richhotrainSurely, you are done or close to it. Rich
Rich,
Surely, You jest....maybe for the average ''bloke'' (picking up some UK slang from My friend in England) but not for the detail hound that I am...LOL. Planning takes some time...especially when parts are made to be removable.
Thanks for the bump-up.....was going to post tomorrow.
Here's a few pic's of what is going on.
Initial layout and cutting the door/window/base openings for the main span shack, a lot of cutting/fitting:
I'm using Plastruct diamond plate for the base floor, that is laminated to the main base:
A shot of the main shack with all the holes cut and corrugated siding/roof laminated to the .030'' thick sheet I am using. It is a double roof, inside for lighting and roof, which was made to be removable with friction fit.
This is a shot of the roof in place and to the right of the shack is what the bottom of the base with the diamond plate looks like underneath.
I have since installed all the windows/doors, painted and installed window glazing already. Waiting on some railing to be delivered. So I am working on the hoist platform shacks......will post again in a couple days. I did not take any photos of it yet....but a lot of time was spent drilling holes in the main bridge span and towers for 1/8'' tube, which I am using for electrical conduit.....so You wont see any wires.
Take Care!
Frank
Ooh, I like the shack - - - a lot.
Love the idea of conduit to hold the wiring. Good to hear that you are following the Chicago Electrical Code.
Rich
Alton Junction
I managed to take a shot of the main span to show where I placed the conduit. Drilling holes in acrylic is not an easy task, mainly because when it is not supported, it is brittle so You have to take your time, along with a sharp bit. Luckily I have some aircraft six inch long bits:
The bottom one had to go through six girders.....
I also managed to get the railing around the base for the shack and the main base supports on......so far everything is going pretty smoothly......just requires a lot of measuring with big paws and an extreme amount of patience. Some shots of where it will go on the span. Still a long way to go..........
The shack and base are not glued on yet, just set in place:
There still has to be a walkway installed inside the main span, along with a caged ladder on the outside to get to the shack.
Frank, that bridgetender's shack really looks good, and the dimensions look perfect for that bridge span.
I cannot wait for you to start my lift bridge. So, hurry up and get yours done.
Still plugging.......just a little delay......managed to catch the flu from My Son so slowly recovering.
Been working on the hoist platform shacks and getting the interior of the motors and gearing done. They are designed also to be removeable so that takes some planning.
All photos may be clicked on for a larger view.
Cutting the window and door openings:
One of the shacks just about built. Also the new axle/gear shafts added to the existing wheel pulley's:
A top shot of the hoist platform with motors and gearing in place:
This is a shot of how the shack slips over the hoist platform, with the gearing/motors:
I also started putting the caged ladders and inside bridge railing on. I did not use the supplied ladders because I felt they were a little oversize and I also wanted them caged:
Also working on the lighting that will be in the tower shacks. The little white spots are brass lamp shades that a LED NANO chip fits in:
Be back in a few..........
Excellent work, Frank !
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
Not to worry Bear.......they have a double roof.......LOL.
Well I am just about ready to put all the bridge, mainspan and towers together..but before that I will have to go in the cold garage to use the table saw to cut a wider piece of Homasote. Bridge will be too long to try and move around without a base once together. No problem though, it was designed as a drop in diarama anyway, I didn't believe I would be this far along yet!
One of the towers with the counterweight on, with wire strung up through the conduit, which goes through the large pier:
What the counterweight looks like for the other tower. A little tedious to install....takes patience:
A pic' of the main span shack with the Nano chip in the ceiling. The hoist platform shacks have the same lighting. Warm white Nano chips with built in rectifier for ops. on AC/DC DCC 7 to 19 volts:
Test fitting the mainspan platform for the shack and cut out in the inner span railing, for the caged ladder to get to the shack:
Everything looks like it will fit just right so I will be primering them today. I will not install the main span to the towers until I get the base done:
Be Back in a few....God willin'......
You are indeed progressing very quickly! Things look great. Thanks for sharing all the photos.
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
hon30critter You are indeed progressing very quickly! Things look great. Thanks for sharing all the photos. Dave
You are Welcome Dave and Thank You!
That goes for You too Garry........can't forget My favorite layout guy!
Well I got the base just about done, now I can start assembling the bridge. I still have to drill a number of holes in the base and add the terminal strips for the wiring before I start to glue the bridge on, but it's getting there.
I used 1/2'' Homasote with a 1/2''x 3/4'' parting stop for the frame, all glued and clamped together for a very strong base. It's light weight but verystrong:
I then airbrushed My chosen mixed color (Tamiya flat blue and Tamiya field grey, for a blue green effect) from Tamiya Military colors. I also airbrushed the backside of the river water embossed plastic sheet, that I got from Greenstuff World in Spain, of all places. Interesting site for Military projects. I then glued that to the top of the Homasote base with Loctite clear GO2 glue:
A shot of one of the towers just sitting on it......You can see the wood bumpers on the inside pier. They are 1/4'' wood dowels cut in half lengthwise on My small table saw, sanded with 40 grit paper and stained with Createfx enamel stain by Testors:
Once the bridge is glued to the base, I will be giving the water a couple of coats of clear Polyurethane.
Be back in a few....long way to go yet!
Frank, I have not commented until now, but I have been reading along since the beginning.
Very nice work!
I have built the CMR turntable, and have met the owner Jeff Springer.
Planning to add several of his structures to my new layout.
Again, that bridge is really looking good!
Sheldon
I, like Sheldon, have also been lurking on this thread.
.
Your work is beautiful. I have no where for a bridge like this one, but it sure is an awesome thing to watch come together.
Thank you for sharing.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
Thank You Sheldon and Kevin for Your kind comments.......much appreciated!
I thought I would show a pic' or two of what the pier bumper pilings look like before I stain and wrap them. They are made out of 1/4'' wood dowels, cut on My small table saw, only took about five minutes to cut 40 of them. That saw is worth it's weight in Gold. I would still be cutting them with a hand saw...LOL. The rope wrap is ship rigging, which does not have any fussy's on it like string would. I will eventually also stain it, to look weather beaten. They are most often seen on narrow river bridges to protect the supporting bridge piers and bridge:
I used Northeastern Flamingo wood glue to glue them together.......It dry sets in 5 minutes, but I usually wait at least 2 hrs. before I stain them.
I havn't posted this yet......the main span control shack has detail in it now, still have a couple more things to put in it:
Think I'll stain the other three bumpers now........
Nothing but EXCELLENT Frank. I've been following all along. I also get a chuckle when Rich chimes in.
Mike.
My You Tube
That's coming along really well, Frank! I wish I could get my projects done even half as quickly as you accomplish things.
Wayne
First off I would like to Thank, Mike, Wayne and that ''darn'' Bear for Your comments. Which I enjoy from a guy that Has to live upside for the rest of His life....unless of course...He moves! LOL.....or the poles change......
I managed to do the other three pier bumpers, along with the little light markers that will be on top of them. I glued those wood dowels around a 1/8'' brass tube, so the Nano chip light I am using can be inserted from the bottom of the base. I used clear acryllic tube and had to enlarge the hole for the chip to slide in. The drill bit made the clear tube look frosted, just what I was looking for. The cap is a plastic roof vent with the bottom cut off and glued to the acrylic tube, then glued to the 1/8'' brass tube, I will still paint some of the clear tube black so the light won't be so large looking when on:
Click all pic's for a larger view....
If you look at the right bumper you can barely make out the red nano in between the two bumpers:
I also managed to drill a few holes in the base for the wires that will go up through the base and piers for the lighting......one of those things that require measuring, measuring, measuring so the holes line up.......I even made jigs to do so, but actually needed to find out exactly where the bridge will rest on the base......only have less than an inch to play with. I had to glue the main span to the almost finished tower to more accurately place the holes. I will be letting the glue cure overnight before working on the base any further. The bridge is still not glued to it yet:
Be back in a few.
Frank, I really like those pilings that you are building as part of the vertical lift bridge project. That is a very creative idea and very prototypical. I like the idea so much that I have to decided to add those pilings to my vertical lift bridge that you will be building for me.
I do have a few words of caution. When you install the pilings, be careful not to drive them too deep into the river bed. We don't need another flood in the tunnels that used to service downtown Chicago buildings. You will recall that the basements of these downtown buildings flooded back in 1992 when one of the Chicago River pilings penetrated into the tunnel system.
LOL.....What got Me the most about that incident was that they did not know where the water was coming from and why do they have fish in the basements? Sure sounded fishy...LOL not to mention the smell.......sure don't smell like sewer water.....
BTW: I often thought of what they would find, if they drained the whole Chicago river......especially considering the Al Capone days.......
Well I got the other tower counter weight installed along with the wiring for the hoist platform and main span shack inside the conduit. Then glued the main span to the other tower. Took a little more sanding of the part that slips into the edge of the tower.......I thought I sanded it enough.....wrong! I did manage to get it done though without breaking anything....yeah! Let it sit over-night.....and to My amazment found that it is a lot stronger than I anticipated with the towers glued to the main span:
I also decided that the bumper pilings were not big enough for that size bridge so I made them bigger. Still have one more to wrap before staining, but I think it looks better. Still a long way to go. Was not very much room to play with on each end either. The bridge is 29'' long by 5 1/4'' wide, the base is 30'' long by 8'' wide:
Back in a few.....
zstripe Well I got the other tower counter weight installed along with the wiring for the hoist platform and main span shack inside the conduit. Then glued the main span to the other tower. Took a little more sanding of the part that slips into the edge of the tower.......I thought I sanded it enough.....wrong! I did manage to get it done though without breaking anything....yeah! Let it sit over-night.....and to My amazment found that it is a lot stronger than I anticipated with the towers glued to the main span: I also decided that the bumper pilings were not big enough for that size bridge so I made them bigger. Still have one more to wrap before staining, but I think it looks better. Still a long way to go. Was not very much room to play with on each end either. The bridge is 29'' long by 5 1/4'' wide, the base is 30'' long by 8'' wide: Back in a few..... Take Care! Frank
Look extremly fine, a perfect CMR kit in fact ( I own one huge building and a turntable from them).
Never think to try to it operable, up and down ?
Marc
Marc,
Thanks for Your comments. To answer Your question....No. I was going to power it but decided against it. Too many things would have to be done to get it to work reliably and at My age (be 77 next yr.) I have a few other projects I would like to complete before I'm called to the layout in the sky, plus it's getting hard to get around.......mind says yeah, body says No.
I managed to complete the wiring under the base and actually glued the bridge to it and made a way to have the bridge on it's side without holding it or resting on anything. The glue I used to secure the bridge to the base is Loctite GO2 Gel. It goes on clear and drys clear, starts to set in 5minutes. Once cured, usually overnite, it is very, very strong. Looks like epoxy, without the mixing and Is Not a CA. Can also be used for Delrin plastic, like handrails.......I used it before for the same thing. Mentioned it on the forums before, if anyone caught it:
Two wood screws into the side of the base into the two strips of 1x 1 1/2 laying flat support the bridge on it's side without touching anything:
Here's a shot of the piling bumper lights lit......They are much more red in person. Now I can finish putting all th rest on the parts on for the Finale........
There are lights on the other set of bumper pilings also:
Be back in a few.......
That looks really good Frank.
Thanks again for Your comment Dave............
Well I am just about done........some paint touch up, adding water swirling water effects to piers and such, then a couple of coats of Polyeurethane. Right now I'm deciding on color of bridge track. I like the brown, but I am also making up black ones to compare. They are ME bridge track with Walthers bridge track approach ends that I have left over from another bridge project a few yrs. ago:
Track is not glued down yet, until I decide on color:
Some different shots and two with some power on it. Three SD40-2's Athearn BB will span the bridge:
Feedback as always, is welcome.......all photos may be clicked on for a larger view:
I don't know how this one got down here......but ''If it ain't broke, don't fix it''.LOL
Excellent Frank! The railings, ladders and operators shack are great details.
Wait, a closer look so you've been holding out to us with pictures since August?
Mike
Thank you for taking the time to document your beautiful project, Frank!
A real inspiration.
Cheers, Ed
zstripeThanks again for Your comment Dave............
I can't wait to see it on your layout.
Frank : .... I really enjoy this thread. Thanks for sharing.... Your bridge is amazing.
Remarkably, your winter project is nearly finished for the first day of winter.