To conquer thy loft.

[MisterBeasley]

The Atlas Chord Bridge is 18 inches long, and quite reasonable in price.  You could string 2 or 3 of them together and sit them on a 2x4 for stiffness.  This would look pretty neat, and best of all, there's no way a train could derail and fall off the side because it's protected by the bridge structure.  They are single-track, though.

[rrebell]

Personaly I would use cv bridges linked together, they are fairly cheap at swap meets and have detail you'd like later in life.

[tomikawaTT]

How long is your bridge span?

If not absolutely preposterous, you might consider laying your double track inside a length of (nominal) six inch steel stud, which will give adequate strength, stiffness and built-in guardrails (which should be padded with duct tape to protect car sides in case of a derailment.)  I've installed a couple of long stretches of hidden single track in narrower section studs, and have no problem with long (five foot maximum, so far) spans.

Nothing fancy about my trackwork - just plain-Jane Atlas code 100 flex glued in place with latex caulk.

Good luck on your bridge building.

Chuck

[S&G Rute of the Silver River]

Personally (and working in the steel indrestry dosen't hirt) I'd form supersized rail out of mild steel and use axles with the tallest flanges I could find. That cuppled with alumim C channel and protective fom along the edges to protect the trains should ither help prevent deralments or catch them before they fall a story! Good luck and man wish I had your payment type, I'd have half my house filled with trains(not hard when you live in an ex loggers home from 1900.)

[Anonymous]

    Easy.  Lay the track before I lay the bridge.  I figure I'll put all of the track on the piece of wood, and then lay the bridge.

    I might end up making the section a removable section just incase any problems with track appears.

[trainfreek92]

So how are you going to reach it to lay track? Any one have a clue?

[Anonymous]

    I understand that, but I plan to be going to college locally, so I'll still be living with my parents for atleast the next 8 years.  My dad makes loads of money so it's not going to be a financial problem either.  I'm just *hoping* I can get started by the end of the year.

    As for a bridge, I don't think it's going to be a bridge so much, maybe just a piece of wood layed accross.  Maybe a metal truss.

[ericboone]

Given your age, I would definitely keep in mind that you may not live in that location very many more years and make your layout design portable, modular, and not as big as the room you have.  You may not be able to afford to or have the time to complete such a large layout in the short time you have left.  Also, the first place you live on your own will likely be an apartment that will not have room for such a large layout.  Of course I don't know your specifics, but this is just something to keep in mind.

[MisterBeasley]

Sounds like a great place to put a really dramatic bridge model.  Have you given any thought to what kind of bridge you're going to put there?  Gee, you could scenic the walls of the stairwell, and have an immense canyon under the bridge.

[Anonymous]

    I could measure it, but I'm just going to go ahead and assume it's about 20 feet.  Sounds fair enough.

    I'm 16, at the moment.  My mother has her own house (Divorced), and my sister moved out to go to school so I have basically the whole house to myself, as my dad has his enourmous garage outside.

    Guardrails are a must.  I mean, there is a slight chance of anything bad happening, but I'd rather not risk it. 

[ericboone]

You look pretty young in your avatar and your bedroom is in a loft area, so I assume you still live with your parents.  Boy, I would have loved to have that kind of space at your age.

As other have stated, definely use some form of guardrail or possibly enclose your bridge with clear plexiglass to prevent falling trains.

To others, the ceiling isn't twenty feet.  This bridge just goes over an open stairway.  Imagine the first floor has ten foot ceilings.  Add another two feet of trusses for the second floor plus a layout that is four feet off the ground and you've got 16 feet.  That's pretty close to the rounded twenty foot drop mentioned.

[Driline]

It sounds like a really great place to have a layout. Send us some pics soon!

[trainfreek92]

You have a 20 foot high ceiling? Your going to have to rent a fork lift to lay track!

[edkowal]

    Right now my layout is to be built in a rather large loft (2 rooms, 20x20 each, seperate by a gap where the stairs are).  I wanted to be able to have a staging yard, but I couldn't fit it inside the first room, so I took the high road.  There is to be a bridge going over the two rooms, into the other room (my bedroom actually), and the staging yard shall be there.  It's going to be duel tracks going over the bridge, so I can send trains out and bring them in at the same time.  It's a 20 foot fall to the floor though =)

Some guys have all the luck. I had to tear mine down last weekend for space reasons.

Gee, I didn't know Forums _had_ Presidents!!??

Sorry about this past weekend for any reason, but for this one also.

-Ed

[RR Redneck]

    Right now my layout is to be built in a rather large loft (2 rooms, 20x20 each, seperate by a gap where the stairs are).  I wanted to be able to have a staging yard, but I couldn't fit it inside the first room, so I took the high road.  There is to be a bridge going over the two rooms, into the other room (my bedroom actually), and the staging yard shall be there.  It's going to be duel tracks going over the bridge, so I can send trains out and bring them in at the same time.  It's a 20 foot fall to the floor though =)

Some guys have all the luck. I had to tear mine down last weekend for space reasons.

[Texas Zepher]

It's a 20 foot fall to the floor.

Sounds like an argument for guard rails.

[Driline]

    Right now my layout is to be built in a rather large loft (2 rooms, 20x20 each, seperate by a gap where the stairs are).  I wanted to be able to have a staging yard, but I couldn't fit it inside the first room, so I took the high road.  There is to be a bridge going over the two rooms, into the other room (my bedroom actually), and the staging yard shall be there.  It's going to be duel tracks going over the bridge, so I can send trains out and bring them in at the same time.  It's a 20 foot fall to the floor though =)

 

Hey Man...what are you staring at?

[Anonymous]

    Right now my layout is to be built in a rather large loft (2 rooms, 20x20 each, seperate by a gap where the stairs are).  I wanted to be able to have a staging yard, but I couldn't fit it inside the first room, so I took the high road.  There is to be a bridge going over the two rooms, into the other room (my bedroom actually), and the staging yard shall be there.  It's going to be duel tracks going over the bridge, so I can send trains out and bring them in at the same time.  It's a 20 foot fall to the floor though =)