Weekend Update 3/9/14

[rickb773]

Nice I10! Care to share some more about it? I'm planning on making a few.

You will be so disappointed. That is an old stock Bachmann model. I have somehow managed to accumulate 3 of them and none run well. I figure when my layout construction is finished I will try to find a reasonably priced expect who can modify one or two of them to actually run well for me.

[unittrain]

Some nice work.  Puddy, love those GN hoppers.

After seeing Mark Dance's bridges, my progress is rather pathetic, but I worked away this weekend on the tall pillar on the approach to the Cisco bridge.  The brass parts fit together properly so I'm much happier with this version.  Also fiddled with etched gusset plates, walkways and railings.  Murky cell phone shot.

Man we are seeing some fine master craftsmen ship in the bridge dept. here! awesome work guys I also am building a brass 225' single track through truss span I've decided to go all brass hence need to get custom etching for my upper sway bracing, I'm using GMM X and W bracing for my columns which are made of 1/32" x 1/8" brass strip and 1/32" x 3/32 brass strip I use the GMM 18" bracing for inner web members and the 24" for the main chords, I need to use archer rivets for all the riveting. I also found soldering speeds up the process and is not as hard as I thought it would be using flux I also use higher melting point solder first then the lower temperature Tix solder for finishing up details, I would post pictures but all my camera software is out dated and not compatible with the new windows! I hope to change that soon but I'm a master  procrastinator when it comes to some things such as photo software and cameras I have CAD, cakewalk recording software for my music ect but no way to get pictures on my computer I got a decent amount of scratchbuilding that I want to share on here so I need to get in gear.

[craigolio1]

I was kind of forced to do it- CN does nothing like anyone else so there were no parts available in plastic to kit bash.  Isn't the Niagara Canyon bridge the old CP Cisco bridge?  I'd love to see you build it, and as Mark points out, the world needs more BC bridges in n scale!

That's the one. I plan to build it uncompressed. It would be on a peninsula with the Arbutus Canyon bridge on the other side of the peninsula. Centre pieces of my layout greeting you as you enter the room. As such I would like them to be as close to accurate as I can get. Arbutus Canyon no problem. No Niagara not so much. It would be about 3ft long and is all pin connected. It would be stunning to do at the level of detail Mark achieved but would probably cost thousands to design and etch. There is a rapid prototype model available but it's compressed about 30% and I don't believe any of the individual thin metal bars, I have no idea about bridge terminology, are modelled , just big solid beams. I did build a test section, one side of the middle span, out of styrene. I tried it because it is the smallest and most flimsy section. I have given up on it because it really was flimsy. But now having seen Mark build his with the telescopic square brass tubing I find my interest renewed. I believe it could be built from styrene and commercially available etched truss webs.  Still, it would be a massive undertaking on a layout I have yet to even start the bench work. I'm toying with the idea of building it on a Plywood base that would have a box top also made of plywood which would latch onto the base. This would allow me to move it around to work on it, and keep it safe between sessions and after completion. Once complete and ready to install the box top comes off and the plywood base is integrated into bench work. I don't have time at home to build the layout but I do have time as I travel around to build the models.   Any ideas from experienced modellers would be appreciated.

[Scottl]

I'm toying with the idea of building it on a Plywood base that would have a box top also made of plywood which would latch onto the base.

That is how I am doing my bridge.  I wanted to finish it before proceeding to benchwork for the layout it will fit in, in part because I doubted I could do it and also so that I would not tear out my existing layout.   Mark's suggestion to use square telescoping tubing was a savior for my bridge and assured it would be square and strong enough for the span.

For what it is worth, the etching artwork and other bridge building tasks can be broken down and taken with you, just need a small tool kit and good light to work where ever you are or if you have some time.

[Scottl]

Unittrain, we want to see that bridge, I'd love to see the GMM bracings in use....  Cell phone camera?   

[craigolio1]

That is how I am doing my bridge.  I wanted to finish it before proceeding to benchwork for the layout it will fit in, in part because I doubted I could do it and also so that I would not tear out my existing layout.   Mark's suggestion to use square telescoping tubing was a savior for my bridge and assured it would be square and strong enough for the span.

For what it is worth, the etching artwork and other bridge building tasks can be broken down and taken with you, just need a small tool kit and good light to work where ever you are or if you have some time.

   Yes the telescopic tubing is an awesome idea.  I'm not sure what size to use though.  The twin 210' cantilever spans on either end of the Niagara Canyon bridge are made of large enough framing that it would support itself no problem.  The large issue I see will be suspending the fragile 105ft center span.  If I went the entire length of the bridge with the telescopic tubing the whole thing would be incredibly strong, but the center span is so spindly looking that either thick tubing would be obvious and ruin the effect, or thin tubing might not be strong enough.  There is am upside and that is that bridges being what they are, the models are subject to the same physics as the prototype.  The bridge deck is supported by 5 I beams which look to be about 24" tall.  These would have been under compression.  At the bottom of the span are the pin connected bits that would have been under tension.  If I used 4mm high brass I beams for the top five I beams, and then the same 4 parallel pieces on the bottom of the trusses on each side, say 1mm tall and .010 thick styrene or brass, then I believe the tension on the bottom would prevent the I beams up top from sagging, just as on the prototype.  105' in N scale is only about 7.5" long.  The brass eye beams would be pretty strong as it is (more so than the equivalent on the prototype) making the bottom pin connected section less structurally important.  Another, and possibly better option, would be to use I beams only on the outside visible beams, and 4mm square tubing on the three inside beams.  This would provide a great deal more strength and allow the telescoping nature of the tubing to join the three sub assemblies.

     My plan was to build the whole bridge up side down starting with the I beams that track rests on.  This would ensure that no matter happens with small construction inaccuracies, by the time I get to the supports the top will be perfectly flat.  I would build the whole 515' length of I beams first, then the center 105' section, followed by the 205' cantilever sandwich.  Once the three sections are joined to one another I should be able to, in theory, flip the whole thing over, stand it on the supports, and remove the plywood bottom, which has become the top leaving the free standing structure.

Below are a couple of photos, Dave Wilkie I bellive, showing the delicate center span.  This part is what makes the whole bridge so attractive to me.  It looks like it couldn't hold up a car let alone 1000s of tons.  Engineering excellence.







It's unfortunate the trees obscure the huge scale of this bridge, which can be seen in all it's glory when it crossed the Fraser.



Craig

[Scottl]

That is an amazing bridge that seems to defy gravity.  It looks like the center cantilever section is heavier on the Cisco version but that might be a perspective issue.  I think you have a solid plan of attack and I could see how the center section would be strong enough if the deck top was composed of brass tubing.  You might have to cheat a bit and make some of the horizontal thin bits in the center section out of tubing or angle stock for stiffness.  Let me know if you want some artwork for etches, I would be happy to help if you need specific peices if you want to go forward.  Then I could say I worked on all three Cisco bridges.

[mark dance]

Sticking with the "All BC Bridges/All the Time" theme, I was over at Steve Starks soon-to-be-dismantled E&N this evening and so took the opportunity to grab a few shots of 4 of his 10 newly arrived Baldwins on the RPM'd Niagara Canyon (ex-Cisco) bridge.









This was the model I wrote about on TRW a few weeks ago.  Kevin Knox designed and printed it and I believe had it on display on his web site.

md

[ryan_wilkerson]

I wouldn't have guessed another TRW member would be at Winterail. I arrived right before the show started, looks like the morning was busy.

This weekend's project was attending Winterail, a super-serious railfan and railroadiana event. Very crowded as you can see, but, still a universal complaint was the attendance was down this year. I managed to score the 1:1 departure board from the UP depot in Caliente, NV, showing the last schedule of the City of Los Angeles.
I've been going to Winterail on and off for 35 years, trying to make it more regularly to visit with my old railfanning gang as we enter our autumn years - we lost two of the "core" ten in 2013.

[craigolio1]

Mark, tell Steve I'm jeleaous.

Craig

[craigolio1]

That is an amazing bridge that seems to defy gravity.  It looks like the center cantilever section is heavier on the Cisco version but that might be a perspective issue.  I think you have a solid plan of attack and I could see how the center section would be strong enough if the deck top was composed of brass tubing.  You might have to cheat a bit and make some of the horizontal thin bits in the center section out of tubing or angle stock for stiffness.  Let me know if you want some artwork for etches, I would be happy to help if you need specific peices if you want to go forward.  Then I could say I worked on all three Cisco bridges.

Scott I'll take you up on that if you are not careful. It would be the truss webbing  I would be interested in.  It would prett much all be the same size, there is just A LOT of it. I'll contact you off list.

Thanks ! Craig

[unittrain]

Unittrain, we want to see that bridge, I'd love to see the GMM bracings in use....  Cell phone camera?   

 
I got the cell phone camera I guess that will do, I will give that a try this week by friday and post progress shots and brief how to.

[Scottl]

Mark, that bridge is stupendous.  Wow.  Hopefully it will find it's way onto a new layout.

Looking forward to your bridge Unittrain.

[C855B]

I wouldn't have guessed another TRW member would be at Winterail. I arrived right before the show started, looks like the morning was busy.

A$$hats are everywhere... so watch yourself. 

What did you think of the show? The SP 9010 progress report was amazing, but put my wife to sleep.

[S Class]

It's Wednesday here, which shows you how lazy I am.

I managed to get most of my track for my industrial layout but the big part of my weekend was the Streamrail open day at Newport.
Figured I'd share the few shots off the phone that came out well enough.


The only A² in any condition that resembles operating condition, still a long way to go based on the cab air-conditioning.
The A² was the equivalent of the Pennsy raging erection.


An R class in blue from it's days owned by West Coast Railway, Also converted to Oil Burning with a K class light lines loco


Y class shunters that have come to Steamrail ex rotten row out the back of the current depot in South Dynon, all are missing most of their bits to get them running beyond the engine.
Of note is the fact the bogies from these locomotives came off the first electric trains in Melbourne when they were scrapped so the wheelsets are currently running at about 70+ years old, also of note is this was the first of only two classes of locomotive anywhere in the world to use the EMD 6-567 engine.


Hudson POWEEERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR