Doug Arnold said:I don't want to hear "rain" Doug. I'm already behind schedule getting this layout going! Like an old firehorse running for the barn!:)
Maybe it'll be a wet winter Gary and you'll have lots of time indoors to do those rivets!
Thanks for the info, Gary. I need to go measure a span for a curved bridge and shoot him an email.
Bob, This is one section of the 90 inch radius deck bridge Scott made for me. These are topped off with Garden Metal Bridges catwalks. All of the structural braces are included. $25 per bridge. These are about 18 inches long and are angled on each end to form the curve.
(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/gary_armitstead/_forumfiles/deckbridge1res.jpg)
(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/gary_armitstead/_forumfiles/Deckbridge2res.jpg)
(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/gary_armitstead/_forumfiles/Deckbridge3res.jpg)
Andy Clarke said:So how many are you gonna buy Dad?
wicked cool.... :)
What day are you starting on the rivets?
Doug Arnold said:When I get more ambition than Rick! :)
What day are you starting on the rivets?
Hey Gary,
Thats a great looking deck bridge and at $25.00 for a 18" section is a great price. What information did you have to give J & S to have them made for you? I have an area where a couple of their 48" thru truss bridges with radiused deck bridges on both ends would look great for my double track main line.
Chuck
PS. More pictures of your other bridges please.
Chuck Inlow said:
Hey Gary, Thats a great looking deck bridge and at $25.00 for a 18" section is a great price. What information did you have to give J & S to have them made for you? I have an area where a couple of their 48" thru truss bridges with radiused deck bridges on both ends would look great for my double track main line. Chuck PS. More pictures of your other bridges please.
Chuck, Scott had a pretty good idea of what I wanted in a deck bridge. Told him I was D&RGW NG similar to those bridges like Lobato or Cascade. I just gave him the radius I wanted and he did the rest. Sent me some AutoCad drawings by PDF or as a cad file (I have MasterCam, so it wasn’t a big deal and also use DraftSight cad software). I merged his deck bridge cad file into my MasterCam drawings of my layout design and checked angles and approved the file for his construction. His work is “dead-on”! Making a set of deck bridges for a double main line could get a little more pricey than my $25 figure.
(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/gary_armitstead/_forumfiles/bridge11res.jpg)
Photo of my Connie taken in August 2011, after completion of my first 48 inch arch bridge (was not painted yet) and testing the fit of the Garden Metal Models catwalks. I purchased 4, 48 inch arch bridges and 8 of the angled decks for a 90 inch radius bridge, 2 of the STRAIGHT decks (no angles on the ends) for a 48 inch deck and 4 more angled decks for another area (my WYE). I also ordered 20 piers (18 inches tall). I’ll see if I can find a photo of the piers.
(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/gary_armitstead/_forumfiles/deckpiersres.jpg)
Hi Guys, I think Gary has answered most all the questions about Scott’s bridges. All that really remains to be determined about them is longevity and Scott say’s they last well. It is probably a good thing that Gary answered the questions about the basic bridges because from this point on my work begins, as usual, to deviate from plans and specs ;):). The first thing I wanted to do was add some perches, mounts, foot plates, whatever you call them. On a real arch bridge the mounts are at an angle complementary to the arch but with the way that these are done on the ends I thought it might be better to use a vertical mount. I didn’t take a lot of pictures during fabrication of the mounts because mostly I forgot. here the upper assemblies are being glued up. The mounts were built of heavy Styrene.
The first set of mounts are finished and painted. As you can see they have a rocking motion in one direction but are static the other direction. I used 3/16 stove bolts for the mounting pins up into the bridge structure.
Mounts placed on the ends of the bridges to check for fit and finish. These should add some good visual candy to the already impressive bridge structures. I have had pretty good luck with the Styrene plastic outdoors as long as it is heavily painted and in small cross sections.
Bridge decks are next up. Thanks for taking a look.
Rick
“All that really remains to be determined about them is longevity and Scott say’s they last well.” Rick’s quote
I have had one arch bridge outside in heat, cold and wet and dry weather (Southern California), for over a year. I did this to verify how they would hold up in various kinds of environment. So far, so good. No change that i can see. One deck bridge has been in the same area and conditions for about six months. It too, looks great so far. Neither bridge is painted yet, just the bare ABS.
I love those “bridge shoes” Rick!
Cool!
Good Morning all, Here are the pictures of the bridge decks as they were assembled. I cut full length solid Redwood runners for both sides of the bridge to carry the ties and track. These will add some strength, if necessary, to the structure as well as making it easy to separate the wood assembly from the ABS for ease of maintenance in the future. The long bridge ties are every other tie and the track ties will hold the rails in gauge as the track will basically be free floating on top of the bridge deck.
After the outside deck plank is installed a jig was built to aid in drilling the holes for the handrail posts. The jig was a U-shaped wood piece with a brass tube lined drilling hole to guide the bit and keep things straight.
When all the holes were drilled, the 3/32 brass welding rod was cut to length and inserted through the holes to even with the bottom side of the ties. Then the additional deck planking was installed down each side.
The next step was to install the hand rail cables (24 gauge copper wire) on the posts. The wire was wrapped and soldered at each post using a wood block to keep an even height. Also a wood runner was installed underneath the ties to keep the posts from being pushed downward. The plastic ties on the rails were evenly spaced and hit with a dab of silicon from underneath to keep them from sliding back and forth between the wood ties.
Well that is it for the wood deck assemblies, they are off to the paint shop where they will be soaked in oil, and the plastic ties and rail will be painted. Installation is the next phase. Thanks for taking a look. Rick
Looking good!
That really looks good.
What kind of solder do you use?
Nice work Rick. :0
Very nice Rick! You need to send these photos to Scott. He will really be impressed.
Great idea on the alternating wood runners and the plastic one to keep the track in guage. Then you get the bridge tie spacing without having to hand lay the track.
Thanks for following along Guys.
Hey Gary, How is that rivet counting coming along ;) Errrr, I mean placing , not counting.
Doug, I just use rosin core 60/40 soft, on most everything.
Jake, That was my thoughts on it as well. I have hand laid more than enough track in my time.
Later.
Rick
Hi all, OK, the installation has started, it has been one of those plan as you build deals but seems to be working out well enough. The back story to this bridge placement is the fact that they have to be removable for truck/tractor access in the future. With that in mind the center pier has to be removable down to ground level so that it can be straddled with equipment. The first step was to dig the hole and set the forms. The pier footing will be 16" square and 12 inches deep. I used 1/2 inch foundation “J” Bolts that I threaded down 3 inches and set them in a form plate of chip board so they would hold the bolt pattern I wanted.
The bridge pier landing at the tables on each end are just Redwood blocking at this point. The string line is of course to keep my center line on the middle pier and also the height.
After pulling the forms I set the bottom nuts than dropped on some 1/2 inch “Bridge Washers” to support the bottom plate of the pier. For the pier bottom plate I scrounged around in the junk pile down at the ranch and found a piece of 1/2 inch steel plate with 1" holes in the corners. I thought this would work well for establishing a solid base and allowing a four point leveling system. The white washer looking things are pieces of PVC pipe turned to act as bushings between the 1/2 inch bolts and the 1 inch holes.
The framing members were bent up from 20 Ga. galvi and screwed together. The top landing pad for the bridge feet is 2X6 Redwood lammed together with another section underneath cut on the taper angles to fasten the uprights to. The pier will taper from 8X12 on the top to 12X16 at the base.
Just a closer look at how the frame and base were assembled.
That’s all for now. Thanks for taking a look.
Rick
Well Rick, looks like you’re using the right plan. 