Large Scale Central

Looking for Deck Truss Bridges for the Little River Rail Road

Track and Trestles
#1

I would like to sample your collective wisdom in trying to solve a practical problem for my gradually growing 1:20.3 representation of the Little River Rail Road. In researching the bridges in use on this East Tennessee Smokey Mountain logging line I have noticed that the more substantial bridges appear to be “deck truss bridges.” Here are a few pictures. The second one is a recycled RR bridge with an automobile roadway.

I have looked to find similar bridges in kit or built up form on the internet without much luck. Do you all know where such bridges could be obtained??? Thank you in advance for any and all help and leads. A “newbie” Doc Tom

#2

Garden Texture has at least one that might serve.

Or, you could build from the photos…

#3

Hi, Not only are they deck trusses, but they are also metal ones. That makes things complicated as that means using sections., which is likely to be more expensive.

The first photo is of a ‘lattice’ deck truss, and alas is not clearer than that as it is a bit small and possibly out of focus.

The second (ex road bridge) has a lattice also this time is it made from angle iron, Evergreen make plastic sections as do Plastruct the latter being ABS (special cement needed) the former being thinner and made from styrene which can be glued with normal ‘plastic’ cement.

For outdoor use, the best choice may well be to use aluminium angle and (lots and lots of ) stainless steel bolts, or possibly spend more and get an Eaglewings bridge made for you - expensive yes, and I think they are welded together, but it should last! Theey are powder coated I believe (I live in the UK by the way NOT the USA) for better preservation, bridges are a pain to paint, especially metal ones - really the best way is a spray gun, and a garage on a calm day, at least aluminium does not need painting! I have one that came as a kit from Germany, and is very good - it is also about 4 foot long - its a through deck girder bridge but the basic principles are the same - just longer pieces of angle between the top and bottom of the bridge!

All bridges will take a prodigious amount of angle by the way, and that may well suprise you - they ain’t cheap!

Depending on the length you may also be able to hide (under the track) a couple of square section tube section in steel to give the whole bridge some strength, if so rustproof it before painting it. Mine came from a DIY chain store (Home Depot?), they (in the UK) are about 3 foot long.

Wooden bridges are easier but no less complicated, I have made a 4 foot long Howe Truss and that took a lot of material, it has welding rod for the tension rods and the rest is PVC solid foam (Sintra in the USA) plastic strips and lots of glue as well.

Finally , there is a book by Kalmbach, on bridges: my old copy does not have much on specifically deck trusses, but there is a lot of general bridge knowledge for both metal or wood bridges.

#4

Tom,

Why don’t you look at the garden shops and plastic kitchen products in the big box stores. Take a picture with you and look for some extrusion that you can release from the plastic or stamped metal around it? I’ve seen those shapes.

#5

(http://s615.photobucket.com/albums/tt235/danielpeck/?action=view&current=HPIM2008.jpg)

Somthing like this??? would this work?

#6

Hey Tom,

Just looking through a Lowe’s flyer and saw a trailer for sale. How about getting a metal shop to bend extruded metal or aluminum to a 3 sided trough shape or buy and cut the metal yourself and bend it over a 2x4. Just thoughts, we’ve got a welding metal shop about 2 blocks from the house, that I’m sure could come up with something and I’m sure there is one close to you.

Andy C. said there was another metal fabricator at York, behind Eaglewings that would sell pieces of trim, maybe they would have something you could use. I don’t have the name, but I’m sure somebody here does.

#7

The company Ric mentioned I saw, is called ““Mainline Bridges””… www.mainlinebridges.com… I haven’t looked at their website yet… I am under the understanding, that in addition to whole bridges, they will also sell bridge parts/pieces individually…

#8

There were wooden deck truss bridges at ECLSTS, but I didn’t take note of the vendor. I took crappy cell phone pictures but they didn’t come out.

#9

I second the notion of Garden Textures - good kits and good plans. You can get the plans separately. They are all wood and hold up very well.

But, that does look like a metal bridge. I would consider getting some shapes (I-beams, angles) from either Evergreen or Plastruct and build it up. As long as the plastic is painted it will hold up very well over the years. It’s also very easy to work with and will be quite strong.

#10

There is a guy in Tenneesee I have been working with that makes bridges made of ABS. I ordered a 16 foot arch bridge that will suit me just fine and fairly in-expensive. Comes in pieces like a kit, simple to assemble and cuts the shipping costs way down. He uses AutoCAD. I draw the bridge I want in MasterCAM, convert it to AutoCAD. Send him the drawing and he sends back the AutoCAD drawing of exactly what he can do. His parts are cut with a laser and NC mill. Anyone interested, can e-mail me for more info.

#11

WOW!!! Thank you so much for jumping aboard the Little River train and providing so MANY ideas and leads!!!

(http://i542.photobucket.com/albums/gg412/DrGrab/0403Shay9ObservationCar.jpg)

I will be spending days just checking out the many sites, companies and individuals you all have recommended. I hope to post pictures of my progress on the models of these interesting prototypical bridges for the LRRR. Doc Tom

#12

the ones I posted I can build for you cheap… just let me know.