Building VR Signals from Ratio Kits
Background
Over the years I have noted that few exhibition or home layouts display signals as part of their presentation, particularly the distinctive semaphores seen on railways in Victoria. My home layout is no exception, although I am working on it! The task of constructing Victorian Railways’ (VR) lattice post signals always seems to end up in the ‘too hard’ basket.
Until Broad Gauge Models (later Heritage Models and now San Mateo Line) produced an etched brass kit in HO scale, not a lot was on offer for the Victorian modeller. Today the situation is still much the same, although the scene is slowly changing as some manufacturers are now producing these signals.
I have always been drawn to the English OO (4 mm) scale lattice signal kits from Ratio because of their physical similarity to those seen on the VR.
Developing ways to kit-bash VR semaphore signals from these kits has been something I have been working on for years. Refinement of my method and the development of my personal skills have enabled me to produce a model that I believe is a fair and reasonable conversion of the Ratio kit to the VR lattice post signal. Having said that, I make no pretence that the models are other than a ‘near enough’ — yet credible — representation of the prototype.
If you can accept the compromises made during construction of this model and whatever deficiencies there might be in the finished appearance, this project could be for you. Perhaps you could make even more refinements to the model than I have.
Depending on the type of signal you wish to construct, the packet contains enough parts for
