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Building a Curved Bridge .... Installed and running trains.

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KRM
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Posted by KRM on Monday, February 16, 2015 6:28 PM

Buckeye Riveter

 

 

KRM

Buckeye,

 What do those Girder sections measure with the fillets cut off the ends??

 I think I will copy your lead for something I have that connects the two tables.

Thanks for the great idea!

 

 

 
Kev, 
I cut off just about 1 1/4 inches from each end.  Did you see that there are girders on only one side of the bridge?  The other side is plain jane birch wood cut to be 1 3/4 inch deep, the same as the girder.  Visitors cannot see the other side of the bridge. Big Smile  
 

Thanks again Buckeye,
 Here is where I will use it. The gap is about 22” across measuring in the arch so I hope one section will cover it.
At some point I want to build a pocket to bridge the gap with some sort of scene but for now it is in the target range of the 18 month old grand-son so I think I will hold off. But what you did will make the crossing look much better for now than it is. I was wondering why in the photo it looked like there was wood and I wondered if you used it to glue to but now I know that was the back side. I see on the site they say use CA glue but you said you used wood glue. Was that on the girder sections and the birch sections?


 

 

 

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Kev, From The North Bluff Above Marseilles IL. Whistling

 

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Posted by lion88roar on Monday, February 16, 2015 8:36 PM

Kev, If your gap is only 22 inches wide then the plate girder should be plenty long enough with the tappered ends cut off. I used this under one of my bridges, but I used scrap Azek (dimmension plastic lumber) from Home Depot or Lowes. I just used the regular PVC Pipe Cement to join everything together, then painted it all a flat black (left over spray from another project).

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Posted by Buckeye Riveter on Tuesday, February 17, 2015 6:50 PM

Kev..... I used wood glue when I was glueing wood to wood.  The girders were glued to the wood using CA and clamped.  

DJ.....Thanks.  One of the things I have learned is that you can hide things with scenery such as the abutment that really is high as a pier. 

Celebrating 18 years on the CTT Forum. Smile, Wink & Grin

Buckeye Riveter......... OTTS Charter Member, a Roseyville Raider and a member of the CTT Forum since 2004..

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Posted by Buckeye Riveter on Wednesday, February 18, 2015 3:34 PM

The backside didn't need paint.

Adding the tunnel portal

Celebrating 18 years on the CTT Forum. Smile, Wink & Grin

Buckeye Riveter......... OTTS Charter Member, a Roseyville Raider and a member of the CTT Forum since 2004..

Jelloway Creek, OH - ELV 1,100 - Home of the Baltimore, Ohio & Wabash RR

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Posted by Buckeye Riveter on Friday, February 20, 2015 1:29 PM

DJSpanky

Buckeye, if there's a portal there, does that mean you're gonna have a mountain (or something similar) that the train will be running through?

 

Short answer:  Yes

Celebrating 18 years on the CTT Forum. Smile, Wink & Grin

Buckeye Riveter......... OTTS Charter Member, a Roseyville Raider and a member of the CTT Forum since 2004..

Jelloway Creek, OH - ELV 1,100 - Home of the Baltimore, Ohio & Wabash RR

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Posted by Buckeye Riveter on Friday, February 20, 2015 7:54 PM

DJSpanky

 

 
Buckeye Riveter
DJSpanky

Buckeye, if there's a portal there, does that mean you're gonna have a mountain (or something similar) that the train will be running through?

Short answer:  Yes

 

 

Brevity is the spice of life.  Wait.............that's not it.......
 
Anyway, just realized that that portal isn't at the end of the curved bridge, which is why I asked that question. It's on the other side of those two truss bridges, and I can see the styrofoam set up to make the eventual mountain.
 

Now you got it!  Starting on the left of the photo is the curved bridge, then the two trusses and finally the thru girder bridge which leads to the tunnel portal into Tiny Chief Mountain. Smile, Wink & Grin

Celebrating 18 years on the CTT Forum. Smile, Wink & Grin

Buckeye Riveter......... OTTS Charter Member, a Roseyville Raider and a member of the CTT Forum since 2004..

Jelloway Creek, OH - ELV 1,100 - Home of the Baltimore, Ohio & Wabash RR

TCA 09-64284

KRM
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Posted by KRM on Monday, February 23, 2015 9:59 AM

Buckeye, My Girder is going to show up today and I have two questions for you. Where did you get your birch and how many teeth are on your saw?  I am thinking it has small teeth.

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Kev, From The North Bluff Above Marseilles IL. Whistling

 

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Posted by Buckeye Riveter on Monday, February 23, 2015 6:32 PM

KRM

Buckeye, My Girder is going to show up today and I have two questions for you. Where did you get your birch and how many teeth are on your saw?  I am thinking it has small teeth.

 

 
The birch was purchased at a local hobby store, Hobbytown.  It is 1/32" x 2" x 24" I had to cut 1/4" off of the birch to match the girder at 1 3/4" . http://www.hobbytown.com/  Hobbytown is just a general all purpose hobby store with a ton of RC cars.  
 
I cut the birch with a hobby saw.  The girder was cut on the miter saw with small toothed blade.  Sorry don't know how many.
 
BTW, since the bridge has been installed the piers were glued down to the foam.  When I start the scenery in this area, I will smear some glue on the piers and install ivy growing up the pier.  Ivy hides the wood look of the pier. 

Celebrating 18 years on the CTT Forum. Smile, Wink & Grin

Buckeye Riveter......... OTTS Charter Member, a Roseyville Raider and a member of the CTT Forum since 2004..

Jelloway Creek, OH - ELV 1,100 - Home of the Baltimore, Ohio & Wabash RR

TCA 09-64284

KRM
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Posted by KRM on Monday, February 23, 2015 7:14 PM

Thanks for the info Buckeye, They did show up today along with the General 8701 set. I wil need to look around for the birch for the back. I may not even need it. I won't have any piers for now but great idea on hiding the wood.

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Kev, From The North Bluff Above Marseilles IL. Whistling

 

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Posted by lion88roar on Tuesday, February 24, 2015 8:42 AM

Kev - when I was working on the kitchen my GC had me get 80 tooth blades for ripping the ply. I found them on that rain forest named site by doing a search for 80 tooth 10 inch saw blade. Since my mitre saw and table saw are both 10" I bought 3 (one for each and a spare).

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KRM
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Posted by KRM on Tuesday, February 24, 2015 9:22 AM

Brent, My saw is a 12" I will have to see how many teeth it has. I know when I got the last blade I went for more than the old one had. I have to get the 1x1 to glue it to yet also.

 

Update: 11:30 Brent I checked and the saw has a 44 tooth on it now but I also have a 100 tooth one I will use when I cut the girder. Tks,

 

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Kev, From The North Bluff Above Marseilles IL. Whistling

 

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Posted by Buckeye Riveter on Wednesday, February 25, 2015 4:50 PM
Kevin.... Since you are thinking of a longer span that I had, I would suggest using two or more layers of birch on the backside to counteract twisting.  I would also glue intermediate stiffeners between the back and front. 

Celebrating 18 years on the CTT Forum. Smile, Wink & Grin

Buckeye Riveter......... OTTS Charter Member, a Roseyville Raider and a member of the CTT Forum since 2004..

Jelloway Creek, OH - ELV 1,100 - Home of the Baltimore, Ohio & Wabash RR

TCA 09-64284

KRM
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Posted by KRM on Friday, February 27, 2015 6:09 PM

Buckeye, I only need to cover 22" so I should have no problems. I plan to get with it next week. AT some point I want to make a pocket scene there but not till the youngest grandson get a bit older.

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Kev, From The North Bluff Above Marseilles IL. Whistling

 

KRM
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Posted by KRM on Tuesday, March 3, 2015 1:24 PM

Well here is my almost finished project thanks to the idea from Buckeye. The before pictures are back a bit in the thread and here is where I am today.

 I worked some more on the girder bridge today and it is shaping up nice.   I just used what was there already to mount the girder support to. The girder is under the track and will work okay like that. The track is not in the dead center of the support but I don't care because if I ever get around to my pocket scene under it it will be replaced so it is a lot better than it was and will work for now.

 

We had no problems placing the 88' scale Girder in place. We be good riggers.  :-)
Top of girder is level with top of rail. Back side is made out of some leftover FRP I had around "Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic"
 
I will figure out something for a edge transition to the tables later.
All in all much better looking than it was! Thanks Buckeye!!  Smile
 
 
 
 
 

 

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Kev, From The North Bluff Above Marseilles IL. Whistling

 

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Posted by Buckeye Riveter on Tuesday, March 3, 2015 3:28 PM

Kevin... Looks great!  I was thinking of putting a railroad decal on mine at one time.   Your thoughts?

Celebrating 18 years on the CTT Forum. Smile, Wink & Grin

Buckeye Riveter......... OTTS Charter Member, a Roseyville Raider and a member of the CTT Forum since 2004..

Jelloway Creek, OH - ELV 1,100 - Home of the Baltimore, Ohio & Wabash RR

TCA 09-64284

KRM
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Posted by KRM on Tuesday, March 3, 2015 3:43 PM

Buckeye Riveter

Kevin... Looks great!  I was thinking of putting a railroad decal on mine at one time.   Your thoughts?

 

Yes me to Buckeye. I am looking for some EJ&E decals now, just for that.

Some notes Buckeye.
 For glue I used Elmers  wood glue on the wood blocks and as long as I was going to use clamps  I used Loctite Power Grab construction interior glue on the plastics to the wood. What I like about the Locktite glue is it gives you more time to adjust than the CA glues. Also you can run a bead and it fills in the gaps.

 I have had good luck with the Locktite glue on other projects as well

Thanks again for the idea. I will update if I find some deacls to install.

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Kev, From The North Bluff Above Marseilles IL. Whistling

 

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Posted by Buckeye Riveter on Tuesday, March 3, 2015 7:59 PM

Another idea is advertising decals on the bridge.  

Celebrating 18 years on the CTT Forum. Smile, Wink & Grin

Buckeye Riveter......... OTTS Charter Member, a Roseyville Raider and a member of the CTT Forum since 2004..

Jelloway Creek, OH - ELV 1,100 - Home of the Baltimore, Ohio & Wabash RR

TCA 09-64284

KRM
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Posted by KRM on Tuesday, March 3, 2015 9:39 PM

Better yet Buckeye, something you see on most train bridges and is easy to get on line. Graffiti   Smile

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Kev, From The North Bluff Above Marseilles IL. Whistling

 

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Posted by jonadel on Wednesday, March 4, 2015 1:40 PM

Nice work Kevin!  If we ever build another layout we will use these ideas, really looks good from you and Buckeye Thumbs Up

Jon

So many roads, so little time. 

 

KRM
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Posted by KRM on Wednesday, March 4, 2015 2:09 PM

   Thanks Jon. I would of never even thought of it if it had not been for Buckeye starting this thread.

I checked the size of the letters on a Lionel Girder bridge and they are 5/8" tall so that is the size of decals I will be looking for the EJ&E letters to be.

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Kev, From The North Bluff Above Marseilles IL. Whistling

 

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