# Lionel Semaphore # 66



## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Please leave this in the O section as it might get more views.
( I don't see a section for Standard gauge is there one?)

I found this Standard gauge two armed Lionel Semaphore # 66.
These were made from 1915-1926.

I have the connecting operating rods for the arms, I don't have the bottom piece where the arms connect to the base. Maybe I can make something up, looks simple enough?

T man, servoguy, anyone? Ever have one of these apart?
Does anyone know of a source for the inside diagrams and hookup of the wires on how you connect them up to operate off the track?
Olsen's don't help me with their pictures.
I guess there is some kind of coil inside.
See the base, it has a piece that connects the rods down there to switch the signal arms.

I am not going to put on the O layout as it is huge, but it will look nice on my shelf. :smilie_daumenpos:
I am debating on keeping it as is or repainting it.

Any info will be appreciated. 

I found an old brass crossing sign too, going to clean that up some, debating on leaving as is as it has a nice patina to it.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

I dissected the semaphore and found that there is no coil inside.











The only thing the operating rods that activate the indicator signals do are pivot on the bottom stub that is there. You can see that the wires are only going to the light bulb sockets.
On the base the two bulb wires are hooked to one side which has an insulated washer.
The other side, I guess is just for ground.

I guess that the way it is hooked it to the track activates the arms?
I guess I will have to wait for someone who has one of these to tell me how it works.
Or maybe I will find an answer through a little more searching.










Two of the tabs were soldered in place, I am thinking from the factory?
This doesn't look like it has been apart in it's 90 plus years. (note the insulated washer on the base.)











I think I will repaint it.
The post came in an orange.
The base is black.
The ladder was a dark green.
The indicator colors speak for themselves.

Note, The top spiral piece is wood.
All I got to do is either make or get is the bottom arm hookup that pivots the connecting rods for the indicators.

The wires are toast, needs new ones.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Holy Jeez, Ed ... that thing is HUGE!

It sounds like you've seen this from Olsens? ...

http://pictures.olsenstoy.com/cd/b123/001020.pdf

Maybe the prewar O semaphore is mechanically similar? Look for #151 service info in the Greenberg's service manual.

TJ


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

A keeper ED :thumbsup: I don't have one to show.

It's a manual signal. Two levers pivot on the base and the rods do the rest. I found a picture of one at auction.

You should see the Std gage flood light, must be 2 and half feet tall.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Thanks T, I was just going to post that I thought it was a manually operating semaphore.
I have been thinking about how just the light bulbs could operate the arms. 
I thought maybe it was the way you hooked it to the tracks.
I finally realized that you had to work it by hand. hwell: 

I repainted it and rewired it put 2 new bulbs in, I am waiting for the orange paint to dry so I can reassemble it. I got to make up the arm for the posts yet.

It is big, will look nice on my shelf if it fits.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

I will throw it together tomorrow, notice the red indicators finish.

Look at the other pictures of it that I first posted, before I sanded them.
I sanded this down to bare metal and you notice that the finish compared to the green came out a little splotchy.

The camera shows it, to the naked eye you have to look close to notice it.
I wonder why the one piece does this?

I am either going to hand paint the black around the lens or try a black sharpie on them.
The green is what I had in my closet of free hand me outs from a company I deliver to, the black is too. The green is not as dark as I would like but it will do fine.
The ladder was bent a little I straightened the best I could. Dam stuff bends real easy like a soft piece of lead!

Fine enough to sit on the shelf. :thumbsup:


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Restoration-in-progress looks great, Ed! Lucky shelf!

TJ


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Tanks, 
I got to fine tune it yet the lights are a bit out of line. 
I think the ladder will need a darker green. An easy fix when I get some green paint. I think the green on the indicator will look all right, but the green on the ladder would look better in a darker shade. 
I got to make up or find the arm control yet. I seem to remember seeing something like that in my junk box. I got to look. I just have the control arm propped up now to get the red lens lit for the picture.
I forgot to paint or use a marker around the lens where it is black.

It lights now. :smilie_daumenpos:
Good enough for the shelf but it won't fit on any I have up now.
I have a small shelf somewhere in the garage I can mount.

The wear marks down by the control arm show that someone switched it a lot back in it's day. What a pain in the you know what. 
I guess that would have been a good job for a kid to do while playing trains with Dad.
That kid would be over 100 today.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

That's a big mama!


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

I thought O layouts are big.
Standard gauge layouts must have been huge!

I will have to dig out my O semaphores and take a picture of them along side of that one.

I have never seen a standard gauge layout except in pictures.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

That looks great, Ed ... nice work!

Some kid 100 years ago sure had quite the monsterous play room to house something like that!

TJ


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

The kid wouldn't need glasses to play with them, that is for sure. 
I got to repaint the ladder a darker green, I don't like it that color.


I think I will mount it on the N scale layout.


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## Patrick1544 (Apr 27, 2013)

Really Super Semaphore. Nice restoration!


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I agree about the green, alien green is not the color you need for the flag or the ladder, better to go with a darker green like hunter green.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> I agree about the green, alien green is not the color you need for the flag or the ladder, better to go with a darker green like hunter green.


I think your right. 

That was a free can of green oxide paint whatever they use that for. :dunno:

Shoots real nice and dries fast too, it almost goes on looking like a primer paint.
I will have to keep my eyes open for a darker free can of green. 

Off the can. MOTO- FINISH epoxy enamel MF-12GE Green Epoxy Enamel.
The can/paint was made for and labeled for Electrical Insulation Suppliers Inc.
Atlanta, Ga.

John ( the electrical guru ) what would a can of spray paint have to do with electric?


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

There wasn't enough electronics on the signal to comment on it.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> There wasn't enough electronics on the signal to comment on it.


A copy and paste,

John ( the electrical guru ) what would a can of spray paint have to do with electric?

It was made and packaged for an electric supply company?


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