Coming right along Rich!
When I built my over head crane, I did the same, I used clamps and painters tap to temporarily put things together until I had most of the main parts made.
Mike.
My You Tube
Hi Rich,
Looks good!
Thanks for reminding me about using clamps when doing the initial assembly. I have a bunch of Micro Engineering bridges and bents to build for the club.
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
A few more pics.
Alton Junction
Nice straight lines. Nice joints too.
mbinsewi Coming right along Rich! When I built my over head crane, I did the same, I used clamps and painters tap to temporarily put things together until I had most of the main parts made. Mike.
Rich
hon30critter Hi Rich, Looks good! Thanks for reminding me about using clamps when doing the initial assembly. I have a bunch of Micro Engineering bridges and bents to build for the club. Dave
I have completed the two decks that will be installed at the base of the towers. The fitting, cutting and painting is done. So now, I just have to glue the front and back sections of the towers to the decks.
Many thanks to Frank, Ed and Mike for their support and advice on this critical step.
Looking good Rich.
You have a different tower base situation than Frank's, his are right out there, and on a totally seperate piling/foundation, while yours are bit more obscure, on the shore line with much of it sort of hidden.
Excellent progress, Rich
If I didn't already have a Bascule bridge I could easily get the itch bo build a massive vertical lift.
Hummm
Have you given thought to cable? One frustration I have with using thread or fishing line is trying to keep each strand taught when threading multiple lines. The Berkshire Jct. Easy Line is great in this respect but, upon close inspection, you can see that it has a flat cross section.
Thanks for the photos and updates!
Regards, Ed
LION's EASY Lift Bridge...
The lift bridge in question is directly below the Subway bridge above it.
As you can see, the towers are enclosed. You can see the roadway that lifts just above the water.
Makes for easy construction.
ROAR
Add:
It is a four track subway running above 9th Street in Brooklyn, the station is on the bridge structure and is 600' long. The only exit is on the west end of the station. The bridge thakes the subway right over several four story buildings that were there first, so the structure only touches ground on the cross streets and bridges across the buildings.
It was a concrete and steel structure, and the concrete was spalling badly, dropping chuncks on the traffic below. They wrapped the entire structure in that black wrapper, sort of looks like heavy duty tar paper. Concrete can rot, but at least it will not fall to the street below.
Now as for the lift bridge, 9th Street is only two lanes wide (plus sideqwalkks) and the towers of said bridge are completely encloxed. They fit entirely under the subway. Only barges and small tow boats will raise the bridge. One cannot imagine a recreational boater putting their craft in the Gowanus Cannal!
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
LION, thanks for posting that photo. That is one heckuva lift bridge.
Thanks, Ed.
Hey, go ahead and build a vertical lift bridge. Frank and I could use the company.
I have been considering both cable and sheaves. I haven't decided on anything yet, so I am open to suggestions.
The next crossing of the Gowanus Canal is at Carroll Street.
It is a slide bridge.
Isn't that ROARING
I have added the tower decks, a system of welded girders that match the bridge girder deck. One advantage of having purchased three bridge kits is that I had plenty of extra parts after lengthening the bridge. I was able to use the extra bridge girders to build the two tower decks.
I am uncertain as to whether I should add the girder lacings and X-braces to the tower decks to match the girder lacings and X-braces on the bridge. Any thoughts on whether tower deck lacings and X-braces exist on the prototype? Or, are those lacings and X-braces only required on the bridge span over open water?
Have to go back and check out the pictures Ed posted again, and take another look at the tower foundations.
Rich,
Without any doubt...use K&S music wire for the cable. Not a problem to keep tawnt and having all of them the same. Mine are close to 1/16th and they hold the counterweight in the air...nothing else holds the counterweight in place. Mine are plastic acrylic boxes. Yours as a suggestion.....a white pine block of wood, sanded to a texture of concrete. The music wire is more than enough to hold the wood. I would also invest some money into the Xuron cutters #2193 they DO NOT distort the cylindrical shape like a side cutter will and cut like butter. Well worth the investment for Me, I use a lot of music wire for projects. A small size pair and large for cutting over a 1/8''. I air brushed My cable steel color from MM after lightly sanding the music wire and used Medium CA for bonding.
This pic was not touched up yet!
Take Care!
Frank
zstripe Without any doubt...use K&S music wire for the cable.
Without any doubt...use K&S music wire for the cable.
I plan to follow the prototype somewhat closely, so I will need a system of 12 pulleys and 8 sheaves.
The sheaves will be placed on the top of the towers, one on each corner of each tower. The sheaves will control the movement of the cables between the bridge and the counterweights. I haven't decided yet on the number of cables.
The pulleys will be mounted on the bridge, four outside the bridge tender's shack in the center of the bridge, four on the top of the bridge near the ends of rhe bridge, and four on the ends of the bridge. The cables will be routed around this system of pulley and connect to the towers near the top and bottom. This pulley system, activated by the bridge tender inside the shack will activate the cables that initiate the lifting and lowering of the bridge.
You is a model builder, where as I, on the other hand, am a fat furry LION with big furry paws, If it looks like a bridge, then it might be a bridge.
ROARING!
BroadwayLion You is a model builder, where as I, on the other hand, am a fat furry LION with big furry paws, If it looks like a bridge, then it might be a bridge. ROARING!
I would just like to also say, that you can use hardened brass rod from K&S in the appropiate diameter for the cables. It will be much easier to bend/cut than music wire, You may find that is better to use for You. It will also keep it shape and remain tawnt for the cables. It comes in various diameters in 12'' lengths and 36''. I made a mock-up using 3/64'' brass rod and used the sheave to make the bend on both sides to go over/in the sheave for the main span and over to the counterweight to the other sheave to give you an idea of how you can do it on the hoist platform. Do some measuring for the lengths/bends and use that for a master to make the others you will need so they are all the same:
Be Happy, in Your Work!
I fell out of the progress here with vacation and then back to work and all.
The progression quality looks just as good as where I had left off. Still looking Great Rich, keep up the good work.
TF
Frank I got to say your Bridge looks pretty sweet too. Some good ideas shared. I like the pulley idea.
zstripe Rich, I would just like to also say, that you can use hardened brass rod from K&S in the appropiate diameter for the cables. It will be much easier to bend/cut than music wire, You may find that is better to use for You. It will also keep it shape and remain tawnt for the cables. It comes in various diameters in 12'' lengths and 36''. I made a mock-up using 3/64'' brass rod and used the sheave to make the bend on both sides to go over/in the sheave for the main span and over to the counterweight to the other sheave to give you an idea of how you can do it on the hoist platform. Do some measuring for the lengths/bends and use that for a master to make the others you will need so they are all the same: Be Happy, in Your Work! Frank
I appreciate your work with the K&S brass rod to illustrate the point. Something for me to think seriously about.
Track fiddler I fell out of the progress here with vacation and then back to work and all. The progression quality looks just as good as where I had left off. Still looking Great Rich, keep up the good work.
richhotrainFrank, tell me more about those sheaves. Are they from the CMR bridge kit? Shapeways?
They are from the CMR kit. For some reason, they had a complete sheet of parts to make two more hoist platforms which are extra, once kit is finished. They are 7/8ths'' in dia. To make one sheave, it takes three piece's, two outer, one inner. I also still have two 50ft. complete decks with piers, that I did not use.
zstripe richhotrain Frank, tell me more about those sheaves. Are they from the CMR bridge kit? Shapeways? Rich, They are from the CMR kit. For some reason, they had a complete sheet of parts to make two more hoist platforms which are extra, once kit is finished. They are 7/8ths'' in dia. To make one sheave, it takes three piece's, two outer, one inner.
richhotrain Frank, tell me more about those sheaves. Are they from the CMR bridge kit? Shapeways?
They are from the CMR kit. For some reason, they had a complete sheet of parts to make two more hoist platforms which are extra, once kit is finished. They are 7/8ths'' in dia. To make one sheave, it takes three piece's, two outer, one inner.
I continue to search for the most appropriately shaped and sized sheaves for the towers. There are 8 sheaves up there, 4 per tower.
On the actual PRR lift bridge, the sheaves were 15 feet in diameter, which converts to 2.07 inches in HO scale. However, since my bridge and towers are scaled further down to 80% of the prototype in HO scale, the sheaves would be 1.65 inches in diameter. Right now, I am considering sheaves from Shapeways that are either 1.2 inches or 1.4 inches in diameter.
The actual sheaves on the PRR bridge have 8-spokes, just like those in your CMR kit. The Shapeways sheaves that I am considering only have 4 spokes.
Rich, I was on Shapeways earlier this am, read your last post, so I thought I'd look around.
I found these, they are 1.77", with 6 spokes.
//www.shapeways.com/product/R4ZY5JNEW/45mm-sheaves?optionId=61536622&li=marketplace
Just thought I'd pass it back to you.
Perhaps take a second look at the Tichy offerings?
https://www.tichytraingroup.com/Shop/tabid/91/p/8310-4-diameter-sheaves/Default.aspx
If they are ganged together the spokes won't look so "spindly". Actually the 1/2" diameter sheave is a little beefier than the larger ones but on the small side for your HO needs. Dave Tichy might be able to put together a quantity package for you.
Good Luck, Ed
mbinsewi Rich, I was on Shapeways earlier this am, read your last post, so I thought I'd look around. I found these, they are 1.77", with 6 spokes. //www.shapeways.com/product/R4ZY5JNEW/45mm-sheaves?optionId=61536622&li=marketplace Just thought I'd pass it back to you. Mike
Mike
Here is a partially concealed view of the actual sheave. I would really like to find something that is solid, as opposed to open spoke, but that is proving difficult.
richhotrainHere is a partially concealed view of the actual sheave. I would really like to find something that is solid, as opposed to open spoke, but that is proving difficult.
Have you considered making a styrene master then a silicone mold and resin castings? You could add Archer rivets. Maybe even cast any other parts while you are making the mold?
One of the gears I showed in this photo from March 30 looks like it would make a good starting place (the one that looks like a telephone dial?)
cog_3 by Edmund, on Flickr
Slice some styrene tubing or wrap the circumference with strip styrene and you have the beginnings of your master.
I had hours into making parts for a Hulett ore unloader right about the time Walthers came along with theirs
Cheers, Ed
gmpullman richhotrain Here is a partially concealed view of the actual sheave. I would really like to find something that is solid, as opposed to open spoke, but that is proving difficult. Have you considered making a styrene master then a silicone mold and resin castings? You could add Archer rivets. Maybe even cast any other parts while you are making the mold? I had hours into making parts for a Hulett ore unloader right about the time Walthers came along with theirs Cheers, Ed
richhotrain Here is a partially concealed view of the actual sheave. I would really like to find something that is solid, as opposed to open spoke, but that is proving difficult.
I am also considering the use of 1 1/2" Schedule 40 PVC, thin wall water pipe, to cut eight 3/4" wide sections of 1 1/2" diameter pipe sections. I would then cover the ends of each section with styrene sheet cut to fit over the opening and add "ribs" of rivet plate to simulate the embedded spokes.