I am building a layout that will be fully signaled. My question is when should I install the signals ideally?
Before I ballast?
After I ballast?
Before scenery?
Currently track is installed in one area and I am wiring blocks and turnouts. Generally I would imagine it should be done in the same order as the prototype. This has me thinking it is before ballast but I wanted to ask those who have already done it
I installed my signals after scenicing and ballasting, no problems. I have replaced my signals several times over the last 20 years, again no problems.
The last time was two years ago after a total overhaul using three color LEDs.
Mel
My Model Railroad
http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/
Bakersfield, California
Turned 84 in July, aging is definitely not for wimps.
After I lay my track, wire it up, and fully test it, I then install the signals. Then, I ballast and only then do I “landscape” (trees, ground cover, etc.)
Rich
Thanks guys. I think I will do signals before scenery as I am excited to mess with them.
Signals generally have a very small footprint, so installing them won’t disturb the scenery much. Signal are more of a decorative element on my layout, just turnout position indicators and grade crossings. I put them on last, because I didn’t know much about detection and I did them as an add-on late in the game.
I installed the signals as I was working on the scenery. They are controlled manually.
Mike.
When to install signals??
I went ahead and wired them up to test the electronics and then removed them from the layout until most of the scenery was complete - some are still safely stored off the layout awaiting the scenery completion in the area. The signals I have are long OOP and very fragile, so I didn’t want them damaged by basic scenery work.
Here are a couple of the mock ups before they were removed for safe keeping:
Regardless of when you install them, signals are pretty cool!!!
Have fun,
Guy
What signals do you use? I looked at this same matter earlier for the N&W. It seemed cost-prohibitive at the time. Thanks!
If the question is directed at me, I am using Sunrise signals. They were a one man shop that closed some 15- 20 years ago. He made great searchlight SP signals - they cost @$20 per signal…
The owner passed away and the company closed down - I bottom fed on Ebay and local shops to get enough signals for the layout.
Guy
I have a signal bridge and a few free-standing grade crossing signals from Oregon Rail Supply, plus some crossing gates with flashers from NJ International. I have another signal bridge from when I was in middle school. There are a couple of other line signals of dubious origin.
I stumbled on a FB post a few weeks ago by a fellow in the UK about an import from China. The company is www.wehonest.net They sell on ebay at really good prices with great reviews. I ordered a couple and was very impressed. They probably could have done a better job of choosing a name but dont let that scare you off 
That Ebay seller has been around for a logn time. I’ve bought from them several times.
Mike.
I chose to install my signals after ballasting and scenery. I was more concerned with knocking them over while trying to elbow and ham-fist my way across the R-of-W when doing the scenery work.
Very easy to scrape away, after dampening an area, the scenic material to mount a base or foundation then apply a little ballast or earth around the base to blend in.
Superliner_pass by Edmund, on Flickr
PRR_9501_F3 by Edmund, on Flickr
Beeliner_1 by Edmund, on Flickr
BnO_Signal by Edmund, on Flickr
PRR_Signal bridge-alt by Edmund, on Flickr
Thank you, Ed
Very nice Ed. Who are the searchlight signal bridges by? Very interested in a couple of those!
If you are looking to make some cheap signals - sounds like you need a lot - you can check out making your own along the lines I authored in the Rail Modeller Australia magazine (www.railmodelleraustralia.com) go to downloads and check out the July and September 21 issues… hope they help and I would be interested to see how you treat them with any details etc,
Cheers from Australia
Trevor
Thank you!
The cantilevered searchlight signal is from Model Memories. I bought it at a train show many years ago. The original signal housings were rather crude so I replaced them with BLMA searchlight heads (now by Atlas) and replaced their tri-color LED with a three-color LED assembly from Evan Designs, IIRC. These have a nice true signal green color and the yellow is also a nice shade unlike what you get with a bi-color LED on AC.
LED_tri-color-1 by Edmund, on Flickr
Another Oregon bridge with BLMA heads modified with the three-color LED:
Signal_DB-west by Edmund, on Flickr
The wider PRR position light bridge is from Oregon Railway Supply as are the signal heads or “arms” as the PRR called them.
PRR_position-light by [url=https://www.flick
