# Marx Signal Tower, 454 Block SIgnal



## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

I am looking for a picture to make a replacement for the front of this tower. Anybody have one?


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Marx 454, I think.

Via Google ...

http://img0.etsystatic.com/000/0/6235828/il_570xN.290490580.jpg

TJ


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

It looks good TJ, a 454 Automatic BLock Signal.


 Thor has the directions for it.


It appears nothing is automatic, just a fancy switch to stop a train and restart manually. That is what those days were for, anyway.

I still need a good picture.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

How's this?


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

I don't have Photoshop, but anyone with it would be able to skew that yellow graphic back into a true rectangle (without perspective distortion).

TJ


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

You mean like this?


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Bingo!

I think you're gonna make T-Man quite happy!

TJ


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I could probably go back and get it a little brighter, I just did a quick pass to see if Paint Shop Pro was up to the task. 

It might need to be re-sized to fit exactly, that would be best to do first before any other graphic processing.


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

I'll give it a try.


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

*A basic switch.*





































There is room to add a delay feature and make it an automatic block.


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

The metal is cleaning up well. I did not totally break it down to prep. It is just about ready to prime.


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

*Fast Forward*










Here is the switch wiring. Black is the frame. Red to red bulb, green to green bulb.


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## erkenbrand (Dec 6, 2010)

That's looking really good.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Cleaned up real nice, now you just have to make that decal.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Looks nice, T ...

... but looks like you didn't paint the brows over the two lights? Rusty, still? Everything else is so crisp.

(Sorry for the nitpick.)

How many towers to you have? I see a second one there.

TJ


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

How could I be dissappointed? You are MR. Clean. 

I wanted original. They were not painted. I will try to shine them up more. I can always paint since that piece is screwed on.
I do like the contrast it adds with the ladder.
The decal bottom line is barely legible. After goop it may not be. I will work on it.

I do have two. All I did was scotchbrite and a little sanding. I was not particular with the neck part. The base was sanded well then everything was primed. The inside piece of the base with the switch was not painted.

The black looks OK but I dreaming of another color scheme. I could go green/ red for the season. I did it with a crossing signal. MMMM. That could be it.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Re: the light brows ...



T-Man said:


> I wanted original. They were not painted.


Oh ... I seed that now ... originally shiny. (I thought it was all painted originally.) Got it. Thanks.

Maybe untab, Dremel buff, clearcoat, and reinstall? (Nitpick, nitpick, nitpick ...  )

TJ


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

*The pair.*

To this.



















The decals lose clarity when covered. I decided to mount them on the TJ's magic magnetic card. The first test and the image on the card bled through. I will try again.

From this.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

T,

That red/green tower looks great! I especially like the top part, with red sandwiched between the front/back green. Fun stuff!

I'm just realizing now that these things have ladders ... cool!

Question on the green paint ... I did a 1681 loco in red/green Christmas colors a while back. I used Krylon. I have a Krylon gloss red that I've used a lot, but I could only find a Krylon satin dark green ... no gloss. I like the shade of green I used, but I wish it were glossier. What's that green paint you've used? Gloss?

(My red/green 1681 here ...)

http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?p=91975&postcount=167

Cheers,

TJ


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

I looked at the can, it is Kilnz spray a hunter green. I have a few cans of dark gloss green. I thought Krylon. I am not sure were I got that can.

The best part is, all the bulbs worked. :thumbsup:

Not one was burned out.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Thanks, T.


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

*The removable decal.*


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

:thumbsup::thumbsup:

(Atta' boy to John, too!)


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## erkenbrand (Dec 6, 2010)

Those are looking really good. Nice job.


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

*The Theory of it.*










The switch on the tower is hot from a powered center rail.
Turn the light red and it will. The train will stop in the block section.

Turn the switch to green and the green light turns on and power is supplied to the center rail of the isolated block to make the engine go.

This will help me on my loop. Now I can hold the engine in the block while I test another motor. Before the engine would run around the track and I had to let it pass or reverse it. My problem is solved with this tower. As sonn asI install it.


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

*Finally Installed*


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Excellent T man, Christmas colors & just in time for Christmas.:thumbsup:
The sign on it looks good too, magnetic card? Great ideal.:thumbsup:


But....do you have heavy enough wires hooked to it?


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

He uses industrial light bulbs, very high current. 

Looks great T-Man, nice work.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Looks GREAT, T! A perfect addition for the Season!

TJ


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

Thank you for the replies. 

It is amazing what you learn from such a simple accessory.

WHen I aded the block by pulling some pins, I cut power to half the track! It's fixed now.

The gage is 14 ,I have a roll of it so why not use it! The red is 18.


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