Tomtanguay,
All I can say is.....I feel for You...they must have really changed a lot of things in that kit. Mine is most definitely dark grey styrene plastic. Copyrighted 1997 made in Denmark and it surely did not cost no $100.00 more like 79 and it's still works to this day. I also used Walthers code 83 bridge track on the deck, which didn't cost so much either back then. I even have the double track swing bridge which came out shortly after the Bascule...that one did come with micro switches and diodes for the circuit...You did have to buy the motor separately for it though. That also works to this day. Redoing that scene at the moment.
I am Your age bracket...will be 75 this yr.......started HO 1950 after being a American flyer guy for about 3 yrs. and still build wood ships.
Sorry to hear about Your experience though...sounds frustrating
Take Care!
Frank
I fully respect the point that you made with reference to sanding all potential joints. However, seriously on a kit this large with all the intricate parts??? You have far more patience than I could ever summon!!!
With regards to Danish, German, Italian, etc. kits, the ones that I have built all went together with minimal issues (other than many confusing instruction sheets!), especially the issues with joint bonding. The last bridge project was Faller's Biestchtal Bridge. Other than the immense size of this, and the naturally delicate nature of the handrails, I experienced few problems due to kit design or materials used. Most European kits are high quality. Several Japanese and Korean made kits haver been high quality as well. I recently obtained some WWII military kits that I envision kit bashing to 1940s era trucks, etc. These were made in Russia, Ukraine, and Romania. I have yet to build any of these, but I am curious as to materials used and how they will assemble. They remind me of some very early British "OO" scale kits that I acquired from my late brother. Rather crude by today's standards, but the plastic appears to be "normal" styrene.
Thanks for all the attention paid to my issues. I just had to vent some of my frustrations!!!
zstripe Rich, I have been biting My tongue.
Rich,
I have been biting My tongue.
Regarding the operation of the bascule bridges, there are plenty of problems. When I built the first bascule bridge, I followed Digital Griffin's recommendations and used different switches than the one provided with the kit. At first, it worked fine, but it eventually developed problems, not with the switches and electronics, but with the mechanics.
The gear arms are plastic and they are warped so the gears bind. Initially, I even made a YouTube video to show off the operational bridge. And, the gear arms easily fall off the connecting pins. These are known problems.
Kudos to you if yours still works. It may be the luck of the draw or maybe your mechanical skills are better than mine. I am no expert, but I believe that I am reasonably competent. Pity the poor newcomer to the hobby who attempts to build and operate this bridge. It is a sight to behold if you leave it in the fixed down position.
Rich
Alton Junction
TOMTANGUAYTOMTANGUAY wrote the following post 11 minutes ago: I fully respect the point that you made with reference to sanding all potential joints. However, seriously on a kit this large with all the intricate parts??? You have far more patience than I could ever summon!!!
LOL.....Yes I do....But it is not a gift.....It was earned...LOL
Did I hear Trucks??? My biggest other vice! Mostly Fallen flag Truck Lines that I have seen or even worked for over the yrs. Scratched/bashed, white metal castings/Pewter, Polyurethane resin and styrene all 1/87 scale. My collection is in the hundreds. I am a retired Teamster, owner operator, small business operator for over 45yrs in Transportation even a Vietnam disabled Vet, I'll throw that in for giggles...not laughing at the time though 67'.
Nice Photo!
Don't worry about the venting....been there.......there have been a lot of times in My life, that I had learned a new vocabulary, that I didn't know existed..
Take Care, My Friend...life is too short...one day at a time!
Life Member...ATHS (American Truck Historical Society)
PS. Couple of pic's from My collection:
TOMTANGUAY My instruction sheet, copyrighted 2016, seems to indicate that there have been several releases since first introduced. I have read, and re-read instructions carefully. Unless I managed to miss it somehow, there is NO mention of "styrene" or other materials used except "plastic" in these instructions, on the box label, or the Walthers website description {copied above}. This material is crazy as it does "act" like Delrin, but I can't believe that the entire production run of the gray plastic parts was done in this material. The sprue runs are huge, and there are a lot of them. If, by some weird circumstances, this kit WAS molded in Delrin, then this has to be one of the largest cases of total lack of employee oversight and quality control that I have run across in my 60+/- years of model building!! I even have kits inherited from my late brother that date back to the WWII war years. Not much plastic in them, but what there is assembled with ease, (except a few parts that appear to be "Bakelite").
Thanks for purchasing this Cornerstone® kit. Please read these instructions and study the drawings before starting construction. All parts are styrene, so use compatible glue and paint to finish your model. As part of the Cornerstone Engineered Bridge System, walthers.com/bridgesystem, your new model can easily be used with other Cornerstone bridges and accessories to create a custom structure for your railroad. PLEASE NOTE: your new bridge is designed as a working model. The gears in the drive mechanism are made of Delrin® plastic and should be lubricated with a light, plastic-compatible grease before operation.
Didn't mean to hijack Your thread buddy!
Frankie
zstripe Rich, Didn't mean to hijack Your thread buddy! Take Care! Frankie
And I agree!
Mike.
My You Tube
I owe you a huge apology!! I read & re-read my instruction sheet several times, again just now. I completely "glazed" over the first paragraph, however! It is certainly there as clear as can be. I can't blame anyone but myself for not seeing it. It does, indeed, say styrene. Just wonder how the Chinese interpreted that? Oh well, I will have it completed soon. I intend to paint the steelwork in a light industrial green which is common around here. (Also deep rusty red, but the Faller bridge is already that color and is close in proximity to this one.) Hopefully, the paint will help to disguise some of the construction damage. I always had the intention of a heavy weathering job on this bridge, however, and that should help as well.
Again, I still am a little in shock that I did miss that paragraph! Thanks for pointing it out to me.