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Timber Trestle Project

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Timber Trestle Project
Posted by Track fiddler on Sunday, December 26, 2021 10:25 PM

After five styrene bridges were complete unpainted I felt a curved timber trestle on a 2% grade would probably be the greatest challenge but turned out to be the funnest.

 

 

TF

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Posted by snjroy on Sunday, December 26, 2021 10:42 PM

Pictures?

Simon

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Posted by Track fiddler on Sunday, December 26, 2021 10:45 PM

I could not believe it took $67 of styrene but it kept soaking it up.

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Posted by Track fiddler on Sunday, December 26, 2021 11:00 PM

snjroy

Pictures?

Simon

 
 
 
 
 
You rushed me Simon.
 
 
 
 
TF
 
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Posted by Track fiddler on Sunday, December 26, 2021 11:09 PM

You are young and life is long and there is time to kill today.

 

That would be David Gilmour 

 

 

TF

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Posted by Track fiddler on Sunday, December 26, 2021 11:26 PM

I like that guy

https://youtu.be/Z-OytmtYoOI

 

 

TF

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Posted by Track fiddler on Sunday, December 26, 2021 11:36 PM

Would you look at that time here,  I'm at the hotel but I need to hit the rack.

 

 

TF

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Posted by hon30critter on Sunday, December 26, 2021 11:53 PM

Track fiddler

Hey TF,

I like David Gilmour too! He makes playing the guitar spectacturaly look so easy!

Thanks for the video.

Dave

I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!

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Posted by Track fiddler on Monday, December 27, 2021 12:20 AM

I'm glad you enjoyed that Dave, He's really something.  One of the few guitarists in the world that slides his strings while playing.

The Trestle is a 2% grade.  18 in long in N scale is 240 ft.  Compounded by an 18 inch radius which is basically equivalent to a 33 inch radius for HO.

Here is where the bridge will be placed

 

 

TF

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  • From: Bradford, Ontario
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Posted by hon30critter on Monday, December 27, 2021 12:26 AM

Hi TF,

I am eager to see your work as it progresses.

Dave

I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!

  • Member since
    March 2017
  • 8,173 posts
Posted by Track fiddler on Monday, December 27, 2021 12:32 AM

I know Dave but I ain't going to fast because this crap wasn't very easy. 

A 2% grade compounded by an 18 inch radius confused me from the start.

I will probably have a hard enough time explaining it than I did doing it.

 

 

TF

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Posted by Track fiddler on Monday, December 27, 2021 12:50 AM

Normally when you have a straight flat bridge, you just set the Jig for duplicates and go.

A 2% grade in 18 inches is a 3/8" rise.  Divided by the number of bents I used was 1/48 of an inch progression per bent.  I do not have a scale that measures that and especially 4 times per bent.

 

 

TF

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Posted by Track fiddler on Monday, December 27, 2021 1:02 AM

We can jump ahead a bit so we all can understand measurements of four times a bent in 1/48th

Four measurements per bent 1/48th per parallel member, ....Yikes, I don't think so and that is not how I did it.

 Every single bent progresses and every one is different is why they are numbered.

 

 

TF

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Posted by Track fiddler on Monday, December 27, 2021 1:31 AM

Let's take a little break here and I'll catch up with you guys tomorrow.

If you don't mind I'll just continue that Floyd where we left off.  No video this time because you cannot improve on the old Floyd

https://youtu.be/cVBCE3gaNxc

 

 

TF

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Posted by rrebell on Monday, December 27, 2021 8:46 AM

Much easier to build them all the same but leave off or adjust the diagonal bracing on the bottom and just make the cuts when you get back to the accual layout, info for the next time you build a wood trestle as the bottoms were just buried in the dirt anyway.

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Posted by Track fiddler on Monday, December 27, 2021 4:16 PM

I had all the wood to build it, but as easy as the dowels snapped made me nervous.  I dont know what I did mathematically now but actually I remember now it was 1/45th Laugh

Whistling

 

 

TF

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Posted by Track fiddler on Monday, December 27, 2021 4:27 PM

Yep!

It was 3/8 ÷ 17

 

TF

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Posted by Track fiddler on Monday, December 27, 2021 4:38 PM

So a long graph was drawn 17@ 2 3/4th

 

 

TF

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Posted by Track fiddler on Monday, December 27, 2021 4:49 PM

So I didnt have to measure 1/45 68 times the graph graduated 3/8 of an Inch across the poster board where a drywall square could be used to mark the horizontal placement per bent.

Just a chicken scratch on the leading timber so a square could be used later after I put them back in The Jig

 

 

TF

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Posted by Track fiddler on Monday, December 27, 2021 4:58 PM

Man, Imgur is slower than molasses in January today so you're going to have to bear with me.  I'm feeling a bit foggy todayLaugh

 

 

TF

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Posted by Track fiddler on Monday, December 27, 2021 5:14 PM

Check out those microlines of progression, I would hate to have to measure that 68 times.

 

 

TF

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Posted by Track fiddler on Monday, December 27, 2021 5:27 PM

So fast forward a bunch of hus fuss and styrene dope.

The bents were made.

I subtracted number 1 and number 11 because I rechecked my math.  I didn't take into consideration the thickness of the bents.  Cosmetically it will turn out better with two less.

 

 

TF

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Posted by Track fiddler on Monday, December 27, 2021 5:34 PM

I don't watch much TV but Happy Days is on and it looks like a good one.

I'll be back after I hang out with the Fonze for half hourLaugh

 

 

TF

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Posted by Track fiddler on Monday, December 27, 2021 5:43 PM

I put the left over Ribs over water in the oven covered with foil.

We're going to make some 2" thick sandwiches so I need to find my Razor Saw.  I'll let you know when thier doneDinner

Some distinctive flavor in a sandwich is styrene particles with pepper you knowLaugh

I'll make an extra one for J.R.Dinner

 

 

TF

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Posted by Track fiddler on Monday, December 27, 2021 6:24 PM

I think the railroads as powerful as they were had a deal with the lumber mills.  From what I understand they got their 12x18's 32' long to stagger them on the bridge bents.  

Go ask Menards or Home Depot if they have one of thoseLaugh

I wasn't going to be that fancy staggering the runners in N scale.  Maybe HO I would.

And then I learned about retention with styrene.  After the T pins were removed they lost their 18 inch radius into about a 20.

After trial and error I eventually pinned them into a 16" radius, took a hairdryer to them and stepped them up to form an18" radius.

 

 

TF

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Posted by Track fiddler on Monday, December 27, 2021 6:44 PM

When spending a love of passion losing track of time on a project, it is always so rewarding when something starts to come together.

 

 

TF

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Posted by Track fiddler on Monday, December 27, 2021 7:16 PM

When it starts to look like something.

 

 

TF

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Posted by gmpullman on Monday, December 27, 2021 7:28 PM

Track fiddler
When it starts to look like something.

  Bow  Bow Bow VERY Impressive, TF!  Bow Bow Bow

 

Regards, Ed

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Posted by hon30critter on Tuesday, December 28, 2021 3:00 AM

What Ed said!!

Dave

I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!

  • Member since
    October 2020
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Posted by NorthBrit on Tuesday, December 28, 2021 5:27 AM

There are modelers.   Average modelers.  Good modelers.   Really good modelers.   Above the normal modelers.    Exceptional modelers.   It is here we find TF.  Bow

 

David

To the world you are someone.    To someone you are the world

I cannot afford the luxury of a negative thought

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