HO scale old-style cantilever crossing?

Model Railroader Layouts and layout building
1

I’m searching for an ho scale version of something like this

the only company I found that ever made them is called NJ International, but they’re nonexistant on the second-hand market and I couldn’t find it anywhere on their website. (the part number is NJ 1190)

2

It doesn’t look like it would be to hard to build a pair from K&S brass stock.

I built a pair of regular crossings mainly because the pricing had gone up on the ones I wanted.

#6S brass washers and K&S 5/32” tubing (sun shield) are the correct size for HO

I couldn’t even find the NJI signal heads, they were pretty easy to make. I made dozens of the heads for my signaling system.

The cost of my signals was about $4 each including the three color LEDs.

Mel

My Model Railroad
http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/

Bakersfield, California

Growing old is a bummer, aging is definitely not for wimps.

3

NJ International offered those older style flashers, they were black in color instead of silver, made of brass and used bulbs instead of LED’s. I am not sure if they ever reissued them once they switched to LED’s in all their signals. I would like to find a pair of them myself, they are not easy to come by. Silvine also imported one like that. Mike

4

Walthers Part 949-4332 looks close, otherwise it looks like you might need to make your own at this time.

I will occasionally see NJI signals pop up on eBay, but not often…

5

Build jigs to bend and cut the wire and tubing representing the ‘subassemblies’ of the cantilever head. Then get solder and flux melting in several heat ranges – start assembling with high-heat solder, then ‘silver solder’, then tin-lead, then Tix and its special flux, then if necessary indium. Use the wet paper towel and alligator-clip methods of heatsinking away from already-made joints, with the jigs holding subassemblies in position so you don’t burn your third hands…

In smaller scales you could use etched brass sheet techniques to make pieces that could be assembked with a small number of actual joints, then use paint on the heavy side to ‘round out’ the etched profile where necessary…

6

If you want “old-style” you could go this route (non-working)

https://www.showcaseminiatures.net/ho_scale/ho_scale_signals_wigwags_trackside_details/2190.html

Or:

https://www.showcaseminiatures.net/ho_scale/ho_scale_signals_wigwags_trackside_details/2311.html

Good Luck, Ed

7

Check Oregon Rail Supply. I have a couple of their signals and like them just fine. External drivers and flashers are necessary, but the signals themselves are very reasonable and should be easy to bash into the configuration you want.