Modeling a trestle fire

[FJ and G]

I want to model one (but not w/flames and smoke--maybe later on that one) on a stretch of abandoned track I'm building. (the fire I'm modeling happened in the past).

I'm thinking of making the wood trestle and then torching part of it with my propane torch outside on my brick patio. (yes, water bucket ready)

I'm just a bit worried that the charcoal will be fragile and fall apart. Perhaps I can seal it with diluted wood glue spray?

Your ideas appreciated.

[Anonymous]

If you torch it at low temperature it should be ok - you'll get some "charcoal" but it'll hang together. Basing this on my experiences with open fires (we use small sticks to start it off), if you play a lighter flame over the stick it blackens but doesn't carbonise or catch fire. I'd advocate the coolest flame you can use - a lighter rather than a blowlamp for example. Hope this helps!

[steveblackledge]

this sounds an interesting project
if you have a photo or picture to copy of the original structure just model whats left then rough up the ends etc with a sharp knife / sandpaper, you could do a convincing paint job without resorting to "real fire" but if you can do it safe outside you only need to just scorch the surface, you could use dullcote to seal the finish, i think

if all this fails get some of the other forum members to use some of the "hot air" thats being vented lateley to chargrill the woodwork, [}:)] ONLY KIDDING GUYS [;)][;)][;)]

[FJ and G]

Thanks for ideas guys, I'll experiment on some practice sticks first.

I've seen blown out trestles (mostly from floods, not fires) and I want to have the rails still hanging with some ties. You know the scene probably.

I'm modeling about 4 feet of abandoned track and gorge is just a portion of it. I'm smashing up a boxcar as well and tossing the rusting pieces in the stream below

[steveblackledge]

i use a product called "instant rust" (very imaginative name) its a two pack, first you paint on the black base coat then later you apply the blue activator coat and within mins it starts turning rusty, this goes on for months getting darker and older looking, i have a great picture but my stupid PC won't let me edit my homepage to insert it [banghead]

[FJ and G]

Here's a few pages of trestle fire. Nothing much for me to model here, however, as I want a different sort of look with dangling rails and my trestle is much shorter; maybe 30 scale feet (I model O)

http://www.tidewatersouthern.com/contents/stories/tuolumnetrestlefire/tuolumnetrestlefire2/tuolumnetrestlefire2.htm

[Pruitt]

I tried to make a scratchbuilt trestle look like it had survived a forest fire once way back while I was in high school.

I squirted a little charcoal starter fluid on it and touched it with a match. Nothing!

I squirted somewhat more starter fluid on it and again touched it with a match. FWOOSH!

Flames were leaping almost to the ceiling! I had neglected to remove the trestle from it's as-yet unscenicked spot on the layout. I blew on the trestle a couple of times, to no avail. I snatched it off the layout and proceeded to stomp my scratchbuilt trestle into a pile of somewhat charred balsa splinters. OOPS!

I built a new one and DIDN'T try to do the forest fire survivor thing again.

[steveblackledge]

WHOOOOOPS[:-^]

[twhite]

Holy Jehosophat, those pictures look like something out of Cecil B. deMille's UNION PACIFIC! Only thing missing was a train racing across.
Tom
[:O][:O]

[Anonymous]

Have you thought about using a wood burning kit (similar to a soldering iron) to create the same effects without setting the thing on fire? Might even use an old soldering iron.

[Anonymous]

Here is a very dumb idea....

[:-,]

Throw the trestle into the oven and broil the darn thing a few minutes.;

rest of the ideas thrown away due to extreme danger inherent, this hobby is supposed to be a safe hobby not a pyromaniac's paradise.