Who made these?

The ramps look similar to these that Steve PaPa Eastman recently purchased.

Here is my Bing semaphore, I think yours is also.  The base was weighted, filled with sand or something.  Mine is the non-electrified version, but otherwise all the parts look the same as yours.

The ramps are very reminiscent of Ives, and Ives did make superelevated track.  Not sure though, yours looks a little different.

Chug,

the ramps are American Flyer, and there are two different center spans that I have seen. One is primarily orange and marked for Milwaukee Road, the other is primarily yellow and has the happy American Flyer boy depicted.

The semaphore is a KBN (Karl Bub) #507/3 (according to the  1927 catalog)

There is a similar semaphore cataloged by Carette the main differences being the top cap on the pole. The Carette has a red painted cast pyramid shaped cap, where the Bub has a black painted cast round "wheel" or "doughnut" shaped piece on its side (as yours does). The Carette signals also have fence posts that are cast where the Bub have sheet metal fence posts.

Hojack,

I was wondering if your signal is marked as being Bing. Most of the Bing large semaphores I have seen have hollow bases with the GBN or BW trademark embossed on them. Also they typically have a sheet metal top cap (sort of a low stamped pyramid) and more ornate cast fence posts.

Roland

Roland, your suspicions are correct, there is no maker's mark on my semaphore. I apologise for my misplaced note of certainty; I was fairly confident because I had had it identified as Bing by two individuals I consider fairly knowledgeable.  Just shows to go you.   If chug's electrified semaphore is Bub, then it seems likely mine is a different version by the same manufacturer?

Whoever made the bridge ramps, the superelevation on a straight ramp seems very peculiar, I cannot think of a rational explanation; if they are approach ramps to a bridge section, seems like it could lead to clearance issues in the bridge?

Roland,

The posts on my signal are rolled tin and fit your description of a Bub signal as does Hojack's version. I thought that it might have been produced pre-teens or early teens. What is your best guess on the date?

My thanks to everyone who has responded so far and the speculation about the bridge ramps is still intriguing with the superelevated track.

Eric Hofberg

TCA, LCCA  

Eric,

The semaphore is shown in the 1927 catalog, but I am sure that they were made for many years before that, possibly even before 1910, unfortunately I do not have an early catalog.

Again the bridge approaches are American Flyer (ca. 1926) and the tracks are banked because Flyer banked all their track as a carryover from their clockwork line. (I have the Milwaukee Bridge and the approaches are identical)

Roland