Randy: How’d you do that?
I order something for $8.00 from the USA and I get whacked with a disproportionate shipping charge! 25-30 bucks or so. Maybe I can absorb it when I spend $100-200, but no chance for a small order like $8.00. I just bought 200 dollars worth of stuff from the States; it’s on its way now. My postage came out to over $105.00 additional. Ouch!
I had to actually EARN that money! How’d you do that?
Does the seller use UPS or FedEX? USPS can get VERY costly at times! Try that way.
Paul
John and Paul…I am finding that some of the US merchants are quite fair with their USPS charges, some others are not. I always check on the postage they are charging before pressing the order submit button. And yes sometimes they are high but I need/want what I ordered and is not readily available in my neck of the woods. Does not justify driving 2 hours to get 50 bucks worth of strip styrene and then find out they only have half of what I need. @Paul…Fedex and UPS does come here but their costs are way higher than the postal system. At least that has been my experience for my locale. Meanwhile I got the basic frame completed for the Lattice girder deck bridge. Now onto the stringers and bridge ties, then spiking rail.
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Thanks for the tip Randy. Ordered some rods and nuts for my bridge.
Jake because they are only 12" long I designed my bridge to the max hgt. only allowing the bar min. to thread the washers and nuts on. I model in 1:20 so I was concerned about the hgt. clearance.
I got to say Randy you sure know how to build with wood. You do awsome work. I cant wait to see the first trains running.
I was thinking about that Randy.
Since my bridge is a deck style instead of your through truss I figured I was going to have to shorten the rods. I’m not sure I’ll have any thread left after I trim them to length. I figured I could re-thread the rods or just create the illusion they are threaded and bolted. The wood structure will bear all the weight and the rods are for looks on my bridge.
Also, the deck bridge looks excellent. I am using for some ideas on how to build mine.
Did a test fit of the new latice girder deck bridge today to get a measurement for the hieght of the pier at the other end. No rails on the bridge yet, waiting for some more spikes from Switchcrafters. FWIW I ordered from them yesterday afternoon, some spikes and a few other bits, it shipped this morning and only $3.30 for postage to Canada.
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Randy. Are the ties stained cedar? Or what?
Yep Dave…just put a dark brown stain on the to ‘sort of’ match the AMS flex track I am using elsewhere.
Beautiful work!!!
Nice! I really love the look of the lattice deck bridge.
Randy;
The bridge is beautiful. The third photo kinda fooled me for a moment. I kinda wondered, “Why does he have a mini-lawn chair and washtub sitting on that bridge?” Then I realized it was some 1:1 lawn equipment in the background. :rolleyes:
Ah, the joys of aging eyes!
Best,
David Meashey
That’s the ‘pondering’ chair and a tub full crushed coal that I have been using for ballast.
Randy McDonald said:Pondering, or moaning, chair? I have a moaning chair that I use when I realize that I have FUBAR'd something. After 20 minutes or so of moaning, a solution always seems to present itself.
That's the 'pondering' chair and a tub full crushed coal that I have been using for ballast.
I learned about the moaning chair from my boat building mentor, Harold “Dynamite” Payson.
Today I build the short trestle that connects the lattice bridge to the current ‘end of track’. It’s 27" long with 9" straight and 18" @ 5’ radius.
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I then took it out to the RR and placed it where it will drop in once I cut back the ladder and do the foundations for the bents, etc. I just wanted to confirm my alignment for connecting to existing track.
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Randy, this entire build is really looking good. Great focal point and excellant workmanship.
Is it done yet.
NO IT’S NOT DONE YET! get your azz over here and move some dirt for me. 
