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I am building a very small 2x4 test layout with a car float operation. Sylvan Scale models offers a harbor tug and a car float in N-scale. I have built them both and they turned out very nice. The tug boat is a difficult kit to build, but it came out very nice in th end after some hair pulling and cussing. I'd like to build another now that I know the secrets to building it. The float will hold a total of 8 50' cars on two tracks and is very simple to build. However, most pictures of floats I have seen show them to have 3 or 4 tracks. It wouldn't be difficult to scratch build one out of thin plywood and plastic. The last two issues of Model Railing Planning have had articles on car float operations. Additionally, there are various websites devoted to car float operations which have a great deal of pictures. Walthers also published a book about New York city area car float operations a few years ago when they released their HO scale car float. As for the float bridges etc, these appear to have come in all shapes and sizes. Some of the pictures I have seen show the gantries as huge structures spanning the bridge(s) with a system of pulleys, cables and weights to raise and lower the bridge deck to the float. Others are as simple as a deck girder bridge with a counterweight type apparatus. I am imagineering a credible likeness with plastic girders, catwalks, stairs, etc based on pictures I have seen. I am simply going for a reasonable representation of a bridge lift structure. I know its been a while since the original post on this thread, but hope this helps whomever may be searching. have fun and happy modeling L
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