Trains.com

Trestle and Trestle Bents

5721 views
26 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    March 2005
  • From: PA
  • 27 posts
Posted by Pagardener on Thursday, May 12, 2005 6:35 PM
QUOTE: Originally posted by Capt Bob Johnson

If PVC trim is anything like the siding and rain gutters, you may have an expansion - contraction problem. I can see the difference between a real hot summer day and that same evening after a rainshower cools things down. replaced PVC gutters cause they kept pulling apart from the expansion - contraction.

Siding and gutters are thin..the PVC we are using is 3/4" x 3/4" if we set it up right there should be no problem
(I hope[;)])..I will post pics when we are done
Barb







  • Member since
    July 2003
  • From: S.Easton , Mass.
  • 593 posts
Posted by smcgill on Thursday, May 12, 2005 9:37 AM
Cacole
Nice job on the tressels !
The hardest part is finding the time to just cut stock.
I cut way more than I need that way if I need some thing I have plenty.
I have one bent in pieces in a bag to use as templates.
You can use the stock for retaining walls!

Mischief

  • Member since
    January 2005
  • From: Slower Lower Delaware
  • 1,266 posts
Posted by Capt Bob Johnson on Monday, May 2, 2005 6:38 PM
If PVC trim is anything like the siding and rain gutters, you may have an expansion - contraction problem. I can see the difference between a real hot summer day and that same evening after a rainshower cools things down. replaced PVC gutters cause they kept pulling apart from the expansion - contraction.
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Monday, May 2, 2005 11:31 AM
Cacole,


I agree with Carpenter Matt, your layout is very nice. I really like some of your design and will be thinking how to incorporate some aspects into my layout. Sigh, tough being a non-handy person in a handyman's hobby <g>.

Best regards,
TJ
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Friday, April 29, 2005 7:27 PM
Cacole, Nice pictures! Enjoyed the site. Thanks for letting me visit.[:)]
  • Member since
    July 2003
  • From: Sierra Vista, Arizona
  • 13,757 posts
Posted by cacole on Friday, April 29, 2005 4:34 PM
I finally got some pictures of my bridges and trestles posted onto a Web site that I created for our local HO-scale club. You can see my endeavors at

http://members.cox.net/cacole2

From the second page, click on the "visit other layouts in the area" link.
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, April 28, 2005 1:42 PM
Pargardener,

>We are building a trestle that will be lterally 15' long and 1-2.5 feet high.

Trestles out of PVC trim is something I've not seen mentioned anywhere. Please do let us know how that works out. I've got in mind to also do a long section of my layout on trestles and have been trying to come up with a creative solution that will withstand the harsh summers in my area.

Best,

TJ
  • Member since
    March 2005
  • From: PA
  • 27 posts
Posted by Pagardener on Saturday, April 23, 2005 11:58 PM
We are building a trestle that will be lterally 15' long and 1-2.5 feet high. We found basic specs for an actual 60' high trestle on the D&RG line and sketches of how each section was built. We are making it out of PVC trim (the bent 'lumber will be 3/4" x 3/4" which is fairly close to the 12' x 12' timbers they used). Once they are built we will score and paint them to look like real weathered lumber. Big job since we will make one every 2 feet of the span plus the ends. In our area I wouldn't use wood...too many carpenter ants and bees. Thsi stuff will never rot or be bothered by insects...virtually maintenance free (thank goodness[8D]
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • From: New York
  • 214 posts
Posted by Chompers on Saturday, April 23, 2005 4:34 PM
I've Got my Bridges.

Now How would i mount them in the ground???

I have Bridge Masters Trestles and a Gardentexturse 3 foot long bridge.
The P.C.&.M.R.R SA#14
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, January 5, 2005 11:09 AM
Pat, I'm not familar with that model but Senco stands behind their product and online customer service was very good! My question got answered within the same day! Rebuild kits are also available from various tool dealers.
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, January 5, 2005 8:32 AM
Matt - Thanks for the post about the Senco SLP120 brad gun. I'm going by Home Depot in OnAlaska today so I'll stop in and take a look. After doing some surfing on the net last night I found myself being drawn to the Senco line and their 18 guage model FP25XP which takes 5/8 to 2 1/8 brads. I'll check out both models. Thanks again.

Pat
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, January 4, 2005 11:19 PM
QUOTE: Originally posted by patseale

QUOTE: Originally posted by cacole

used yellow wood glue and an air gun with 1" brad nails.


Just posted a topic under the general section asking about Brad guns then was reading through this thread and saw your post. Would you tell me what make of air gun you are using and what size brads, guage and length, you can use with it. Thanks.

Pat

Pat unless your planning on doing alot of nailing i would suggest using a inexpensive one $75.00 to $100.00 that shoots 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inch brads and make sure the readily available ones are galvinized. i myself use Senco products which can now be found at the Home Depot as well as various lenghts of pins. my gun an SLP120 retails there for I think $ 189.00 or so which is a far cry cheaper than what I paid for it!
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, January 4, 2005 10:51 AM
QUOTE: Originally posted by cacole

used yellow wood glue and an air gun with 1" brad nails.


Just posted a topic under the general section asking about Brad guns then was reading through this thread and saw your post. Would you tell me what make of air gun you are using and what size brads, guage and length, you can use with it. Thanks.

Pat
  • Member since
    July 2003
  • From: Sierra Vista, Arizona
  • 13,757 posts
Posted by cacole on Friday, December 24, 2004 8:24 PM
I made 100 one-foot tall trestle bents out of cedar fence pickets and redwood bender board purchased from Home Depot and Sutherland's. I ripped the fence pickets into square poles for the uprights, and used the redwood for the cross-bracing and top and bottom beams. I drew a pattern on a piece of plywood and used yellow wood glue and an air gun with 1" brad nails. Once all the wood was cut and coated with polyurethane, it took only about four hours to assemble all of the bents. As each bent is put into position, horizontal bracing cut out of redwood bender board strips is glued and tacked into position with the air gun, and four horizontal cedar strips are glued and tacked to the top of the poles. I photographed an old, abandoned Santa Fe trestle on Fort Huachuca to get the pattern. My trestlework looks a lot like the photo submitted by smcgill, above.
  • Member since
    July 2003
  • From: S.Easton , Mass.
  • 593 posts
Posted by smcgill on Monday, June 21, 2004 10:29 AM
Fathers day brought a 10" saw ($99)
Cut your own wood (1/2 X1/2)
With the saw you can cut almost anything yuo'll need on the layout.

Mischief

  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, June 20, 2004 7:59 PM
Errrrrr....ummmmm...I don't think so.
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, June 20, 2004 7:24 PM

Just to note, I live like 5 minutes from the guy who owns/runs Garden Texture. I think I might go to school with his daughters too... Anyway, his stuff is kinda pricy even without shipping.[;)]


If your a student with his daughter's Date one of them[:D] maybe you'll get a discount.
[:-^]
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, June 20, 2004 5:11 PM
I just finished building 2 2' tall, 1' high trestles out of screening and 1/2X3/4 pine strips. After assembly and a waterproof stain, the price came out to $5 a bridge. All materials were purchased at the Home Depot, although the 1/2x11/16 strips at lowes look slightly better (smaller) I might get the suplies for my next trestle there... hmmmm...

Spending hours on line staring at trestle pictures really helped. lol

Just to note, I live like 5 minutes from the guy who owns/runs Garden Texture. I think I might go to school with his daughters too... Anyway, his stuff is kinda pricy even without shipping.[;)]
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, June 20, 2004 4:53 AM
When we landscape for climbing roses or other climbing things we go get the red wood trellis {sp} at a home supply store and those could work.
BUT the staples would have to be taken out and replaced.
Then you would have the same cut per trellis.
Just cut it to how high you need it.
Hope this helps......
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Friday, June 18, 2004 2:39 PM
Chompers,

You might want to try Home Depot. They have redwood planting stakes in 1/2" x 1/2" and 3/4" x 3/4". A small miter saw, some brads and glue are all you'll need to get started. You can get more sophisticated as funds permit. Start with small trestles to gain experience. Good luck!
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • From: New York
  • 214 posts
Posted by Chompers on Friday, June 18, 2004 7:50 AM
Im Sorta new to garden RR's still buliding my first loop, but my track plan needs 2{ 10' by '1 to 1 1/2'} curved tressles.
I have garden textures booked marked on my page, but since i am only a young teen money comes very slowly. garden textures is still a bit too pricie for me.

I want to build my own tresssles, but i don't have a clew on what shape to build to bents. i would like a tressle like smcgill. very nice!!!!!!!!! ps. i know about gardentextures plans.
The P.C.&.M.R.R SA#14
  • Member since
    July 2003
  • From: S.Easton , Mass.
  • 593 posts
Posted by smcgill on Friday, March 5, 2004 9:36 AM


The're not that hard to build ,just rep work!
I used cedar on mine!
Hint: if you go to a fence co. thay usually have a scrap pile for free!!
Just cut it up and use some outdoor glue and nails.
I then put each bent into a bucket with presueve in it .

Mischief

  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, February 14, 2004 8:04 AM
Dean's website was great!
I never thought to look in Kalmbach book titles.
I guess I have a start.
Thanks all.
Any other thoughts welcome.
  • Member since
    October 2003
  • From: Canada
  • 36 posts
Posted by d4fal on Friday, February 13, 2004 1:21 PM
Dean's Web Site's link to trestles really was a big help. Thanks for the link. I found it helped with a few problems I have with my next project. Initially it called for a huge fill, as I did not think that I could hope to build a real rail trestle that could easily be over 100 feet long and up to thirty feet high. I'll have to check this out some more. I might be building myself a trestle. Hope it turns out nice enough to show pictures here.
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Friday, February 6, 2004 11:38 AM
You might want to try www.4largescale.com and click Dean's web page go to How To and scroll down to denver and rio grande trestle. I hope this is of help
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, February 4, 2004 12:15 AM
Try www.gardentexture.com. You can buy plans and/or plans and parts
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Trestle and Trestle Bents
Posted by Anonymous on Friday, January 30, 2004 8:13 AM
I am looking for basic plans for a trestle and the bents. I know I have seen them around but don't have a clue anymore. I thought a supplier of western red cedar had them on their web site but they are not there. Can anyone give me suggestions?


thanks

Search the Community

FREE EMAIL NEWSLETTER

Get the Garden Railways newsletter delivered to your inbox twice a month

By signing up you may also receive occasional reader surveys and special offers from Garden Railways magazine. Please view our privacy policy