# Questions about trestle styles



## Brandon (Jul 6, 2011)

As I've been doing research for my trestle bents, I have a few questions I haven't found the answers to.

The first is why some bents use a single header that sits on top of the vertical supports vs others that use a double header that is attached to the sides of the vertical supports. Is one more ideal for strength, easier to build, or traditional for certain railroads?

Also with the vertical supports, some bents that use two headers attached to the sides of the vertical supports have the 2 inner vertical supports sticking up higher so that the horizontal supports between bents that hold the ties attach to them. What's the history or purpose of doing this?

Here are some bents I've found interesting and might use to model mine from.

http://s135.photobucket.com/user/srcrbrandon/slideshow/train/Trestle Bents


----------



## catherine yronwode (Oct 9, 2013)

Nice pictures! 

Here's another, just being installed on my layout by Daniel Smith:


----------



## fyrekop (Sep 20, 2011)

Does he travel to Arizona???? Great trestle


----------



## SD90WLMT (Feb 16, 2010)

Brandon, 

One thing to keep in mind when selecting any trestle will be the location on your layout! Trestle design varies based on usage...

Such as whether it is a backwoods line, a branch line, or even out on the mainline..
Load requirements change in each case, which affect construction choices..some of those which you are asking in your OP.

How many posts or pilings are in a bent...
..based again on train loadings...ah..but also the type of ground it is planted on..beneath the bent!

Many choices lay ahead for you.....

Dirk


----------



## Dwight Ennis (Jan 2, 2008)

Brandon said:


> As I've been doing research for my trestle bents, I have a few questions I haven't found the answers to.
> 
> The first is why some bents use a single header that sits on top of the vertical supports vs others that use a double header that is attached to the sides of the vertical supports. Is one more ideal for strength, easier to build, or traditional for certain railroads?


Prototype railroad trestles are NEVER built with what you call a double header. Such construction would never support the weight of a real train, and the first train to try and cross would fall through, destroying both train and trestle in the process.

I've seen model trestles built this way, and it's always been a pet peeve. I imagine it was done to allow the track's plastic ties to sit within the tops of the trestle bents.

Prototype trestles always have one solid horizontal cap timber atop the pilings (vertical supports), sometimes fitted with a top piece of sheet metal.



> Also with the vertical supports, some bents that use two headers attached to the sides of the vertical supports have the 2 inner vertical supports sticking up higher so that the horizontal supports between bents that hold the ties attach to them. What's the history or purpose of doing this?


The first answer also answers your second question, since prototype trestles were never built this way.

Attached is a drawing representing prototype trestle construction.


----------



## SD90WLMT (Feb 16, 2010)

The sheet metal was used to cover the upper surface and outer top corners...

Why??

To prevent ...cinders...from starting a Fire!!!

Dirk


----------



## SD90WLMT (Feb 16, 2010)

Similar trestle drawing that I have...

I have seen some built by calling out a top cap of 12" x 14" x length...depending on the owner (RR)
...of course the 14" is vertical ...so the 12" matches the bents..and the brace overlays lie flat....

Dirk


----------



## catherine yronwode (Oct 9, 2013)

Fyrekop, 

He does travel -- and he builds and installs trestles on site. He has a woodworking shop trailer set up, and can sleep in it and all. He has built trestles up and down the South Bay, East Bay, and North Bay here in California. Only limitation is -- he does not drive. He refuses. He is tech savvy enough to put videos on youtube and Facebook and he is an avid skateboarder, but he is also eccentric, and not driving is just his 19th century way of life. I think he is a great modeler and a great asset to our hobby. 

Contact him via his web site:

http://danielsmithrailroad.com

He is also on Facebook and on youtube -- just look for Daniel Smith Railroad or Smith Family Railroad. He also makes beautiful wooden boxes for live steam locomotives under the name Smith Wooden Boxes, and he does commercial installations with wood for restaurants and bars. He is just an all-around master woodworker. 

Here he is building the trestle in my carport with redwood he milled for the job:










It 13 feet long, all hand-spiked, and -- at my request -- it has a glorious gentle S-curve that is photogenic as all get-out.

But that's nothin! Here is the 24-foot long trestle he built for my friend Al Tillman! He fabricated this one at his home shop, in sections, and Al came and picked Daniel and the trestle up with his truck and they installed it together. It is outdoors on Al's patio and it is a whopper! 









http://www.danielsmithrailroads.com/al-tillmans-redwood-trestle-by-daniel-smith-railroads.jpg_
(oversized image converted to link. Mod._) (I uploaded a smaller version of the image -- is this okay? --cat)

cat


----------



## kormsen (Oct 27, 2009)

well, as you included my trestle in your colection of ides, be warned.
i did not follow any real prototype.
like you did, i searchd the web for pics of trestles.
that gave me a general idea of the impression i wanted to produce.

i put horicontal beams below and upon the vertical beams, just because it seemed logical, to spread the weight.
everything else was mostly owed to the little awayable space.
the outer, inclined verticals should be more inclined.for verticals and other "stiffeners" i used boards instead of beams.
and i used very flimsy and fine beams, to enhance that thin, spidey look of trestles.

i think, the best thing i did was NOT to use plastic ties/sleepers, even if that meant double work.


----------



## wigginsn (Jan 9, 2008)

Hi Brandon,

My trestle in photo 2 was based on 'RGS' drawings that were published here on MLS some time ago. The finished trestle is in my sig below. I can't post a link as they're saved on a now dead computer. 

I figured I should use prototype methods if I wanted it to look right.

Perhaps someone else can re-post a link to the designs for reference?

Cheers
Neil


----------



## Ironton (Jan 2, 2008)

The sheet metal was put there to fend off sparks. Coal and wood burners put out lots of sparks, and had various smoke stacks to remedy this but that is another topic. The wooden trestles had a bad habit of catching fire from the sparks. Apparently the center was protected by the train or not as dry.

Hope this helps.


----------

