Trestles over water

[Jetrock]

Is it that much of a problem to have a short trestle over water? I suppose it depends on what time of year you are modeling, and what geography, but there is plenty of prototype excuse for short (10-20 foot tall) trestles over floodplain areas. The plywood can effectively represent the high-water mark, as floodplains tended to be pretty murky and cloudy (lots of particulate matter from sediment in the water, which is why floodplains make such great places to grow stuff) and in the high-water season the water level might only be a foot or two below the tops of the trestles.

So you could model a dry floodplain type scene under the trestles if you're modeling summer, or a lake-like expanse of water if you're modeling winter/spring.



Yolo Causeway trestle, between Woodland and West Sacramento, CA, in summer



Same causeway, in winter. In several places the Sacramento Northern's trestles went for miles, and in winter when the valley was flooded it looked like a railroad running over the ocean.

[bogp40]

Without raising the track, cut and remove the foam to the plywood (1-1/2"), if more depth is required you could cut out the ply at the river and glue 3/4" ply under, providing you have room and frame clearance. Reinforcing the framing may be nec, if you cut out to the edge of the 3/4" sheet of ply. May end up making too much work, try using the plywood base as is- modeler's license can always come into play.
If all you can manage is the 3/4" clearance, I might recommend that you use Envirotex rather than the W/S water due to the better leveling properties of the resin. the "water mark" from the creep can always be touched up w/ scenery and brushed on dull coat on wood and rock castings.
Bob K.

[Anonymous]

I'm not sure. Could I pry up the two sheets of foam and add another sheet on the bottom? That would give me another 3/4 inch, but hope that won't be necessary. I don't know the characteristics of the water and how easily it "spreads" or levels itself. If it has to be worked like plaster, then I will definitely have my work cut out for myself, but if it levels itself like water then I'll plenty of room to work with it.
Hope I haven't presented a stupid question, or stupid problem. Sure wish I could attach pics.

[bogp40]

sirgknight,
Is there any way you could increase the elevation of the track. I don't know your trackplan or elevation for the approach to the trestle. If at all possible, say 1/2-3/4", then add footings of the same in thickness at each pile/bent that sits on the plywood. this would give you 1 1/4-1 1/2" clearance instead of the 3/4" that is giving you the trouble. Soft pine can be roughed up or carved to simulate concrete or stone. Stone would be more appropriate for the era of a wood trestle. Shorter bents/piles could be placed on similar footings if you want a slight slope dropping down to the water/ply base. These can be glued directly to the foam, provided that you don't span more than a few w/o supporting to the plywood. At the start of the trestle, add abutments made of pine blocks could or should sit on the ply as well for best support. The pine blocks can be diguised or covered w/ wood tie or stone plaster castings. If the trestle is fairly short or you don't want slopes to the water, just carve out all foam right up to the abutment. The water can then be poured up to the stone of the abutment. Painting as randybc203 has mentioned, scenic the river banks with materials of your choice for the local, and you will be ready to add the water. Lately, I have been using the Woodland Scenics realistic water and water effects. This newer product works great. It is water clean-up, self leveling and doesn't tend to creap up the rocks, piles and the rest of scenery. Only pour 1/8" at a time or it will take weeks instead of hours to dry. The water effects works like a translucent latex caulk only more managable and realistic. The water effects can be applied to simulate eddies or turbulance around rocks, footings or the piles if you want a fast flowing river. If you could gain the added height the water scene could look much better and be so much easier to manage. Just a thought.
Bob K.

[Anonymous]

thanks...yes, I designed the trestles with six pilings under each bridge and the pilings rest directly on the plywood. When I said that there is very little room under the trestles, there's actually 3/4 of an inch between the main span beam and the plywood and I'm able to see under the trestles. It's not like there's no room to work with. This is my first time working with "water" and I was fairly certain that I could spread the water around the pilings and under the bridges to look ok. To be perfectly honest I didn't put much thought into the materials that I used. I searched the web for pictures of actual trestles and found a picture of one that interested me and I designed my trestles from that picture. The trestles are made completely from wood from a hobby kit sold at Walmart for about $3. All of the wood is square, is four different sizes and the design was very easy to work. Took most of the day to build the two trestles and had a lot of fun doing it. When it comes time to do the water thing I'll just have to experiment with trial and error. I'll use a "dummy" model to practice with. Thanks for all of your advice and ideas.
www.brian894x4.com/images/MtRainerRRbridge2.jpg

[randybc2003]

I don't rember what J.K. does for the Turtle Creek Central, but I would as follows:

Build and install the trestle with the pilings resting on the plywood.
Pour a thin mix of Hydrocal (plaster) for the water botom, spread it out, and sponge it flat.
Paint the "deep" area black with a hint of blue. then, change to lighter tan/earth color closer to the edge of the water/shore. Transistion to earth color, through darker shades.
Fini***he surface with Acrylic gloss Medium. - 2 to 3 coats. This will produce a "depth" to the water, and can be painted in and around the trestle piles. You can paint subltle waves, currents, etc. on the surface. A thin coat of ENVIROTEX or Woodland Scenics would probably work also, but they must have a TIGHT bottom. The Woodland Scenics has to be heated, so I don't know if I (thats ME) would use it. Try it yourself if you like.

[Big_Boy_4005]

If I understand you correctly, you have the right idea already. The trestle's pilings should rest directly on the plywood, and the plywood will be your river or lake bed. As such it would be best to paint and prep the plywood with a dark color, then secure the trestles to it, and finally apply the resin to simulate the water. The resin does not need to be very thick, and as it flows the base of the pilings will become submerged in it, making it even more secure .

By the way, a pile trestle over a seasonal stream bed would not be the most realistic. That type of feature is much more likely to have concrete abutments with some kind of steel span. The idea being to have the fewest contact points in the actual water's path, as seasonal streams can get vert violent during the rainy season. Placing a lot of contact points in the stream bed, the railroad would run the risk of washouts, or possibly log jams.

[Anonymous]

Follow Jim Kelley in the latest Model Railroader on making a river for the Turtle Creek Central. Since your trestle needs to only be 1 3/8ths inchs tall, the trestle really only needs to be a pile trestle.

Your question lacks enough information for me to be very helpfull.

[Javern]

if it were me I think I'd opt for the dry creek bed look, have tall vegetation, few rocks, etc and sorts hide the creek bed. Creeks run dry often during dry times

[Anonymous]

In my opoin you could still put water under a trestle to create a smiple water secne but not the other way around.Because when the water dryes you wouldn't be able to be in the trestle because if you did it would look like the water is holding up the trestle and that would just look dumb.

[Anonymous]

4X8 layout: cork roadbed and code 100 track on two 3/4-inch blueboard foam (total thickness 1 1/2 in). I have designed two side-by-side trestles that will span water. The trestles are 1 3/8 inches tall and, naturally, I've had to cut out the foam to fit the trestles into the rail system, but there's virtually no room between the bottom of the trestles and the plywood underlayment. With the trestles in place, will I still be able to create a water scene under the trestles? I really don't how I can do the water ahead of everything else.