Electronic signs

Model Railroader Prototype information for the modeler
1

When did electronic signs of this sort first come in existence?

Thanks for the help. Hopefully the animation comes through.

Tom

2

Gidday Tom, you do like to keep us educated. [swg]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XfEEAieO6k and

http://neonlibrary.com/neon_history_2.html

Cheers,the Bear.

3

Howdy, Tom,

The neon. equivalent date back to sometime before WWII. I remember them from my toddlerhood.

One of the histories I read mentioned that getting the establishments in Atlantic Coast cities to turn them off was a major headache during the early months of that war.

I also remember that the neon tubes would sometimes malfunction, resulting in one flickering letter while the rest were constantly on.

Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)

4

It’s funny you should mention that, Chuck. The sign above is from Miller Engineering. With their automated signs they offer 46 different lighting effects. 3 or 4 of those 46 have the “E” flickering. It’s a pretty cool effect.

Tom

5

I may have to duck after this one…
I feel that some of he ones I have, although they do have 46 effects, the actual flickering is almost most rare.
In my odd opinion, I really do not need many of the speed effect, -different programmed lighting scrolling effects, but would rather have more ‘not so well maintained ballast’s’ flickerring individual letters or surrounds.

I did manage to lock or hold, what I thought was the best of the flicker effects on some, but wanted more in that category.

That is just my opinion, & I do appreciate the excellent lighting & engineering that went into the products, & have quite a few for future implementations.

If they offered a reprogramming set, I would mail mine in for those changes.

After all, everyone has their own style, & what I stated is what I like, your results may vary.
(& that is good!)

Tom,
I do not know when they became popular in the real world or in HO, but I did see simple HO products around Y2K.

6

No need to duck, Chad. [:D] Most of the 46 lighting effects - for me - are either too rapid, too busy, or unrealistic. I do like (and have personally seen) the slower version of the effect in the original post though.

It would be fun to have the option of “tweaking” the Miller Engineering (ME) signs to your personal likings. My ideal would be:

  • Slow scroll of “D-I-N-E-R” at 1.5 sec. intervals (w/flickering “E”)
  • Off for 1.5 sec.
  • Full “DINER” for 3 sec. (w/flickering “E”)
  • Off for 1.5 sec.
  • Repeat

Tom

7

To really be effective, it should say — EAT

[:P]

8

Thanks for that, Tom!
I thought I was ‘on my own private island’ there…

For me the “Cafe” sign is going on a future ‘Ms. Bettie’s Diner’ & I wanted to set it as a desolate North Western 3am-ish scene where you could almost hear the static from the ballast as the light flickered in the night… -sort of scene…

Thanks for appreciating my observation & thoughts.

Again, I really enjoy the Miller Engineering signs I have, I set my “Union Station” sign to flicker the ‘By’ in ‘Travel By Train’ & am very enamored with it, & wished my other ones had that flexibility.
Perhaps I got the one that fit my tastes first, & was spoiled by it…

Thanks again!

9

I agree, Dean. For me, an “EAT” sign - ~1/4"H x 1/2"L, that fits in a window - would do just nicely. [:D]

That’s exactly where my diner sign in going, Chad. The “Cafe” sign - both the horizontal and vertical versions - is quite nice and I actually like it a bit better. However, since my diner says “diner” on the outside, I decided to go with that. Also, a diner seems more “railroad-ish” than a cafe - if that makes any sense.

LOL! I have indeed heard that very buzz from some of those old ballasts. Maybe QSI or Soundtraxx could add that as a sound function on their decoders instead of the “Al-l-l-l-l aboard”.

Tom

10

Hah, Ha, heh heh… I guess we have all been there, & can ‘recognize’ it…

Yeah, mine is more of a road side Cafe’ than a Rail Stop, as I see it, more of an enticing site, or visual & entertaining ‘layout filler’ that I could use to bridge areas of a long layout.

Or, just perhaps, I have watched too many TV shows, like the X-Files, that have that most excellent “where am I” leade-in segments staged in the beautiful Pacific NW, where anything could be in them there woods!
It’s got to be just that sensational, to have that authenticity!