# first bridge ..update



## GarryNCGRR (Jan 18, 2008)

If I have this figured out..these pictures should work. Second section finished, painted and set in place for the time being. Still have work to do on the piers, and need track down, but it will look basically the same. 
I put in three photos showing where the bridge sits in my layout, the last one showing a good portion of phase one. Next spring if all goes well phase two can just maybe get done to the point of running. 

Garry NCGRR


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## jimtyp (Jan 2, 2008)

Looking sweet! Thanks for the update and pics


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

Nice work. Clever use of materials.


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## Biff (Jan 4, 2008)

Garry, very nice work. You used plexiglass. What did you use to cut it? I like the look that you were able to create with it. Do you have pictures of the bridges with track and trains running? Please, if possiible, could you give me some detailled instructions? Thank you. 

Biff.


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## GarryNCGRR (Jan 18, 2008)

Biff...............I used a table saw with a 7 inch plastic/aluminum cutting blade, it cuts cleanly and easily this way. I found it was best to do it fairly slowly so the plastic didn't get hot.










Plexy with styrene parts added on and ready for painting. Glue used was methylene chloride, which usually is sold where plexy is sold. The same glue holds the styrene to the plexy, and holds well.










Picture of first section before being installed on layout. Used Krylon camo black and camo brown to paint them. 










Second type of bridge using the same system. No pictures of track down yet, got too wet to keep working on layout. When / if the weather drys out some I will get back at it.


Garry


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## Biff (Jan 4, 2008)

Thanks for the information. Truly appreciate it. I understand about the weather. It is suppose to rain tomorrow here in D.C. 

Biff


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

For some reason the second picture did not display But the third Picture is a great over view.

You are going to have one beautiful looking rail road when you get done.


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## Terl (Jan 2, 2008)

Your bridges and your landscaping look great. Most people put the track down befor the plants. Yours plants look pretty well established, so is this a pre existing garden or did you just decide to do the plants befor the track? 

Terl


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## GarryNCGRR (Jan 18, 2008)

The whole layout area was grass and a vegetable garden before the railroad was planned. I designed the layout knowing where the river, mountains, tunnel and wharf area would be and also what diameter of curves there would be, before starting. Since I am hand laying my track with aluminum code 250 rail I needed a good solid base for it, so went with the concrete, so all the track placing was worked out in advance. The idea of hand laying all my track is taking longer than first figured...big surprise







....have most made up in sections like sectional track, in differing lengths, just needed the bridges built and now the weather to cooperate some. Looking forward to making some switches up and seeing how they work out. Figured I'd do the plants and moving of dirt before any track got down...less chance of dropping something where it shouldn't be dropped. So far all has gone well, slow, but well. ! Hope to have things up and running soon...but worst case would see it done by early spring. Really looking forward to seeing first run of first loop. Already have second phase of layout planned, but first things first









Garry


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

It's a beautiful garden. It will look even nicer with trains running through it.


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## NTCGRR (Jan 2, 2008)

Very nice job on the bridges... great photo ops.


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## Bills (Feb 20, 2008)

What is the thickness of the plexiglass? The bridges look great, could you please inclued a few closeups of the construction details?


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## GarryNCGRR (Jan 18, 2008)

Hi Bills....got a problem with pics of construction...didn't take any until it was mostly together...I know, bad of me. I can tell you though that I cut out the three girders for each bridge section first...all three exactly the same size and shape. The plexy is all cut from a 1/8th inch thick sheet. After cutting out the girders I cut the two bases for each side where the track would be. These bases were then supported by a box of 1 inch strips of plexy glued to the bottom of the base, to give it more strength and more area on the sides to glue to the girders. Hope this is making sense so far! I also added another length of plexy where the track would sit so it would drain off to the sides in wet weather...I use wood ties so thought it was a good idea at the time. 
After the whole bridge was glued together, I used styrene for adding all the detail structure. To make the girder flanges at the top and bottom of each beam I glued 100 X 500 mm styrene strips. The side bracing is two lengths of thin styrene the height of each girder, glued in a T shape onto the sides of the girders at even spacings apart...on mine about 2 inches apart. 
Once the whole bridge was together I used Krylon Camo black to paint it and then added some camo brown for some accenting. 










Different shot of bridge for better look...if it came through okay.


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## Dave Ottney (Jan 2, 2008)

Gary, 
A couple of questions here- 
1. What are you using for ties and what are their dimensions? 
2. Are you making up sections of track on the bench and then placing them on the layout? 
thanks, 
Dave


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## blueregal (Jan 3, 2008)

Are the trees real all of them or some, and where do you get them either way????? The Regal


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

Great job on building the bridges really look nice. Great detail. Later RJD


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## noelw (Jan 2, 2008)

Thats a great looking bridge.. Nice work you did...


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## GarryNCGRR (Jan 18, 2008)

Dave.........I use Red Cedar for the ties.....I cut the ties to 7/16 X 7/16 X 3 1/2 inches and then soak them in used diesel oil for several days, then let them dry out for several more. I find they dry well and aren't messy to handle, but look nice and dark with the grain of the wood showing through. I'm happy with the way they look when finished.
I make jigs that I keep in the house to make the lengths of track. The straight track is made in six foot lengths, which I can cut to the lengths I need when laying it. The curves are made on another jig I made, which is laid out to lay both 11 foot dia. curves and 12 foot 3 inch dia. curves....the two sizes I am working with. I am making the curves in lengths of 2 foot, 3 foot and 5 foot, which I can also cut to any other lengths I may need. I don't like making the curves any longer than the 5 footers as they get a little more difficult to handle moving them out to the layout. I also made a thin plywood jib for the curved track that fits between the rails, it makes sure that the track is in proper dia. of curves before final fastening in place.

Regal ..........all the trees on my layout are real. Don't know the names of some of them....but there are small pine bushes...I think Black Pine ??, some Juniper bushes which I try to train to grow upwards to look like trees, some dwarf Alberta Spruce.....and several other ones that I have no idea what they are called....they just looked good so I bought them







Some are growing a little faster and getting tall too fast, so will be digging them out this spring and putting them back in pots to keep the roots in check and hopefully slow their growth. Also have some ferns and Heather here and there as well as moss and thyme. I bought some of them in little pots at Christmas, guess they were supposed to be used as table center pieces...have grown quite a lot since then. Others I bought at Home Depot, Walmart and in garden shops around my area, can never pass up a nice looking tree or shrub.








I do think at this point I have brought home enough rocks and plants to keep me happy ...........for now, and more than enough work ahead of me getting the track down and then working on phase 2, on which I hope to get the roadbed concrete poured this coming year. Great to be kept busy !!!









Garry NCGRR


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

Garry

One can never ever have enough rocks.


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## Matt Vogt (Jan 2, 2008)

Looks fantastic, Garry! You should be very proud! Nice bridge, too, by the way.









Take care,
Matt


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## Bills (Feb 20, 2008)

Thanks for the info. do you have any track down at all? Is there enough room to run trains between those flanges on your bridge? Please keep the photos coming.


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## GarryNCGRR (Jan 18, 2008)

Hi Bills...............yep....just enough room for clearance between the girder flanges and the cars.....3/4 inch on each side. There is a reason for that.....I am going with a spacing of 6 3/4 inches center to center of track on straight sections....close to the 2 inch spacing I used in HO. Doing this on the bridge gave me the fairly close clearance on the inside girder....so I matched it to the outside girder....my choose though! Guess old HO habits die hard!







Anyway....it does clear as long as there isn't a derailment....derailment ??????? not here !!! heaven forbid









A couple of pictures with cars on the track...I have the track made up....just haven't got it down yet. Still working on a fence around the layout to keep our new pup out...all 70 pounds of him. I am using code 250 aluminum and it doesn't take to being stepped on by people or dogs too well. 





























I know I still have lots of work to do, but I see the light at the end of the tunnel...or bridge in this case.

Garry NCGRR


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## Bills (Feb 20, 2008)

I like the design of your bridge abuttments(sp?). are they concrete?


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## GarryNCGRR (Jan 18, 2008)

Yes they are concrete. Made a bunch of forms and poured the standing middle part first and then added new forms to do the base. Did manage to make an error in planning them out however, did not realize at the time that I should have made them wider. As it is they are not wide enough to comfortably hold my bridge, so I am in the process of adding rounded ends to both upper and lower parts. Have sunk screws into the sides to help hold the extensions better. I am adding roughly an inch to each side of the abutments.

Garry


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