Is there a liftspan, drawbridge, or swing bridge on your layout?

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Fergmiester




Looking at a picture the other day, it appears the vertical lift bridge is hoisted using a pulley and deadman. I suspect there is a rack and gear mechanism involved in the process.


Regards
Fergie

I just posted a second photo of the Bearing Cross Railroad Bridge in the raised position. I will post two links here, one in the down position and one in the up position. Now we can compare them and notice the counterweights blocking the trains path in the "raised" position.


http://naphotos.nerail.org/showpic/?2004100322100032262.jpg

http://naphotos.nerail.org/showpic/?200412051232393623.jpg

[krump]

QUOTE: Originally posted by ereynard

An image of the operating lift bridge on our club layout can be seen at:

http://www.pbase.com/haggiskennedy/image/31455939

Terrific Photo Eric - we have some more convention photos that you have no doubt seen.

[tstage]

QUOTE: Originally posted by tstage

QUOTE: Originally posted by tstage

I believe there is one or both here in Cleveland, OH - down along the Cuyahoga River, in an area known as "The Flats". I'm not sure whether or not they are still functional though.

Doesn't the Walther's Cornerstone Series have a number of bridges available?

Tom

P.S. Just got off the Walther's site. They have both a swing bridge (on sale!) and a "Bascule" (lift) bridge. (Unless you were referring to a lift bridge as one that lifts straight up but stays horizonal to the ground.) I guess the "Bascule" would be considered a draw bridge, not a lift bridge.

Update:
I drove past the Flats yesterday morning on my way to chruch and looked down and noticed that there are no fewer than THREE vertical lift bridge in a one square mile area. There actually may be more but there are so many bridges down there that it was hard to tell - and I didn't drive off the one I was crossing. [:)] If you are into bridges, downtown Pittsburgh is just full of them.

Tom

Update to the update:
On the way back from the LHS this afternoon, I decided to drive down in the Flats (along the Cuyahoga River) and counted nine...that's NINE vertical lift bridges! Of the nine, five of them were for auto (I drove over three them); the other four were RR. Only one of the nine (auto) was no longer in use. I also found two bascule bridges (no longer used) and one working swing bridge. For those of you who might have been interested...

Tom

[Anonymous]

Thanks Fergie [:)]

I am getting an education about bridges and the more I learn about them the more I would like to model one (some day [;)] ).

Here is a link about real bridges that might inspire/help others to model a bridge on their layout.

http://www.co.multnomah.or.us/dbcs/LUT/bridges/bridge_types/bridge_types_movable.shtml

[Fergmiester]

This is a website from another thread. http://www.isp.on.ca/sylvan/whatsnew.htm
Sylvan makes a line of stuff not normally manufactured by others. You could drop him a line and ask him about lift bridges and if he has plans to manfacture one. This is not out of the realm of possibility for him.

[Anonymous]

In the trains.magazine forum is a thread we call the stupid question thread. People post a question and other people who have the knowledge to answer that question do so. That forum is blessed with some railroaders who do their best to answer railroad questions. So I asked about railroad drawbridges and received some really good answers and comments. It turns out that there ARE railroad drawbridges. I hope that this does help anyone wanting to model a bridge and maybe even "temps" someone to try one. [;)]

Here is a link to the stupid question thread, page 50 where I ask the question.

http://www.trains.com/community/forum/topic.asp?page=50&TOPIC_ID=6646

[tstage]

QUOTE: Originally posted by tstage

I believe there is one or both here in Cleveland, OH - down along the Cuyahoga River, in an area known as "The Flats". I'm not sure whether or not they are still functional though.

Doesn't the Walther's Cornerstone Series have a number of bridges available?

Tom

P.S. Just got off the Walther's site. They have both a swing bridge (on sale!) and a "Bascule" (lift) bridge. (Unless you were referring to a lift bridge as one that lifts straight up but stays horizonal to the ground.) I guess the "Bascule" would be considered a draw bridge, not a lift bridge.

Update:
I drove past the Flats yesterday morning on my way to chruch and looked down and noticed that there are no fewer than THREE vertical lift bridge in a one square mile area. There actually may be more but there are so many bridges down there that it was hard to tell - and I didn't drive off the one I was crossing. [:)] If you are into bridges, downtown Pittsburgh is just full of them.

Tom

[Anonymous]

Hey guys. [:)]

I took some pics of the local railroad bridge and now can finally post them, well that is the link to them anyway. [;)]

When you see them notice how large the bridge really is compared to the railcars setting on it. [:0] It is a pretty good size bridge. (And the river is cold and deep, and only rescue divers dare go there.)

I hope you enjoy them. They were taken on a cloudy day but I think they still serve their purpose. [:)]

Also notice the "lift section", since that is an important part of the bridge in the first place, and a reason for modelers to take notice (in case they are attempting to model a lift section bridge).

http://naphotos.nerail.org/showpic/?2004100321513431191.jpg

http://naphotos.nerail.org/showpic/?2004100322100032262.jpg

Thanks for looking at them. Good luck if you are modeling a lift section bridge. [:)]

[Anonymous]

One day I'll model the Harlem River Lift Bridge in the Bronx.........
(never will happen)

[Anonymous]

I wish I had one.

Theres not even enough room for a regular bridge on my layout...

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the topic. I'm working on a kitbash model of a combined road and rail lift bridge. The prototype is in Germany. I would like more info from the Salmon Arm Model Railroad Association regarding the operation of the lift function.
Regards, Peter Jansen

[Anonymous]

An image of the operating lift bridge on our club layout can be seen at:

http://www.pbase.com/haggiskennedy/image/31455939

[AggroJones]

I could've had a liftout section in my layout near the doorway. But too much track would cross over and planning it seemed too complicated. So I went with a duckunder. Its not so bad.

[darth9x9]

We have a drawbridge-for-humans module at our displays.

[Paul W. Beverung]

OOOOPS; I forgot to mention that I have video of the Aireal bridge somwhere.

Paul

[Paul W. Beverung]

Fergie; I've been to Duluth and spent some time watching the Areal Lift bridge. It appears that the lift span is counter balanced by the weights at each end of the span. This would be to lighten the felt load for the lifting equipment. I've been thinking of a lift bridge on my 7.5 in. gauge. The extensionthat is going around the stock pond would cut off access for the cattle. A lift bridge would allow the cattle to go under the RR and get to the water. They like to stand in it on hot summer days. Wife says they have prior-right-of-way.

Paul

[Paul W. Beverung]

Momac; That's a great looking bridge. Tell us more about it. How long is it , how does it work, is it scratch built or kit? Please tell us more.

[fec153]

On RFD they did the LA Harbor and showed a verticle lift rr segment where it went over a shipping canal. I think it was double track.
Phil

[Fergmiester]

Paul: I just recently "discovered" RC Car/Truck gears. These are strong and robust and come in different sizes, shapes, plastic and metal

Looking at a picture the other day, it appears the vertical lift bridge is hoisted using a pulley and deadman. I suspect there is a rack and gear mechanism involved in the process.

Regards
Fergie

[Dayliner]

There will be a barge/ferry slip on my layout, which is, sort of, half a lift bridge. The challenge is two-fold: the height of the "opposite" end varies with the the tide, and the slope up, or down, to the barge must vary also.

[CBQ_Guy]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Fergmiester

QUOTE: Originally posted by CBQ_Guy

I'm planning to take two of the Walther's Bascule bridges and ba***hem into a double-track one.

It won't be operable, though.

I've thought about that myself. Making it operable is do-able. Why not give it a try?

I have a friend who built the straight, single track bridge and it operates. He had a heck of time because the mechanism, gears, etc. are very cheap and unreliable. He's an engineer and I believe had to buy or have some special metal gears made. It all sounded like a big pain in the butt to me.

Plus mine being double wide would probably need more torgue, whatever. It would be another element to add to the operation, the dispatcher on the layout could also be the bridge tender, and I could signal the approaches, etc. Sounds good on paper, as they say, and never say never, but I'm not holding my breath that it will happen either. We'll see...

[Fergmiester]

QUOTE: Originally posted by CBQ_Guy

I'm planning to take two of the Walther's Bascule bridges and ba***hem into a double-track one.

It won't be operable, though.

I've thought about that myself. Making it operable is do-able. Why not give it a try?

JHH: As far as vertical lift bridges go, there is a few on the Welland Canal and St Lawrence seaway. Once in a while a ship will fetch up on one[:0]

The more I look at this the more I realize how "Simple" this could actually be. It would be the perfect solution to duck unders.

[CBQ_Guy]

I'm planning to take two of the Walther's Bascule bridges and ba***hem into a double-track one.

It won't be operable, though.

[Anonymous]

We have a working lift bridge on our portable modular layout. It has been published in several other magazines (RMC and Mainline Modeler I believe) It is scratchbuilt and works extremely well. It lifts on fishing wire cables and utilizes counterweights as prototypically as we could make it. We just exhiited it at the NMRA convention in Seattle where we won Best in Show - Modules.

Eric
Salmon Arm Model railroad Association
Salmon Arm, BC, Canada

[Anonymous]

http://www.the-gauge.com/showthread.php?t=9937
Check it out!

[nslakediv]

I have the Walthers Bascule Bridge, it spans the Cuyahoga in Cleveland(The Flats). I have also built the Walthers Swing Bridge for my LHS. Put it on a 6"x24" diarama and made it operational, lasted about 3 days and was sold.

[Anonymous]

Here's a little suggestion I picked up on the Garden Railway side of the forum, wire your bridge or lift out as a seperate block 1 to 2 foot away from either side so that the block is off when the bridge is out or up. May save a few trains from there death[:0] Especially if someone who should not be operating the layout without you does so, or for the absent minded. Keep in mind that most bridges or liftouts cross a doorway or people right of way, you could be running and someone walk in and lift the bridge to come in and CRASH![:(] your favorite loco's on the floor in pieces.

[Anonymous]

I have the Walthers Bascule Drawbridge, but haven't installed it yet. I have hooked up the lift motor and raIsed and lowered the span. This type of drawbridge has a large counter weight that comes down and almost sits on the rails beside the operators shanty. I'm plannig on replacing a lift-out section that spans a doorway with this bridge

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by jhhtrainsplanes

Just this week I received the newest "little" Walters catalog (with the Pensky F unit on the cover) but have not had time to look at it. As a matter of fact, I don't even know where I have put it. [:0] [B)] [8]

Man do I have egg on my face. [B)]

It wasn't a Walters catalog, it was the Autumn issue of Historic Rail [:0]

I like the Historic Rail catalog and have ordered from it before. I have ordered from the Walters catalog too.

Sorry if I caused anyone confussion. <Confussion is my normal state of mind.> [;)]