I have made up most of the trestle bents for my trestle and will soon be installing them on my layout. I am trying to find out how far apart the spacing is of trestle bents on most prototype trestles. I know there are probably several different dimensions that could be used but I would like to know the best distance for the most appealing finished look of the trestle.
John, I spaced these at 6". jb
(http://www.lscdata.com/users/jebouck/resised%20trestle%201.jpg)
(http://www.lscdata.com/users/jebouck/resised%20trestle%202.jpg)
That’s a great trestle, John!
John,
I used 6" and it looked pretty good, I tried them 8-10" apart but didn’t like the look.
On jb’s 1:22.5 RR, 6 inches is about every 10 scale feet. Funny how that works out.
Scale?
Wot’s that?
You can find them on the sides of fish… 
Steve thanks for the link to trestles 101. I only model steam on 3’ narrow gauge at 1/20.3 scale. Most of my equipment is Bachman. It looks like 6" spacing or approximately 10’ in prototype is what I will use for the trestle bents. When I finally learn how to post pictures I will share with you all.
John
John,
on the Rio Grande Southern, ‘curved’ trestles comprised ‘straight’ segments, 15 feet long. Thus the bents would have been spaced at 15 foot at the outer edge. I have no idea as to straight trestle bent spacing.
Steve Featherkile said:Steve, The trestles on my layout are 1/2" scale. So if I run one of my 1:20.5 enjins, what is the scale of the trestle? Or one of my 1:22.5 locos, Or one of my 1:24, or................................ :) :) :)
On jb's 1:22.5 RR, 6 inches is about every 10 scale feet. Funny how that works out.
Like you say, scales belong only on fish or reptiles! 
jb
I think the correct spacing directly correlates to, how many of these bents do you want to build? I have had them 6 " apart ,7 and 8 and no one has ever noticed the distance. At one time I had 160" of trestles and bridges on my layout. I’ve made the layout shorter and given away boxes of trestles and bridges. I still have a couple of boxes of trestles that I’ll probably use for firewood this winter.
Well John - So long as you aren’t running any of that ‘correct scale’ standard gauge (1:32) your scale works out to 1:23.95 so that 1/2" scale you picked to build the trestle with is perfect
JB,
If’n it looks good from 10 feet or so, it is the correct scale.
BTW, you usin’ that rail bender still? :lol:
I have a few Big Hauler Bachman engines and a few of the newer Spectrum engines. I know the Big Hauler engines were not made to exact scale but the Spectrum line is supposed to be much closer to 1/20.3. For my money they look good together. I am not a rivit counter or a scale freak. I just love old time narrow gauge steam locomotives. Right now I have all Bachman engines: 0-4-0, 2-6-0, 4-4-0, 4-6-0, 2-8-0, Two Truck Shay and Heisler engines. I eventually hope to find a Climax and purchase a K27. I would like to eventually have an engine that represents almost every narrow gauge style that was made. I might even break down and include one Diesel shifter. Was there 3’ narrow gauge prototype version made at one time? Is the Bachman 40 tonner a true prototype 1/20.3 scale 3’ narrow gauge engine? The one I saw at the ECLST show looked too big for my senses.
My trestle is quite long, over 40 feet, with an eight foot radius curve toward the end. The top of the trestle is completely level. It will start at grade and end up two feet above my elevated table layout. I am using the the Roger Smith system and my table top is dropping at a 5% grade. I plan to run my geared locomotives, Shay and Heisler down this grade to my loging camp which will be under the trestle. I guess that means I will need around eighty bents. I plan to have a 30" long Howel Truss bridge in the middle of the trestle so I can duck under to get on the other side of the layout. The bottom of the truss bridge will be around 4’ above ground level when you include the height of the table and the trestle. This is the lowest ground level on my layout. My back yard has an eight foot drop from the highest point which is eighty feet away to the lowest point. That means a one foot drop every ten feet at ground level but the track table will be level for the first forty feet and only start to drop at the 5% grade in the last forty feet. Hard to explain. I will try to post a track plan with some elevations when my 12 year old grandson comes to visit me in July. He is very good with computers and I know he will be able to show me how to post pictures. Maybe I can even have him design me an AVITAR and logo for my railroad. I plan to call it the “Magnolia and Little Creek Railroad”. Named after the town I live in (Magnolia, Delaware) and the adjacent town.
Fred Weigold said:Ohhhhhhhhhhhh Nooooooooooo! Send them this way! Ralph
I think the correct spacing directly correlates to, how many of these bents do you want to build? I have had them 6 " apart ,7 and 8 and no one has ever noticed the distance. At one time I had 160" of trestles and bridges on my layout. I've made the layout shorter and given away boxes of trestles and bridges. I still have a couple of boxes of trestles that I'll probably use for firewood this winter.
Steve Featherkile said:
JB,If’n it looks good from 10 feet or so, it is the correct scale.
BTW, you usin’ that rail bender still? :lol:
Yep,
Prolly will be for 3-4 months.
Sorry…
Ralph Berg said:I'll split the shipping!Fred Weigold said:Ohhhhhhhhhhhh Nooooooooooo! Send them this way! Ralph
I think the correct spacing directly correlates to, how many of these bents do you want to build? I have had them 6 " apart ,7 and 8 and no one has ever noticed the distance. At one time I had 160" of trestles and bridges on my layout. I've made the layout shorter and given away boxes of trestles and bridges. I still have a couple of boxes of trestles that I'll probably use for firewood this winter.
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Error recorded and charged to your account. :lol: