pile trestle bulwarks

[FJ and G]

In June 04, there was a nice pile trestle article by Andy Sperandeo in MR magazine. They still use those, you know.

That's what I've started building. However, his plans don't include the bulwark (or bulkhead?) the part of the trestle that adjoins the sides of the slope. His trestle slopes gradually and so the piles get lower without cross braces. Mine is abrupt because it's a steep canyon.

I don't want concrete bulwarks, rather, I want wood bulwarks. I believe the boards are layed horizontally and stacked but I'm having no sucess on finding a picture of good wood bulwark, since this area of the trestle is harder to photograph.

[tatans]

You are right with the bulwarks consisting of large size(usually square) lumber laid horizontally, I did see one bulwark made from used telephone poles, sometimes the wall was vertical, others were vey slightly sloped into the hill and timber was recessed like small steps. Other types were a few piles vertically with heavy lumber behind (the dirt side) and the roadbed piled against the boards at each end, sorry I have no photo.

[JohnT14808]

There are three small trestles in my area and the bulwarks are all visible and I may be able to get a photo for you this week.
However, in the current trestle I'm building from scrtach for our club layout, I'm using scale lumber ( 6" x 12") stacked on the side four to six high, with 3/16" dowels used as the outside support. The bottom most piece is the longest and the stacked lumber gets shorter as you go up from the bottom to the tracks. For our layout, we could not use a rock or concrete bulwark as this particular trestle is in a timbered logging area of the layout.
There was a good article on bridges and trestles in the December RMC that may have pictures of a bulwark that would work for you.

[FJ and G]

Thanks, guys. The current series on MR's Dashing Turtle line also shows the pile trestle without showing the bulwark. It often is hard to work from incomplete plans. I'll keep searching the web. I don't believe RMC showed it either.

[JohnT14808]

Well, I finally have the pictures, but I'm not certain if they will come out on this forum very well.
The first one is from the side and shows that extra reinforcment planks were added to this bulwark.


The second one shows another trestle bulwark and it appears that this bulwark has a full bent in front of it, buried in the ground:



I hope I get these photos displayed correctly. This is the first time I've tried to add a photo to one of my posts.

(3/7: Yup...checked the post from work and no photos. Wayne was right. I hope he gets them posted so David can see them........(Note to self....get old website back up and running.....<grin>))

[:D] 3/7 PM-- SPECIAL THANKS to muddycreek, who has graciously hosted these photos on his rr web site. Thanks, Wayne!!

[Anonymous]

JohnT14808

You're trying to link to pictures that are on your computer. The forum software will not find files on your computer. They need to be linked to images on a webhost's server. If you don't have a host where you can put them, you can email to me. I'll put them online & you can link to them on my site.

David: Here's part of a photo showing an early 20th century trestle with some pretty impressive log bulworks. Built by a logging road with a short life expectancy, they were not designed to be long-lasting. Still, it might be helpful.



(This is a detail from a photo and I don't believe its use violates copyright laws but I'm going to remove it shortly just in case.)

Wayne

[Anonymous]

Are these things called bulwarks, or bulkheads? I've always heard them called bulkheads. I know, I'm splitting hairs. However, both these terms also have nautical definitions, which is something I know a little about. On a vessel, a bulwark is the raised rail, running along the sides of the vessel and a bulkhead is a transverse (Athwartship) wall dividing a vessel's compartments. The bulkhead is a structural member in a vessel, a bulwarks strains sailors and cargo out of boarding seas and is less of a structural member of the vessel. Given the structural nature of a bulkhead in a vessel, I wonder if this name isn't more befitting what you guys are describing?

[Anonymous]

Actually, you're right. Where did we pick up bulworks? Bulkhead is the term I've heard associated with bridges, the retaining walls forming the end supports of the span.

If you come across a copy of Bridges & Buildings for Model Railroads (Kalmbach, 1979) there is a short span bridge with wooden retaining walls such as David describes. I definitely won't post that photo here, though.

Wayne

[FJ and G]

thanks, guys.

Bulkhead is term we used in the Marines for what civilians call "wall" so that sounds right. I just didn't have the word right as you can see from my question mark.

Thanks

[Anonymous]

I found the answer to my own question. I have Model Railroader's book "Model railroad Bridges and Trestles", where the names of the parts of these structures are well outlined. Another name for a bulkhead is an abutment. This book has a wealth of information on building the various types of bridges and trestles found on railroads by scratch building, from kit or kit bash!

[Anonymous]

The term bulkhead is correct. A short retaining wall could be called a bulwark, ie., if it's not big enough to really be called a bulkhead then it is a bulwark.

[Anonymous]

From a glossary of terms used in highway engineering:

Bulkhead: A retaining wall-like structure commonly composed of driven piles supporting a wall or a barrier of wooden timbers or reinforced concrete members.

Abutment: A substructure supporting the end of a single span or the extreme end of a multispan superstructure retaining or supporting an approach embankment.
Also, a solid wall that counteracts the lateral thrust of an arch.

Sounds like we're talking about bulkheads used as abutments. Now, to get some built!

Wayne