Thanks Jerry. I think we both need to keep our hands out of harms way (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-frown.gif)
Boss just got in another kit, just like the one I was building when I had the incident. This time I’m using a bar clamp and keeping me left hand far away!!! Unfortunately we only have one long one and it’s an 8 footer - but I’ll make it work.
The sun was over the mountain when I took these, so the camera insisted on using flash. Not the best pictures, but you can get the idea. I wanted to do a final fit test with all the styrene in place to be sure I hadn’t caused it to grow too big. It dropped right in, and with the abutment leveled it’s pretty stable side-to-side. It might need just a little shim, but close enough.
The East abutment…
And the West abutment with track/tie test…
Long shot looking West…
And East…
And finally a close-up of the track/tie test. It doesn’t line up exactly perfect, the bridge deck is at a slightly different grade than the existing track. This is probably due to my adjustment of the concrete abutment. Nothing that cant be adjusted in the approach track…
When I do the new concrete pour to fix the wing walls I’ll run across the face of the abutment under the full size girder leaving some room for chairs. I haven’t found a chair design yet that looks easy to build, but I’ll come up with something - even if its just a block of wood as I’ve seen in some prototype photos (https://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-surprised.gif)
After shelving this project last fall and taking the winter off, I am back at it. The current bridge is about to collapse, so this replacement must get installed before disaster strikes. My hold up, as usual, was the details. The vertical edges of the girder plates are simulated with 1/8" Plastruct angle epoxied to the aluminum tube between the polystyrene sheet making up the top and bottom edge of the plates. I had run out of the angle stock and by the time I got them in, my MoJo for this project had left me. The Mojo came back for a short time in late winter and I cut the angle into the 100+ pieces I needed. Then it left again until the rains hit this past week and I needed something to do.
As of today, all 100 verticals have been epoxied to the tube. It’s a slow process as I mix up enough epoxy to glue on 3 or 4 pieces, then start again. I use two spacing jigs made from 3mm PVC to keep things in alignment…
Job finally done…
The simulated break between sections where a support pier will be located…
The next step will be paint which will complete the girder. Rumor has it we might finally have enough weather to paint late Sunday and Monday 
Nice work Jon. Looking forward to all the improvements(http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)
Somebody has to say it:
Is it done yet?
Great job, almost a year later, how is the hand doing? keep at it we need to copy it for my RR.
Thanks (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)The hand is fully functional, but nearly a year later I still have no feeling in the tip and face which extends down the incision line to the center of my palm. This makes gripping things and picking up things a challenge. The odd feeling, although not as bad as before, is still there. I’ve learned to work around this. I went the the worker’s comp insurer’s doctor last week for a rating. He thinks that a second nerve was compromised as a result of the surgery, possibly from scar tissue.
Back to the bridge, it looks like I will only be able to get the primer on today as it won’t clear until afternoon. The Rustoleum Aluminum Primer needs 48 hours to cure before top coat - so I hope the good weather holds so I can spray color on Tuesday evening. I also need to get the track cut and begin spiking.
Looks really good, Daktah! I wish we could get 48 hours without rain. The hourly report this morning showed 0% chance of rain but we had to end our morning walk because the rain was coming down too hard.
Bruce, don’t you just love them professional weather guessers. (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)(http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-surprised.gif)(http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)
David Maynard said:
Bruce, don’t you just love them professional weather guessers. (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)(http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-surprised.gif)(http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)
Ain’t that the truth. I could have been rich if I had only understood how to get paid for being wrong most of the time.
Nice work, Jon. I could use one of those from Mancos to Hesperus.
Had a beautiful day here. Got some track work done and ran a train…(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)
Looking good John!
Great looking bridge, John. That should last a long, long time.
I feel your pain with the rain (no, I am not a poet). We have finally had 5 days with sunshine and no rain forcasted for the next several days.
Woke up this morning to sunshine and clearing skies. Took a look at the radar and had one more line coming through, then clear sailing for the next 48 hours or more. Got the saw horses in place just as the last line came through. It cleared on schedule, but was gusty. I decided to paint anyway. Got the primer coat on the aluminum girder…
And some of my patented spray rust on the clamps…
While waiting for the rain to clear I got the bridge ties ready and cut some rail to fit. It just needs spiking now…
The weather is supposed to be dry for the next few days. Tomorrow I need to mow my weeds as some are nearly a foot tall after 10 days of rain 
I’ll try and spray color on the girder Tuesday.
Do you have many of those Stainless spikes rise? I’ve heard others suggest plain steel spikes so they will rust in place.
Nice bridge.
John
I have heard the same thing John. I have only ever used them outdoors on East Es-cap-e` bridge which has PVC ties. On that bridge they are still tight some 3 or 4 years later. I don’t think PVC changes as much with moisture as wood does, so that may be why they are behaving. I don’t have any others so I guess I will find out soon if they are good or bad. If they start pushing out I guess I can change them out to regular steel later.
The girder is now black. I used an entire can of Krylon Max Satin Black. Went on nicely and looks good…
The paint brings the details together and helps a lot with the illusion of plates…
I need to get another set of vinyl letters from work. Once they are applied the girder is done.
On the deck / rail front I got the gauge spiked in and tested using my test bed for Devon’s trucks…
I used a short section of Aristo rail to hold the gauge at each end…
And I made another pair of my quick and dirty gauges giving me a total of 6…
When I’m done spiking I’ll have two per rail on every other tie with a few more at joints. At this rate I expect the bridge might be in place this weekend
I used a short section of Aristo rail to hold the gauge at each end…
Or to sort of hold it kinda close to something approximating the gauge, almost. I kid, my railroad is 100% Aristo, not quite in gauge, track.
That there modern bridge is looking good. I can’t wait to see it in service, with a revenue train trundling across it.
Well - if the bridge didn’t match Aristo’s almost in gauge track there world be a problem at both ends (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-surprised.gif)So far I am 100% Aristo, mostly stainless. If the new expansion ever gets started I will be adding some AML 332. i haven’t compared them for gauge yet.
And regarding the “modern” bridge that will soon have vintage narrow gauge trains trundling across - That is the advantage of running a museum line. I can have old trains running across a bridge built in current times. And the only reason it is a welded plate girder is that I am too lazy to add all the rivets. 100 angles was enough!
Daktah John said:
The girder is now black. I used an entire can of Krylon Max Satin Black. Went on nicely and looks good…
The paint brings the details together and helps a lot with the illusion of plates…
That looks great!
