Singal box levers, all scales.

The message from "Roger T." contains these words:

GEM used to do a similar set of connectable lever units, signal box style, but that was way back in the dawn of time. Some of my points have a wire-in-sleeve link between tiebar and motor - solves a great many problems when space is short.

Australian-based Modratec are to release lever frame kits for model railways with real mechanical locking which you design yourself using their downloadable software tool.

No pictures of the finished product yet, but the design software (Follow SigScribe4 link) looks good already. It has an intuitive 'signalbox' interface, and a logical visual procedure for creating an interlocking through a series of steps: Draw the track layout; Add signals to the diagram; Connect signal arms and points to levers; Select the auto-traced routes for each signal lever to create the interlocks; engage simulated interlocking to test and debug. . . It works and allows a degree of freedom to the designer, though the layout diagram drawing and numbering could be easier. If you know a little about signalling (operating or engineering, but particularly where the signals go on the layout) you should pick it up. Theres a price quote feature which sends the file to a server for a reply.

I want to build one of their kits even though I have no model railway... yet. It'd make a good 'executive toy' anyway!

Does that include 12 inches to the foot?

I think what we need is a (preferably low cost) mechanical point lever incorporating a switch for the frog suitable for use with piano wire or bowden cable type point control. For example the helical groove drum type where the lever passes over the top and the mechanism is parallel with the track, make the lever frommetal and add copper wipers to either side and you could switch frog polarity. I am currently experimenting with something similar, if it works I'llpost the plans. I have used electrical switches, I mount them on the edge of the board and once I realised they are easier to mount flat (ie on their side) araldited to a thin metal plate (screwed in place via holes in the plate) life got easier, but they canot easily be banked up inside a signal box.