I'm looking to build an "old" wooden trestle but I can't seem to find any detailed pics of how the ties are actually laid on the "roadbed". Figuring out the bents is no problem but I don't know how the ties are laid on the trestle itself. Any pics around showing a close-up of this?
Here you see how wooden trestles are built:
The ties on a trestle are much longer than rtegular ties and rest on big wooden blocks, with those directly under the rails being bolted together to form a stronger support.
Wolfgand Dudler left us with a pretty good write-up with good pics of laying ties, etc: http://www.westportterminal.de/trestle.html
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
Martin5465,
To The Forums.
How about a Campbell Scale Models Wood Trestle kit? Comes with all materials full size scale templates. This is one of many:
Thanks, Maddog...that's exactly what I was looking for.
Frank, I was looking to scratch build to suit a site but I may look into the kits and see what's available.
I've been out of this a LONG time and need to come back up to speed.
Mike, Thanks for your reply also. I had a curved trestle in mind but I'm going to go with a straight one to get the feeling of building again. I don't want to get in over my head until I regain past skills. Those pics help a lot. Also, I'm not used to this kind of forum format where the posts are delayed. I don't know if it's b/c I'm new here or what. If I could edit then I wouldn't have to post a reply for each guy who answers.
But thanks to all who helped out.....................Martin
Ps: Madog, is the Hamburg you refer to in Germany or New York?
Here are some pics. The poles are about 13 to 18 inches in diametre. The beams are 4"x 12". Look closely as they are several put together.
Here is one of many trestle building sites you will find online if you do a search.
http://hrmlasermodels.com/tips/Building%20a%20Trestle%20in%20HO%20scale.pdf
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
Adjusting your dimensions (but not angles necessarily), the following should help.
http://www.btcomm.com/trains/primer/bridges/trestle/trestle.htm
-Crandell
Trestle Plans?
Kalmbach has a book on bridges with some good info. I used the SP standards books to find lots of detailed drawings of many different types and designs of trestles.
The SP standards books are a series of reprints of standard blueprints and drawings from the SP. They cover everything from right of way ballast slope angles to water tanks, stock pens etc. There are several books in the series and are well worth picking up if you model the west or are looking for a good place to strart scracth building railroad structures.
Here is a pic of a trestle built form the SP plans:
see stuff at: the Willoughby Line Site
Thanks, Trainnut......I may have a use for that book. Right now I'm building sub-assemblies for a future layout until I get back into a house again. Trestles seem to be my current fascination.
There is an old wooden trestle off to the eastern side of Interstate 79 in West Virginia. I think it is somewhere near Jane Lew. I always wanted to stop and take pics and measurements before soemthing happened to it but never did. I am not even sure what railroad it was on. I always thought it was a classic example of a wooden trestle.
Danged if I didn't find an image. http://bobbingalong.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/DSC_0269.jpg
Robert H. Shilling II
Martin, probably not many large wooden trestles in Texas, but I do recall seeing images of some smaller ones that are still wooden that bridge some arroyos in either west TX or NM.