Allegheny2-6-6-6 I have a question for all you bridge masters, when you install your bridge on your layout do you use rail-joiners to connect to the lead in tracks? I was told by one modeler that he prefers using PC ties at the end of the track that enters and exits the bridge and makes a positive electrical connection otherwise. I assume by other wise he means soldering a feed wire to the rails on the bridge track. I ask because I am currently working on a scene involving 4 bridges and negotiating the rial-joiners is a bit of a hassle but nothing major except on a wooden trestle that has hand layed track so I treat the thing like it's made of match sticks which isn't very much of a stretch.
I have a question for all you bridge masters, when you install your bridge on your layout do you use rail-joiners to connect to the lead in tracks? I was told by one modeler that he prefers using PC ties at the end of the track that enters and exits the bridge and makes a positive electrical connection otherwise. I assume by other wise he means soldering a feed wire to the rails on the bridge track. I ask because I am currently working on a scene involving 4 bridges and negotiating the rial-joiners is a bit of a hassle but nothing major except on a wooden trestle that has hand layed track so I treat the thing like it's made of match sticks which isn't very much of a stretch.
I used rail joiners at the ends of all of my bridges, but don't solder them in place as I do for all others on the layout. They're there simply to keep the rails in alignment. As I mentioned, all of the multiple-span bridges can be removed as one-piece units simply by sliding the rail joiners clear. I did drop feeder wires from each bridge rail, though, and connected them to jumpers below the layout, which connect to the track beyond the ends of the bridge. No problems with either track alignment or electrical contact.
Wayne
I do have two highway over crossing bridges at each end of the layout. Their used as a view block.
RFinch John, What was the source of the concrete foundations at the bottoms of the ME trestle legs? Are they commercially available or did you scratch build them and if so, how? Bob
John,
What was the source of the concrete foundations at the bottoms of the ME trestle legs? Are they commercially available or did you scratch build them and if so, how?
Bob
http://www.finenscale.com/architectural.html
FNA3608. There may be other items of interest there to.
John
Wow, nice thread with tons of inspring work. I only have one bridge with some rough scenery to show and hopefully by the end of the year will have my other bridge in to. Now if I could only settle on the scenery and glue it all down I would move on to scenicing the remainder of the layout.
I would show more but I cannot do attachments here.
Allegheny2-6-6-6I've seen these bridges in person and pictures don't do them justice just like the rest of his layout.....
I've seen these bridges in person and pictures don't do them justice just like the rest of his layout.....
Well, I've not seen them in person, but the photos are absolutely stunning: nicely composed, sharp, and with breathtaking depth-of-field, not to mention, of course, the excellent modelling.
Grampys Trains Here are a few of mine.
Here are a few of mine.
Wayne, shhhh, the layout police want you to think they are a myth! Now you have me thinking of adding an arbitrary tunnel.
Many more great photos have been added. Nice work.
Arjay.... I'm glad the rock technique worked well for you. I think your prototype, the Canyon Diablo Bridge is one of the rgeatest bridges of all time.
I'll add more to the thread. Located in Valley Heights on my railroad is the double track mainline with a pair of basic Atlas girder bridges and also a covered bridge behind them. The waterfall is called "Standing Falls".
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
secondhandmodelerVery impressive bridges everyone. I seems that a model railroad is incomplete without at least one bridge, even if it's only a culvert! Now, if I could only justify a tunnel in Southern Minnesota, then I'd be set!
Very impressive bridges everyone. I seems that a model railroad is incomplete without at least one bridge, even if it's only a culvert! Now, if I could only justify a tunnel in Southern Minnesota, then I'd be set!
Corey, surely if you're capable of re-railing a locomotive with one hand, you need to justify to no one a tunnel in Southern Minnesota, or anywhere else, for that matter. I was questioned for putting one in Southern Ontario, but it seems that the layout police are just a myth.
nik .nAllegheny2-6-6-6 C&O You nailed it! Those are great looking bridges, I am attempting and I stress the word attempting to do something very similar on the new layout. This bridge isn't mine but just wanted to share it with the group. It's Harold Werthwein's Starrucca viaduct on his HO Erie railroad. I have the pleasure of knowing him and visiting his layout. Nothing short of spectacular. Every stone on that bridge is individually glued in by hand no sheet stock etc. here.. You, mean, that bridge is an actual stone bridge? How much does it weigh? Amazing!
Allegheny2-6-6-6 C&O You nailed it! Those are great looking bridges, I am attempting and I stress the word attempting to do something very similar on the new layout. This bridge isn't mine but just wanted to share it with the group. It's Harold Werthwein's Starrucca viaduct on his HO Erie railroad. I have the pleasure of knowing him and visiting his layout. Nothing short of spectacular. Every stone on that bridge is individually glued in by hand no sheet stock etc. here..
C&O You nailed it! Those are great looking bridges, I am attempting and I stress the word attempting to do something very similar on the new layout.
This bridge isn't mine but just wanted to share it with the group. It's Harold Werthwein's Starrucca viaduct on his HO Erie railroad. I have the pleasure of knowing him and visiting his layout. Nothing short of spectacular. Every stone on that bridge is individually glued in by hand no sheet stock etc. here..
You, mean, that bridge is an actual stone bridge? How much does it weigh?
Amazing!
. You can see it in the Allen Keller Great Model railroad video series #18 & #61
Harold had the bridge built by a friend Harry McGowin it's sub structure is Masonite 1/2" plywood and homasote he made the castings for every stone on the bridge and the top sections above the legs are individual pieces of styrene the leg sections were individually cast from had carved molds and no two legs are exactly a like. He told me the real bridge took about a year to construct the model bridge took five years. Pictures really don't do it justice.
Dr. Wayne yours are top shelf too......
N Scale Diesels......I like 'em
Hey Gramps, about time you put up some of your bridges. They are top shelf.
duckdogger C&O - like that arched bridge (one closest the camera in your first post) Allegheheny - awsome stone viaduct!
C&O - like that arched bridge (one closest the camera in your first post)
Allegheheny - awsome stone viaduct!
Thanks
That's a Vollmer kit
never got around to weathering it
http://vollmer-online.de/en/articles/art_2513.html
TerryinTexas
See my Web Site Here
http://conewriversubdivision.yolasite.com/
Tom and Wayne,
Thanks for the suggestions for getting the girders cut to the correct size for my N-scale ME tall steel viaduct. This gives me some confidence that I can get it right myself.
RFinch This is a question directed to those of you who have built one of the ME Tall Steel Viaducts on a curve. I'm building one of their N-scale tall viaduct kits for a 30" radius curve. In the instructions with the kit, they tell how much to cut off each end of the 80' girders that will be on the inside of the curve for a 28" and 32" radius curve. I contacted ME to see if they had a formula for calculating the amount to cut off each end for any radius curve. They said they did not and that I should simply cut off enough so the inside girders would fit my 30" radius curve. Since this is the first ME kit I've built, I'm not sure exactly how this should be done. Maybe I'm being too compulsive about this since we're probably dealing with only a few 1/1000th of an inch. I thought about drawing a 30" radius curve on a piece of paper, fitting the ME bridge flex track section to the curve with the ties up and then placing the girder sections on the ties in the proper location so the track would be properly supported when the bridge was fully assembled.Do you have any suggestions on how to determine how much to cut off? Any help would be greatly appreciated.Bob
This is a question directed to those of you who have built one of the ME Tall Steel Viaducts on a curve. I'm building one of their N-scale tall viaduct kits for a 30" radius curve. In the instructions with the kit, they tell how much to cut off each end of the 80' girders that will be on the inside of the curve for a 28" and 32" radius curve. I contacted ME to see if they had a formula for calculating the amount to cut off each end for any radius curve. They said they did not and that I should simply cut off enough so the inside girders would fit my 30" radius curve. Since this is the first ME kit I've built, I'm not sure exactly how this should be done. Maybe I'm being too compulsive about this since we're probably dealing with only a few 1/1000th of an inch. I thought about drawing a 30" radius curve on a piece of paper, fitting the ME bridge flex track section to the curve with the ties up and then placing the girder sections on the ties in the proper location so the track would be properly supported when the bridge was fully assembled.
Do you have any suggestions on how to determine how much to cut off?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
If they tell you the proper amount to remove for a 32" and a 28" curve, the amount for a 30" curve should be pretty-much halfway between those two.
I layed mine out on the plywood roadbed, before it was removed for installation of the bridge, by placing the assembled towers (upside down) where they would be situated, then fitting the girders in between the towers. When it came time for the actual assembly, I cut the appropriate piece of roadbed from the layout, flipped it over and assemble the bridge, upside down, right on it. The hard part came when I had to do the layout of the footings for the towers and then shorten the tower legs to suit the terrain, which was already in place.
For now this is it for bridges on the layout. However am working on what is known as SP's First Crossing of the LA River.
Bob:
When I built the Deer Creek Viaduct, I did pretty much what you're describing--traced out the 36" radius curve on a piece of butcher paper, then laid my track (in my case Sinohara bridge track) upside down on the curve, and then placed the OUTSIDE girders first. Then I 'eyeballed' the inside girders for fit while I was building the girders upside down one at a time. Instead of sawing the inside girders, I clipped them and then filed them for fit. I was both surprised and pleased at how small an area I had to cut to obtain the 36" radius. In fact, if I remember correctly, I did not have to do any clipping of the lattice at all. Not all were exact, but it came out close enough that when the towers were attached, the structure was nice and sturdy.
I don't know how helpful this will be in N scale, but in HO, it worked well for me.
Tom
Tom View my layout photos! http://s299.photobucket.com/albums/mm310/TWhite-014/Rio%20Grande%20Yuba%20River%20Sub One can NEVER have too many Articulateds!
arjay's (Robert's) bridge is spectacular. I am going to be running CF7's over it on Sunday!!!!
And as I recall, that bridge has been "in production" for over 9 years, because he bought most of the plastic shapes from my hobby shop nine years ago.
Terry:
Yah, that DOES look like an 'oops!' moment, doesn't it? Actually, there's two very large access holes behind the mountain that makes it easy for me to get back there. I'll be able to get the scenery done with no problem (when I get around to it, I mean!
Nick: Tell your buddy that I think his Starrucca Viaduct is just SPECTACULAR!
Not actual stone...but each is an individual styrene stone laminated to a substrait.
Nick
Take a Ride on the Reading with the: Reading Company Technical & Historical Society http://www.readingrailroad.org/