Installing Point Lever

With track works progressing in a steady pace, I took the time to finish, paint and install the first point lever on my little layout. The lever has been tested and 'greased' with a little graphite powder to provide a faultless service. The lever's direction marker is working and gives a clear indication to loco drivers which way the point is set. 

The point lever mounted on its lengthened sleeper with direction marker.

The point lever is assembled from a Feld-, Garten- und Grossbahn whitemetal kit in 1/22,5 scale. The lever was assembled back in October and has been resting in a box until I couldn't resist painting and installing it any longer.

The lever was painted Humbrol enamel 153 'Insignia Red', while the white parts were painted with Vallejo 70837 'Pale Sand'. During painting I took care not to clog up the moving parts to allow a trouble free operation. The 4 bolts fixing the lever to the sleeper were painted rust and the point lever given a wash of heavily diluted rawt umber oil paint. The moving parts were given a dose of graphite powder. Mainly to 'grease' the parts, but it works as weathering too - looking like oil residue.

The assembled point lever being painted. The parts of another lever are being painted as the brush was out and the lid was off the paint tinlet.

The lever is mounted on a lengthened sleeper with an added piece of timber to provide a safe foundation and connected to the turnout with a bent nickle silver wire. The wire was blackened with Ballistol and is only fitted temporarily as a more prototypically solution is called for. I used thick AC-glue to fix the lever firmly to its sleeper.

Almost the only fixed item on the layout beside the track, the point lever will hopefully be followed by other items in the coming months.

Nystrup Gravel's second turnout has recently been fixed in place and connected to the track layout, so the next lever is needed. Track building is continuing, but will soon have to pause until a new supply of rails arrive.