Glad you found it helpful. I found building trestles to be very fun, educational and a good thinking and planing avtivity.
NP 2626 "Northern Pacific, really terrific"
Northern Pacific Railway Historical Association: http://www.nprha.org/
This was a very informative and very helpful.
Lynn
Present Layout progress
http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/11/p/290127/3372174.aspx#3372174
Thanks Richotrain!
NP2626 I've decided that I'm going to edit my earlier posts in this thread as I don't like how I came across. Having written this post in the early part of 2013 and then going back to it and re-reading it, I feel I came across as pretty immature! I guess I have that problem at times; but, shurly wish I didn't. Where I feel I got into a disagreement with someone, that had little; or, nothing to do with the subject of this thread, I will simply delete that post. This may make the thread seem to lack continuity and I apologize for this. Be that as it may from this point forward, I hope to do a better job.
I've decided that I'm going to edit my earlier posts in this thread as I don't like how I came across. Having written this post in the early part of 2013 and then going back to it and re-reading it, I feel I came across as pretty immature! I guess I have that problem at times; but, shurly wish I didn't. Where I feel I got into a disagreement with someone, that had little; or, nothing to do with the subject of this thread, I will simply delete that post. This may make the thread seem to lack continuity and I apologize for this. Be that as it may from this point forward, I hope to do a better job.
Well, there's your problem, having written it in the early part of 2013, it's back to the future.
Man, I sure wish I was following this thread when it was first written. With all of the editing and deleting, you took all of the fun out of it.
Very nice work on your project, by the way.
Rich
Alton Junction
I'm going to retire the end of December and I'm going to put continuing work on my layout on hold until after I do retire. As is the case, when starting to build a layout, the information we proceed on, is (at best) formative. As we gain experience, the little design problems we didn't see in the beginning, crop up and tend to cloud over the original idea! I started this layout in 1988 and although I had built several small layouts when a kid, that experience was not enough to carry into a large layout. Simply put: this layout works; but track problems seem to plague it.
The biggest problem is turnouts located in difficult to reach locations. Too much track in tunnels and staging with inadequate room to fiddle trains.
I don't know if I'm going to start over; or, devote a bunch of time fixing the problems.
Thanks, bigpianoguy! Shall carry-on!
I think you're doing just fine here. Your posts are an enjoyable read, the pics are great and your descriptions and suggestions are informative and pleasantly presented.
Carry on...
I am building a couple of box cars right now and have been cleaning track. I want to run a few trains around, then I will start in on scenicing the area where the trestle sits.
Thats really nice work! I think ill save this post and use your pic as a reference for when I begin work on my trestle. Thanks.
http://mwcohio.blogspot.com
"The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination."-Albert Einstein
http://gearedsteam.blogspot.com/
While some have been lollygagging on the beach, a few of us have been diligently working on our creations. My trestle contentment ended when I watched a prized Skytop repaint tip over on the curve to disassemble itself 600 scale feet below (since repaired..).
The solution was to plaster the EZ track to the roadbed, and to add protective uprights (to be re-purposed as leftover 'cranes') around the curve to avoid future mishaps...
The second pic shows the original incarnation on my first layout, as a segmented outer curve; the first shows it re-purposed into a single unit with an inside curve. I too used a template gleaned from a forum, but as I was using bamboo skewers, it was just as easy to glue them to the template, printed on cheap paper, the take it off with a sharp blade after it had cured.
Back to the topic of this thread! I don't generally do any modeling during the summer months as I have outdoor activities that occupy my free time, such as RVing, Sailing, Biking, beer drinking, etc. This summer, I did the least amount of modeling activity, I think I've done, since I was over in Germany in the U.S. ARMY! However, I plan to get back to this project by continuing the scenery process. It may take me a week or so to get back to the full swing, however, so if your interested in what I'm doing here please be patient, I will get going soon. I wanted to find this thread and bring it forward.
I'm assuming that the first page of this thread may have something to do with the high number of views and low responses. As was said before, the 'meat' of the thread is useful to those who are building a trestle. You just have to get past the false starts in the beginning of the thread.
That being said, you did a nice job on your trestle. I built mine a few years ago so didn't need the information. I'm guessing that others who haven't tried yet will find it useful.
Selector,
People assume that because I had just started posting in January, that must mean I am new to the hobby and certainly new to this forum. While I did just restart in the hobby and also posting here. I have been involved in Model Railroading heavily since 1988; but, took a hiatus from 2006 to this past January. Also, I built layouts in both S and HO when a kid back in the 50s and 60s. Also, I was involved in this forum from around 1997-8 until I took the hiatus in 2006! While on hiatus, I participated in my other hobby, which is building and flying model airplanes and was active in quite a few forums on those topics.
Some people, who have some history with a forum can start to think of themselves as sorta the owner's of that forum and new people will need to pass the muster before they will be accepted by them and "Whoa be it to someone who hasn't paid their dues"! I see this phenomena fairly regularly. They then protest that this simply does not happen. I beg to differ and would go so far as to suggest that this may be why so many lurk; but, won't post. It may even have chased some away from this hobby, which is a crying shame!
I may have ruffled some feathers with my observations. Oh well!
(I left this post intact, feeling it gives some of my history in the hobby and basic opinions on how I feel things work on internet forums. After all I do have opinions like everyone else!)
Every forum has its own 'flavour', or more rightly called its culture. Over time, due to all sorts of synergies, they tend to attract a restricted range of interests and personalities that reaches a level of harmony or dynamic equilibrium. A flow.
When a person who is not well known, or who is new, posts with how-to's, or injects a way of expressing himself that is not fully consonant with the culture, he will experience some indifference, some argument, some hostility, but sometimes outright approval and encouragement.
One of the artefacts of this forum is that it gets a lot of look-see members who virtually refuse to contribute to the discussion. I don't mean to suggest that they are hostile, just not willing to add their own thoughts, often because someone else who posts more frequently has said much the same thing. If that is so, then the more aggressive and assertive personalities are likely all that you will see. You are just as likely to get some encouragement as some discouragement.
Best to tough it out, do what makes you comfortable and what brings you pleasure. I can guarantee that you won't please everyone who views your subject matter as you present it. Don't get drawn into verbal sparring if you can help it.
Crandell
I do share your confusion over posting on going layout projects. I am putting up a ceiling train, and posted my progress. I got some encouraging comments at first. But I recently posted an update, from which my trestle pics originate, & this latest post has been completely ignored. Yet I see other, long-time posters, who have running threads about their layouts. The magazine itself posts a live video feed of its own 'latest project'. So what gives?
Thanks for the nice comments on my efforts.
Paul
Maybe this thread has run it's natural course. I have enjoyed building the trestle and it's surrounding scenic base. I also enjoyed presenting it here in the Model Railroader Forums. Writing about doing a project such as this, was as big a project, as actually building the trestle! Excepting some criticism, which I have a difficult time understanding the necessity of, the project of writing the thread was as fun as building the trestle itself! I would like to see more build threads here in the Model Railroader Forums. If you decide to do such a project, you will have my full support!
Selector, I would try to save that trestle also, nice job and I love your surrounding scenery! Bigpianoguy, great job! Isn't building stuff an enjoyable aspect of the hobby?
I like what you've done. I just just finished a trestle myself, but yours is a lot neater than mine. It IS fun, isn't it? (I had insufficient supplies to finish the cross ties under the track; a later project).
Again, this comment had nothing to do with the subject of building models and so I removed it. Stein had his opinions and I have mine.
NP2626 steinjr: NP2626: My intent in commenting on the lack of others contributing to this build thread was not to attempt to garner accolades; but to attempt to start dialog on "BUILDING" models! A monolog is perhaps not the best way to start a dialog. If you want to start a discussion, I would suggest starting by posting a question or describing some problem or challenge, and asking for opinions from others, instead of saying "here is what I did" and then post a long thread showing what you did, and only then ask for comments. Great work on your bridge, btw. Smile, Stein What!?!? Describing a building project, maybe getting some people interested in doing a building project of their own and then attempting to get people to discuss building models is the wrong way to go about it? Nope, pretty sure I'm going about this the way I want to do it! You have some other way you want to go about promoting building models, have at'r!
steinjr: NP2626: My intent in commenting on the lack of others contributing to this build thread was not to attempt to garner accolades; but to attempt to start dialog on "BUILDING" models! A monolog is perhaps not the best way to start a dialog. If you want to start a discussion, I would suggest starting by posting a question or describing some problem or challenge, and asking for opinions from others, instead of saying "here is what I did" and then post a long thread showing what you did, and only then ask for comments. Great work on your bridge, btw. Smile, Stein
NP2626: My intent in commenting on the lack of others contributing to this build thread was not to attempt to garner accolades; but to attempt to start dialog on "BUILDING" models!
My intent in commenting on the lack of others contributing to this build thread was not to attempt to garner accolades; but to attempt to start dialog on "BUILDING" models!
A monolog is perhaps not the best way to start a dialog. If you want to start a discussion, I would suggest starting by posting a question or describing some problem or challenge, and asking for opinions from others, instead of saying "here is what I did" and then post a long thread showing what you did, and only then ask for comments.
Great work on your bridge, btw.
Smile, Stein
What!?!? Describing a building project, maybe getting some people interested in doing a building project of their own and then attempting to get people to discuss building models is the wrong way to go about it? Nope, pretty sure I'm going about this the way I want to do it!
You have some other way you want to go about promoting building models, have at'r!
I have no problem whatsoever with building threads, or threads showing techniques and approaches.
But I would suggest you having a look at what M.C Fujiwara does in his build threads (e.g. http://cs.trains.com/TRCCS/forums/p/195425/2218538.aspx and http://cs.trains.com/TRCCS/forums/t/203145.aspx) for some ideas about how to communicate efficiently in a web forum.
Note that MC does not spend half his time grouching about various other things (posting pictures, how he is not getting the discussion he wants, how he suspects that people these days aren't interested in building things any more).
MC is nice with people who answer, instead of essentially communicating "I would rather only hear from others who are exactly like myself", and accepts praise gracefully, instead of rebuffing it as not being what he wanted.
MC's model wasn't done before he starts posting. He is telling us as he is going along - making it meaningful to offer comments or suggestions on the current build, as there is a chance of the suggestion being taken into account.
MC's threads has a clear goal - to show how he builds a small layout, and share his enthusiasm. He is not trying to mix that with a general discussion on say why doing Free-mo modules or small switching layouts supposedly is a far superior approach to some other style of model railroading.
But by all means, keep doing things your way, if you feel that is a better approach. I'll bow out of this thread now.
And, for whatever it may be worth to you, that really is a good looking trestle and the middle part of this thread is a nice tutorial on building a trestle.
It probably would be smart to rescue that middle part, and put it on a blog or website, so you can refer people to it later, if anyone comes along who wants to build a trestle.
Smile,Stein
steinjr NP2626: My intent in commenting on the lack of others contributing to this build thread was not to attempt to garner accolades; but to attempt to start dialog on "BUILDING" models! A monolog is perhaps not the best way to start a dialog. If you want to start a discussion, I would suggest starting by posting a question or describing some problem or challenge, and asking for opinions from others, instead of saying "here is what I did" and then post a long thread showing what you did, and only then ask for comments. Great work on your bridge, btw. Smile, Stein
The comment I made in rebuttal to Stein's opinion, wasn't about the subject of this building project and so I removed it.
Gidday, If I caused offence, my apologies, it was not my intention.
Not including yours, there is currently five other "build projects" on the front page of this section of the forum, they of course come and go depending on the OPs progress.
Stein has beaten me "to the punch" as I was going to suggest that you raise the question of "the merits or otherwise of Building Models" in the General Discussion Section.
Have fun during your summer.
Cheers, the Bear.
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
NP2626 My intent in commenting on the lack of others contributing to this build thread was not to attempt to garner accolades; but to attempt to start dialog on "BUILDING" models!
I think what you have done looks very good indeed. It would call it a success, and be very proud of it.
I will probably be building a double-deck timber bent-framed trestle in the next two or three months, about the same length as yours, but less than half the height. For me, as a transition era player, I have to have at least one timber trestle visible on a layout. I even recovered the one on my last layout intact, and will insert it into the new layout just down grade from the new one, about 80 scale yards away. It, too, will need to have the lower reaches of its timber uprights clipped in order to fit.
Here is the old one:
"Snip" I felt the first paragraph of this post was not worth keeping and removed it.
As far as finishing the scenery in the area of Deep Gulch, I am coming into my season where I am involved in other activities that take me out of the basement. So, I may not get back to it until fall.
What a superb piece of work, not to mention dedication to take all the pictures, document every step and put it all on line for those of us who have an interest in building a trestle can go for reference.
Thank you so much for all your work in every aspect. I for one will be building much the same thing and you have shown me how.
Regards
Choo Choo Willie
CDN Dennis
Modeling the HO scale something or other RR in the shadow of the Canadian Rockies Alberta, Canada