# My GSS aluminium bridge



## peter bunce (Dec 29, 2007)

Frank (Coyote97) joined MLS and said that he was going to make and sell bridges, and gave the address of his web site, where eh showed a bridge he had built. I liked to look of this Lattice truss style bridge and some e-mails went back & forth between us. Eventually that led to me ordering a 1200mm (47”) bridge from him for my new extension. This was the first bridge that Frank has sold, and I am very pleased with it. 



Due to transport difficulties (it is 4 foot long) and to transport it from southern Germany to England was going to be too expensive: so it came ‘partly knocked down’, with a PDF to assist in purring all the bits together. 



This was quite easy, and in die course all the bits were assembled into the right places with the supplied dome headed nuts and bolts. 



Here are some photos of the bridge as it was being put together inside –










A general view of all the pieces for the bridge, the end or portal frames are assembled and fitted loosely to the base part. 











Here 1 side is complete, showing the design of them, when the other side is added it is much more difficult to see the design.






After assembly and trying it in its location I decided on some additions that are non -tructural to it. First all the bolts were checked and tightened up, not too tight as there is no need as the cross bracing on the sides adds greatly to the strength and stiffness of the bridge.


Then I added on top of the center portion of the base so bits of PVC solid foam to screw my Peco Code 250 track to these are glued in position and a final piece of 1.5mm styrene to bring them up to the level of the end to end beams - here is a photo of the infill pieces - seen from one end.
















I looked at the top of the ends of the bridge – the portal frames. These are a single piece of aluminum, but look ‘cut off’ as looking down on the bridge, all the other cross pieces on the bridge have a width – these do not.










The top of the (end) portal frames extended to the width of the other cross frames. 














A close up view of the top pieces covered with foil, that is also wrapped over the 2mm styrene card underneath. 




I cannot see how Frank could have added them as the ends are somewhat complicated with pieces joining everywhere and as a result there a .lot of bolts fitting through aluminium sections. So it was out with the 2mm plasticard and a top portion was added at each end to the width of the other cross pieces; these had three gluing blocks added to them and were then were glued in position, when dry I then covered them with aluminium foil, (from food trays) well glued on with the edges wrapped over the plasticard for weather protection.












The twin plank walkway is made from black .060 plasticard needed some cross pieces to stop any chance of becoming ‘wavy’ so 6 5mm square plastic cross pieces were added on each side. One side is for the planks to sit on (and are glued to them after painting them silver), the other balanced them as it now looks correct. The walkway -is d glued to the cross pieces and also my extra (5mm square plastic) crosspieces. a photo of that area of the bridge.




Metal bridges are not fitted straight onto the abutments; as they expand and contract, and thus the length changes, so one end is fixed (full size ones have long bolts fitted into pre-drilled holes, and secured with molten lead), and the other slid on moveable plates. Later, as bridges became heavier & longer these plates were replaced by a series of rollers with plenty of grease.Mine has the plates, the fixed end has 3 pieces if 5mm (PVC solid foam) plastic glued together, painted and weathered; the sliding ones have the centre section made a bit shorter and 3 saw cuts made around the centre section to give an impression of the plates – more muck is added to the edges of them. Both sets have a large bottom plate with some mock square nuts and bits of .060 rod for the bolts – one of them has ended up bent a bit! . Mine will have some bridge clamps at each end holding it in position, those clamps being on the (fixed in position) rails. 



























Here are some photos, taken with the bridge upside down, of them.The fixed end of the bridge fixing plates - with some slight weathering added to it - I see one bolt is lying down on the job! That will be fixed, I must have knocked it somehow; my apologies the unblinking eye of the camera spots things that are wrong again!The sliding plate - all are made from 3 pieces so are 15mm deep, with a piece of 1.5mm styrene card for the fixing plates. The photos are extreme close ups, and the view is much larger than the items concerned as a result.


Now the weather needs to be warmer and I will make the abutments and fit the bridge – I am very pleased with it, there is a lot of work involved in it, and that means that it is not cheap – every bridge is made to order, ensure that the size has been measured correctly if it is to fit into a pre made location (millimeters or inches) I may well have messed things up here (I call that a ‘senior moment’ or my version of rule 8!), but I am in the middle of building a large extension to the railroad so it is easily accommodated. I now have to build another bridge of the same length, but it will be mainly built from PVC solid foam replicating wood, and will look very different. I think the bridge is excellent value for money and it looks most impressive in location – so here are the last photos with a Bachmann Mogul, and a small train in position to give an indication of the size of it and clearance for our models. The large vertical clearance, is both correct and I believe is to allow for dispersal of the (corrosive) smoke from the trains passing through, it also adds to the good looks in my opinion! This bridge is a Christmas present, and the ‘givers’ of it are also pleased with the results. 











an end view with a Bachmann mogul in position showing the clearances 














Another view with the bridge in position, on very 'lashed up' bridge abutments, my apologies for the upturned plant pot it is protecting a power point that will be incorporated into the new embankments. 














A final view with a short train (again its a 'lash up') in the bridge. Frank had a Bachmann Consolidation that fits just nicely through it – have a look at his videos where it can be seen inside his bridge. The exterior width of it is 9”, the internal width is 7.25”, and the external height is 15”. 


Frank has put a lot of accurate work into cutting all the pieces for the bridge and the drilling all the holes; I am very pleased with the results, now I have to build another of the same length but that will be made to look like a wooden Howe truss.


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## Ralph Berg (Jun 2, 2009)

Looks like a very well built bridge.
And a very fine addition to your RR.
Ralph


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## NTCGRR (Jan 2, 2008)

Woow 
what a great build. looks good.


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

Nice work!


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