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Old 03-19-2014, 05:36 AM
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Diderick A. den Bakker Diderick A. den Bakker is offline
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Epinal semaphore (and other models)

The Imagerie d'Epinal models (see my other thread for items for sale) lend themselves excellently to rigorous scaling down. I scanned the Semaphore, Grande Construction 292, original size ca. 49x39 cm, and printed it on 20x25 cms - so one quarter the original. Building was no problem - in a simple model like this one doesn't even need the indications, which of course become difficult to read at this size. However, there is also the large computer image to refer back to when in doubt.
As followers of my remarks on vintage items know, I always like to find out a bit more about the subject. The semaphore system (at first called telegraph) was invented ca. 1795, and used to send short messages over a long distance. Remember the story in The Count of Monte Christo?! It consisted of a mast with movable arms.

For communication with ships a mast was added which could show combinations of balls, triangles and flags, so that fairly complex weather and tide warnings could be sent. There several along the Dutch coast as early as 1800. From 1860 onwards they were also built along the French coast - the postcard dates from 1905. (And yes, in those days the stamp was attached to the front of the card - in France, at least).

Of course they became obsolete with the introduction of radio and radio-telephone communication. I remember one still functioning at Hook of Holland in the 'fifties, but it has long since disappeared.

Comparing the model with the postcard shows that Epinal is sometimes impressionistic rather than accurate. The construction of the yard arm could have been better...
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Old 03-19-2014, 03:00 PM
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Diderick;
A good clean build as usual from you, Thank you for sharing it. The old optical telegraph "semaphore" systems are fascinating, and it is also very interesting to learn that one of the installations was functioning as late as the 1950s. It is amazing how long "obsolete" systems can remain in actual use after being superseded by more modern (and usually better) technology.
Yes, the Epinal models often stray from rigorous accuracy, but they are always charming and often beautiful. They are "living antiques" from another Age, and just as buildable as ever.
Thank you for the informative post.
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Old 03-19-2014, 08:44 PM
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Great find, Diderick. "Telegraph" was the reference in some of the Horatio Hornblower adventure novels of the Napoleonic Wars. I knew that the telegraph didn't get invented until the 1840s or so, so this was a point of confusion. Took a bit of research in the school library to learn that we would call them semaphores today. Whatever the name, the idea that this technology remained in use for 150 years is very impressive.
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Old 03-22-2014, 11:17 PM
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hmmm this makes me think a Discworld (by Terry Pratchet) Clacks Tower might make a good model
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Old 04-03-2014, 03:08 AM
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Diderick A. den Bakker Diderick A. den Bakker is offline
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Clacks; Epinal Tramway

Just reading the discworld novel 'Going Postal'. Taken is small doses, Terry Pratchett's inventivity and sense of humour is always fun.

In the meantime I have built another Epinal quickie, again scaled down: MC 1091, three sheets. The model of the Tramway Paris - St Germain, ca. 1889. The old postcard shows that the model gives a reasonable impression of the historical tram. The model is ca. 37cms long.
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Epinal semaphore (and other models)-mc1091-paris-stgermain.jpg   Epinal semaphore (and other models)-mc1091-paris-stgermain-b.jpg   Epinal semaphore (and other models)-tramways_de_paris_a_saint-germain_locomotive_francq.jpg  
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Old 05-02-2014, 10:42 PM
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A French semaphore tower plays a central role in "Ramage's Signal," by Dudley Pope (copyright 1980). It's #11 in the 18-book Ramage series -- naval adventure during the Napoleonic wars. Even if these Ramage books are not quite as good as the Horatio Hornblower books, they're still great fun to read -- especially for those of you who enjoy historical adventure fiction.

Y.
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Old 03-26-2015, 01:43 PM
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Diderick A. den Bakker Diderick A. den Bakker is offline
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All Epinal / vintage fans: see my new thread with that name!
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