Bridge abutments

[engineAL]

Where do you get bridge abutments? Do you scratch build them yourselves or do you recommend a certain one? Thank you!

[mlehman]

In N, using balsa or basswood painted to look like concrete will work for those. If you want stone or brick, probably a lot easier to use storebought.

[gandydancer19]

 

Usually the size of the abutment depends on how high the bridge is from the land under it.

Most of the time it is more economical to build your own because it can be a challenge to buy one the right size the first time, unless you can go to a hobby shop and look at them. I usually use wood. If I want to simulate stone or brick, I cover it with some embossed sheet material.

[cowman]

Go to the Connecticut Valley Model RR groups site, www.cvrr.railfan.net/cvmrr and click on Crawford Notch Layout.  The piers you see are made from insulation board (pink/blue) and scribed with a ballpoint pen, then painted.

I have seen this layout at their shows and they look good.  Can make any size needed.  Also can cut the foam smoothly and paint to look like concrete.

Have fun,

Richard 

[selector]

I have made them out of extruded foam covered with acrylic paint mixed with a bit of plaster of Paris to give them a toothy look.  I did a relatively poor job, but convinced myself that it is a very worthy idea.  It just needs better skills than I had at the time.

Last summer I build my outdoors diorama and used leftover sheet styrene from kits to fashion abutments.    I think they turned out okay for a first effort.

Crandell

[willy6]

I got some from Chooch Enterprises (HO scale). They are a little pricey and weren't high enough "as is" for train traffic but good for automobile traffic. I had to build a foundation of sort for them when i put bridges over train traffic for enough clearance.I also had to shim my bridge shoes so the bridge track was high enough to clear the top of the abutment.

[tomikawaTT]

Due to having a plethora of bridges, and modeling a non-American prototype, I scratchbuild almost everything having to do with elevated structures.

The basic abutment can be a chunk of wood or even a piece of steel stud (my layout has steel stud benchwork.)  Stonework, both carefully fitted and rough, can be carved in linoleum with gouges and then painted.  Concrete can be simulated by using anything with a smooth, non-grainy surface and some appropriately-pigmented paint.  Thick paint laid on horizontally can even simulate the effect of concrete poured into forms with horizontal boards.

Piers are made the same way as abutments, except that all sides have to be detailed.

Expecting to find ready-made abutments and piers that would even be within reaching range (or sniper rifle range) of my requirements would be the impossible dream - so I never bothered to look.

Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - inexpensively)

[engineAL]

Thanks for the info. Does anyone use plaster castings for bridge abutments?

[Boise Nampa & Owyhee]

Woodland Scenics has a line of hydrocal wall castings that can be used for a LOT of stuff.

They come in random stone, cut stone and I think a brick.  Usually in a three pack   ?

I made a mold from it and cast a bunch of' 'em later.  I don't recall seeing a copyright mark......

I cut them to shape with a fine tooth band saw and it works really well.

The dust gets everywhere.

see ya

Bob

[tomikawaTT]

Boise Nampa & Owyhee

Woodland Scenics has a line of hydrocal wall castings that can be used for a LOT of stuff.

They come in random stone, cut stone and I think a brick.  Usually in a three pack   ?

I made a mold from it and cast a bunch of' 'em later.  I don't recall seeing a copyright mark......

I cut them to shape with a fine tooth band saw and it works really well.

The dust gets everywhere.

see ya

Bob

This is where a shop-vac, a crevice tool and some inventiveness with duct tape pays BIG dividends.  If you suck it up at the source, it doesn't have a chance to get much of anywhere.

If you cut plywood or foam with a saber saw it's a good idea to have that crevice tool in the other hand...

Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)

[doctorwayne]

WWtrain

....Does anyone use plaster castings for bridge abutments?

Sure.  I make simple moulds from .060" sheet styrene, then fill them with Durabond 90 patching plaster.  The moulds are built upside-down, as the top of the pier or abutment needs to suit the bridge which will be placed upon it.  The mould is then filled to the appropriate height.  If you make the mould deep enough, it can be used to create piers and abutments of different heights - useful when you're using a standard style of bridge over different depths of terrain.  Here are some photos:

This one was used to make the piers shown in the background:

This one was used to make the abutment in the background.  Once it was in place, the forms for the wings were blocked in place, then the plaster poured in behind them:

This mould has a skewed triangular cross-section, roughly mirroring the cliffside where it was to be placed.  Once the plaster set, but before it was fully-hardened, I removed it from the mould and used a utility knife to carve the rear face to match the terrain.  A little fresh plaster was spread onto the back of the carved abutment, then it was squished into place:

Here's the same area as viewed from the layout:

Wayne

[CSXDixieLine]

Wow timing is everything. I have not been on the MR forums in quite a while but came on today searching for information on casting plaster bridge piers and abutments and I find this gem of a post by doctorwayne showing me the way. These pictures are exactly what I was looking for--thanks for posting! I do have one question regarding the board lines on the casting for the piers--did you scribe those or use some type of textured sheet? I realize either would work; just wondering how you did yours. Again- thanks for the help in this timely post. Jamie

[doctorwayne]

Jamie, the form-board texture was done with X-Acto #11 and #17 blades, but is not that noticeable on the castings.  I haven't got around to weathering any of them, yet, and that may help to bring out the detail.  In fact, if I find time in the next few days, I'll see what can be done in that regard, and will post some photos here.

Wayne

[doctorwayne]

I removed the bridges and added some weathering, using pastels applied with a brush.  While I'm not overly pleased with the results of that job, it did help to accentuate the board detail.  These first two bridges will eventually be surrounded by trees, so most of the weathering won't be too noticeable:

I also applied some pastels to the footings of the towers on the taller bridge.  They're simply squares of .060" sheet styrene, cemented together with lacquer thinner, then filed to shape. 

This bridge was also lifted-out to add some weathering:

Wayne

[engineAL]

Thanks for the pictures. Your castings look really great!

[doctorwayne]

Thanks for your kind assessment of them, Jamie.   They're kinda growin' on me, the more that I look at them.

Wayne

[wickman]

Great post Wayne.

[Kyle]

Great job Wayne!!!  That looks awesome.  The plaster turns out well, and the weathering job is good.  

Has any one here used actual concrete?  There was an article in MRR awhile ago about making a loading dock out of real concrete.  I would think that using the concrete would make the piers and abutments look more realistic.

 

[wickman]

Wayne can you tell be what dimensions you would use for the styrene mold for the base, top  and  the step? Im HO ,  thinking you are as well.

Thanks

[ACY Tom]

Concrete has a coarse surface.  In HO scale, real concrete would be about 87.1 times as coarse as it should be.  That's why I have no interest in trying it.  However, Wayne used plaster.  I've also seen plaster used to good effect by others.

Real wood has the same problem.

[bogp40]

ACY

Concrete has a coarse surface.  In HO scale, real concrete would be about 87.1 times as coarse as it should be.  That's why I have no interest in trying it.  However, Wayne used plaster.  I've also seen plaster used to good effect by others.

Real wood has the same problem.

 

Hydrocal is my choice for this, the plaster is coarse enough, pending the mold or pouring and it can be chipped, gouged and scored. the chipping/ breaking gives a great scale cobbling for aged concrete.

Stone capping is poured. ripped Hydrocal castings cobbled to show aging

Same distressing to production WS castings also can help prior to painting/ weathering

 

[doctorwayne]

wickman

Wayne can you tell be what dimensions you would use for the styrene mold for the base, top  and  the step? Im HO ,  thinking you are as well.

Thanks

 

Lynn, the dimensions are suited to each particular bridge - I usually make the piers and abutments a little taller than required, then file or sand the bottoms until they're at the proper height.  Most of my bridges are on grades, so while the same mould can be used for each similar piece, the individual heights may vary - that's why all of the moulds are used upside-down and are at least as tall as the requirements of the highest bridge.
As for steps in piers or abutments, you'll need to measure the height of the bottom member of your particular bridge and size the mould accordingly.  Don't forget to leave room for bridge shoes if you're using them, too.

As for the moulds themselves, they're all built from .060" sheet styrene.  I buy it in 4'x8' sheets, as the same material is also useful for kitbashing and scratchbuilding structures and rolling stock.

Wayne

[wickman]

doctorwayne

 

wickman

Wayne can you tell be what dimensions you would use for the styrene mold for the base, top  and  the step? Im HO ,  thinking you are as well.

Thanks

 

 

 

 

Lynn, the dimensions are suited to each particular bridge - I usually make the piers and abutments a little taller than required, then file or sand the bottoms until they're at the proper height.  Most of my bridges are on grades, so while the same mould can be used for each similar piece, the individual heights may vary - that's why all of the moulds are used upside-down and are at least as tall as the requirements of the highest bridge.
As for steps in piers or abutments, you'll need to measure the height of the bottom member of your particular bridge and size the mould accordingly.  Don't forget to leave room for bridge shoes if you're using them, too.

As for the moulds themselves, they're all built from .060" sheet styrene.  I buy it in 4'x8' sheets, as the same material is also useful for kitbashing and scratchbuilding structures and rolling stock.

Wayne

 

Thanks Wayne.  I'll have to do some measurements then. Where would you find .060 4x8 sheets of styrene? I was lucky enough to get a rather small piece of evergreen .040 styrene from out hobby shop.

 

[doctorwayne]

For large sheets of styrene in various thicknesses, look in the Yellow Pages (Huh? ) or on-line for "plastics suppliers".   Here in southern Ontario, a 4'x8' sheet of .060" styrene is about $25.00 - and you don't need a pick-up truck to carry it home:  they'll roll it up and tape it, and it'll fit even in the front seat of a small car.

Wayne

[wickman]

doctorwayne

For large sheets of styrene in various thicknesses, look in the Yellow Pages (Huh? ) or on-line for "plastics suppliers".   Here in southern Ontario, a 4'x8' sheet of .060" styrene is about $25.00 - and you don't need a pick-up truck to carry it home:  they'll roll it up and tape it, and it'll fit even in the front seat of a small car.

Wayne

 

Thanks Wayne wouldn't you know it I was just down in southern Ontario. I did manage to stop at Curry's for plaster cloth in Whitby, which by the way if your in Markham Curry's has a clearance sale on there plaster cloth.

[cowman]

If there is not a plastic supplier in your area, try a sign shop.  My little, local sign shop will get me 4x8 sheets.  No shipping charges as long as they come with his order.

Good luck,

Richard

[Kyle]

ACY

Concrete has a coarse surface.  In HO scale, real concrete would be about 87.1 times as coarse as it should be.  That's why I have no interest in trying it.  However, Wayne used plaster.  I've also seen plaster used to good effect by others.

Real wood has the same problem.

 

Regular concrete would be to course.  In the article, it said that the concrete used was for securing bolts, and that it is a lot smoother than regular concrete (and comes in smaller amounts). I will look for the article tonight and post the name of the concrete.

[Damon]

Wayne are you pre coloring your plaster mix, or painting them after they are out of the molds?

[Kyle]

On page 48 of the October 2013 issue of Model Railroader, it describes how to  model a concrete loading dock using concrete. It was a 50-50 blend of DAP concrete patch and hydrocal that is mixed together before adding water.

This method should also work well with bridge abutments.

[HaroldA]

I needed two for a bridge that is a about 3 feet away from the edge of the layout.  I built mine out of wood blocks and then printed off concrete colored paper on my printer.  I wrapped the woodblocks in this paper and then used colored chalks to provide some weathering.  Once they were installed and scenicked, they blended in and looked quite good.