Signalling conundrum

[Kiran]

As I plan my layout which is essentially a double track main line loop using Kato N scale Unitrack, I have been struggling to figure out how to solve the signalling problem.

Part of the problem is that I have passenger trains from Japan and the UK where signals need to be on the left side of the track as well as European and North American passenger trains where signals have to be on the right side. I want to be able to easily swap the signals around based on which region trains I am running.

I can't decide on a particular prototype and so I am most likely just going with a generic 3-aspect signal. Any recommendations? Secondly, it would be nice to have a signal that I can easily turn around to face a different direction. Are there any signals that have the post and signal head detachable from the base so that I can connect them to a different base? That way, I can have 2 bases next to each other and plug the post into the appropriate base depending on the direction of travel. I also need to be able to control these via JMRI and so I am guessing I have to use some kind of signal decoder.

 

Thanks in advance for any pointers.

[katoftw]

Just put it on the left for you UK and JP trains.

 

If you rotate signal 180 degrees. You find them if weird locations not suitable for train operations.

[cteno4]

I think you are asking for too much here kiran. Best to choose one of the standards and stick with it. Asking for the same layout to work perfectly the world around is wanting your cake and eating it too me thinks. Scenery is not going to work the world around as very different around rr with japan, uk, us, so even that will bite your. But it’s your RR so just choose what makes you happy.

 

cheers

 

jeff

[Yavianice]

Just pretend you have trains running in UK, B, Fr, I, CH, P since those all drive on the left hand side.

 

or add more signals in the opposite direction.

[Kiran]

Apparently FREMO has a sort of a solution to this which looks complicated. So I am most likely going to pretend that American and European trains have decided to drive on the left for whatever reason.

 

http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=de&tl=en&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fremo-net.eu%2Fpraxis%2Fsignale%2Fsignalschacht%2F

 

 

[Keith]

Many years ago a friend of mine put 8 pin IC sockets level with the surface of the base board and then the signal base was a header base that plugged into it with the signal above. That way he could remove them and store them safely for transport. You could do the same thing and have a dummy signal base to cover the IC socket.

 

keith

[Kiran]

On 8/22/2020 at 5:43 PM, Keith said:

Many years ago a friend of mine put 8 pin IC sockets level with the surface of the base board and then the signal base was a header base that plugged into it with the signal above. That way he could remove them and store them safely for transport. You could do the same thing and have a dummy signal base to cover the IC socket.

 

keith

I really like that idea. Does anyone know if there is a manufacturer who makes signals with detachable bases. Or more precisely, what Keith above is saying. Fix the base on the layout but take out signals for transporting? My layout is going to have scenes from all over and so a generic 3 aspect signal is fine.

[Madsing]

Tomix signals can be detached, but the base is attached to a piece of track with a sensor.

[NXCALE]

On 9/23/2020 at 2:57 PM, Kiran said:

I really like that idea. Does anyone know if there is a manufacturer who makes signals with detachable bases. Or more precisely, what Keith above is saying. Fix the base on the layout but take out signals for transporting? My layout is going to have scenes from all over and so a generic 3 aspect signal is fine.

I think you will need to fabricate your own detachable signals. It should not be too complicated after you choose the right connector.

(Working) signals are always great. Try to start with something (i.e. signalling standard) that you are most familiar with or the one you like the most or the one you have more information about. If you are planning to install several working signals, probably you will consider interlocking and then it can be a bit more time consuming. Cheers.