Dapol Southern Railway semaphore signal

◆ GAUGE ‘O’ ◆ MODEL 7L-003-001 SR Home lattice post semaphore signal ◆ PRICE £62.64 ◆ AVAILABILITY Dapol stockists Web: www.dapol.co.uk

This recent addition to Dapol’s growing range of servo-operated

‘O’ gauge semaphore signals depicts a lattice post design, employed by the Southern Railway. Similar in pattern to the posts employed by the London & South Western, the upper quadrant Home semaphore arm boasts a more modern outline, and is suitable for the SR and BR periods.

Supplied fully finished and ready to install onto the layout, the base of the signal features a threaded tube and plastic nut. Once this has been secured to the baseboard, the control box is simply clipped to the base, automatically connecting the mechanical and electrical controls.

Power cables are pre-installed, which need to be connected to a suitable 9-12V DC or 14V AC source, while a toggle switch is also ready-connected for operating the semaphore arm. With the power connected, the signal’s lamp – located behind the semaphore arm – is illuminated, shining through the red or green lenses depending on the position of the signal.

Toggling the switch places the signal from ‘stop’ to ‘proceed’ and back again. Movement of the arm is nice and smooth and a simulated ‘bounce’ effect is included, when the arm is returned to the ‘stop’ position. Basically, the motor jiggles the arm back and forth for a split second, but the result is convincing enough.

The bouncing function can be isolated by flicking a slide switch on the base unit and fine-tuning of the arm’s position is also possible, to ensure it moves back to a horizontal position. Full installation and operating instructions are provided, along with drilling templates for the signal post bases.

The model itself features a moulded plastic post, finial and arm, with an etched metal ladder and safety cage. The balance weights, lamp and other details are crisply moulded and painted to a high standard. Our sample was connected to a 12V DC supply and tested repeatedly over a number of days without any problems arising. The combination of easy installation and operation, plus an authentic appearance, makes these signals a great addition to ‘O’ gauge layouts. (GD)