Southern Railway/Region route discs.

How many Southern Railway modellers out there make their own route discs to add realism to their locomotives? I've just recently discovered the joys of using a hole-punch and paper to make dozens very cheaply without resorting to plasic card. Whilst the diameter is slightly over-scale, this is a quick fix, and the thinness of the paper makes it look more like etched brass. Its also easy to weather. Just a little tip I thought I'd share with you...

 

I received 48 etched brass discs from Roxey for just over 2 quid for 16. They have been painted and added to the locos and according to their shed plate have had a correct route code set.

 

Well, when you put it that way, after buying a hole punch and a wad of A4 sheets, £2 sounds good. P+P is another matter, though...

 

I like the hole-punch method as it gives flexibility. I tend to use prit-stick to attach the discs thus making it easy to remove and alter the disc setting to cater what whatever train I am running.
Agreed the standard hole punch is a bit large but I have a hole punch for my filofax which is smaller.

 

Another shake-n-bake holepunch solution for Southern ground signals. Imagine the paper disc as a clock-face. Draw a thick red line half way up, add a red dot at 12:00, a green oval diagonally orientated at 02:00, a brown dot in the centre for the rusted pivot, lightly shade with brown pencils. Finally, very carefully (with a small pair of scissors) cut curved grooves into the bottom half of the signal, curving inwards between 06:00, 08:00 and 04:00, making sure that they come to a point at 06:00. Carefully round-off the points at 06:00, 08:00 and 04:00 and attach it to a square ground signal post, and Bob's you're uncle...

 

Ive found that if u get a thin bit of corrugated card, and cut out the circle, u can stick the disc on because of the gaps between the corrugated bit and the flat white bits. Looks good. The route discs hornby supplies are ridiculous because u have to stick them on permanently.

 

Also, drilling holes in the bottom of the lamps supplied works well.

 

That's an interesting suggestion, I would not have thought of that if you'd paid me! So you can just sit them over the bracket using the gap left by the corrugated bit? How easily do they move around?

 

Yes, u just sit them over the bracket using the gap left by the corrugated bit. Oh they are perfectly suited to being moved on and off, depending on how much u do it,
they may get a bit worn, but are easily replaced and u can write route numbers on them. And if youre running a terrier or something, u can put crosses on them.

One other thing i noticed the other day, when superglue spills a bit (only a tiny bit mind) and goes all white, it doesnt look too bad, almost like ash. I havent made big marks but
it does look effective.