaced it with a large boxcar unit for about the same price.  I'm curious, can you post a photo of what PRR position signal you're interested in? A

@Arthur P. Bloom - I bought one of those off eBay a few months ago just so I could see how it was put together.  I found some parts of it to be extremely fragile and I also bought the hook-up board with it.  (I'm sure there are people out there who understand the instructions that come with it.) A

Anthony, it seems that a company like "Wehonest" who sells inexpensive signals on Ebay would be able to sell a ton of those if they made them. I contacted them a few months back. and they said "sorry" they don't wish to make them.  The Atlas (formerly Custom Signals) ones are nice, but too pricey for me.

I have a few of their signals and love them! Video here.

I need subway signals, anyone know where to get then?

They could probably make them.

These are okay. I think mine are better. But if you don't have a 3D printer and the time to wire and paint them then go with this.

@AlanRail posted:

These are okay. I think mine are better. But if you don't have a 3D printer and the time to wire and paint them then go with this.

I like yours 2 nice job and thanks for sharing them.

These were hard to print and difficult to remove the supports near the floor decks on my FormLabs 2 printer.

Because the print process is different with my FormLabs 3 printer less stress on the print, so the supports can be much thinner and you need less of them, I may try again on the 3.

@NYC 428 posted:

I need subway signals, anyone know where to get then?

Use HO or S signals.

PRRMP54

Which HO signals do you suggest?

@NYC 428 posted:

PRRMP54

Which HO signals do you suggest?

A club that I belonged to years ago had an elevated interurban line and we used HO two-aspect "traffic light" style signals. As to what brand they were, i have no idea but they were painted metal (brass?) and marketed into the 1970s at least. If you look to the left of the trolley, there are two mounted on the pole:

This is not the club layout that I referred to bit  friend's layout, the signals are the same, though.

Thanks!

@sinclair posted:

Just saw the same email and watched the same video.  not bad for 3D printed signals.  Not the nicest ones out there, but they are priced to move, and probably look great at 6 foot.  The thing that gets me though is the times yellow.  I want the ability to tie the signals together so that if a signal is red, then the one behind it is yellow, and stays yellow until the train has moved on to the next block.  Some signals you can do that as they have leads for all the lights, but these ones look like they only have power and one sense.

For what it's worth, the two guys who run the company are very responsive. I've watched them on a few videos and they always say that if you reach out to them, they can work with your requests.

-Ken S.

@NYC 428 posted:

PRRMP54

Which HO signals do you suggest?

You could try this guy.  He is in China and you’ll have to wait for 2 weeks or 2 months.  A number of people on the forum use him, including me.  I have found him reliable and the products of good quality.  These are his HO signals.  They aren’t well detailed but they are prewired with 3 LED’s for $2.34.

http://www.wehonest.net/index....35&product_id=93

send me a picture, put on dimensions (in decimal) I'll see if I can 3D print them for you,

Use the LEDs for the bulb heads so let me know what size LEDs you want to use.

I have a question about the #102 double searchlight signal - I understand the basic single searchlight - showing a track occupied or clear etc - similar to my old postwar signals

However - what is the exact reason / purpose for the second target signal light ? - I think it looks great and I see these on the real railroads all the time

Thanks in advance

Joe S

3428983877_c22c85da19_z.jpg (493×640) (staticflickr.com)

Perhaps this chart (first one that came up in a Google search for "railway signals") will help you understand the signals that have more than one indication on the same mast.

Seeing this post reminded me that I needed to contact K&R about a small issue I am having. I heard back from both Richard and Ken in less than an hour after 7:00pm. A lot to be said for that fast customer service.

So doing a little more homework on the double searchlight signal - seems one target light is used to show if a track is occupied or not and the second signal light is used to indicate which route is set at a switch/turnout

Any other uses for the two target light signals ?

Thanls

@dorfj2 posted:

So doing a little more homework on the double searchlight signal - seems one target light is used to show if a track is occupied or not and the second signal light is used to indicate which route is set at a switch/turnout

Any other uses for the two target light signals ?

Thanls

Were you doing homework on the model signals or real signals because that is not the way real signals work.

@dorfj2 posted:

So doing a little more homework on the double searchlight signal - seems one target light is used to show if a track is occupied or not and the second signal light is used to indicate which route is set at a switch/turnout

Any other uses for the two target light signals ?

Thanls

Generally (and this is a bit of oversimplification) the top target is for the main route and the lower target is for the diverging route.  For example, if a train approaches a passing siding and is cleared to go through on the main track, the signal will show green over red (assuming the block beyond the siding is clear).  If, however, the dispatcher wants the train to take the siding and hold for an opposing train, the two-target signal before the turnout will show red over yellow and the single target signal at the end of the siding will show red.  The reason the lower target is yellow is that the next signal will be red and the train must approach that signal at a speed prepared to stop.  Red is often used as a "placeholder" in signals, so there is a saying that "if the signal is not all red, it is not red at all"; that is, if it is not all red it is showing a less restricting indication than an absolute stop.

Looks like there is not one answer to the way the real railroads “use” signal lights

That being said is the same true in the model train world ? - Does K&R have specific way to wire their double light signals ?

Thx