No railroad allowed switches on bridges, did they?

[sd45elect2000]

Very common on ballast deck bridges. There is an open deck bridge in Megantic Quebec that has the switch on the open deck portion of a deck girder bridge. The area around the switch stand has a nice railing around it but is was still scary when the deck was covered in ice at night time.

Randy

[garethashenden]

This was done with the switch points on one end and gantlet track across it:

Bellows Falls works as an example in so many cases. Want a tunnel with buildings on top? Check. A mainline crossing through a yard on five diamonds? Check. Can we build a three railroad junction on an island? Check. Gauntlet track? Ball signals?
It would make such a good modelling subject c.1950. Two roundhouses, four bridges, a tunnel, lots of switching and engine changes. So much operation in quite a small area.

[peteski]

Unless these all are N or Z scale bridges, it appears that this thread might in the wrong forum.  How prototypical...

[crrcoal]

How about multiple switches on a bridge? 

Bridge 60 in Scranton 
http://www.scrantonstation.com/scrantonlayout/research/images/RobertRinker/ELcoaltrainbridge60_cropweb1.jpg
From the page " A loaded coal train is crossing Bridge 60 on the eastbound main (track 2) on its way to an Eastern Pennsylvania electricity plant.
There are six tracks on the bridge. In addition to the six tracks, there are three double slips, three crossovers and a single turnout, all on Bridge 60."

[sd45elect2000]

Unless these all are N or Z scale bridges, it appears that this thread might in the wrong forum.  How prototypical...

I am a railroader and an N Scaler, doesn't that make it all OK?

BTW, I have plans to attend the train show in Wilmington Ma. This weekend.

Randy

[peteski]

I am a railroader and an N Scaler, doesn't that make it all OK?

BTW, I have plans to attend the train show in Wilmington Ma. This weekend.

Randy

LOL!  I like that excuse!  I'll be at the show both days (with the Northeast NTRAK group): probably wearing an Optivisor working on someone's locomotive or fixing some electrical problem with the layout. 

[MichaelWinicki]

This image is post-removal of the switch in the late 40's, but this trestle did have a often-thrown switch on it.

[Angus Shops]

The CN bridge across the Fraser River between Surrey and New Westminster, BC has, basically, a wye at both ends, all elevated on the bridge deck. However, railways don't want to spend any more money on infrastructure than needed, and complicated or double track bridges are more expensive than single track bridges (in both capital and maintenance costs), so they would generally would prefer to keep things as simple as possible.

[wazzou]

This image is post-removal of the switch in the late 40's, but this trestle did have a often-thrown switch on it.

Sure, but it appears the points and throwbar were actually on the deck girder span.

[Chris333]

In Binghamton NY there was a turnout to a coal dealer off a bridge. If you look now, the bridge is still there.

[x600]

Bridge 60 in Scranton, Pa. had a few switches on it.
Now the west end of Steamtown.

http://lists.railfan.net/erielack-photo/erielack-03-08-16/B0300.jpg

Greg O.

[OldEastRR]

Thanks for all the input. My bridge happens to be a through truss so I don't know how that will fly, especially on how to throw the points with the switch inside the truss cage(!). The track has to be suspended over a pretty wide space, but if I feel like shortening the truss I can stick in a pier and have a through girder bridge cover the rest of the gap, and have the switch on that. That's plausible.
BTW, this situation is for an N scale layout, Peteski.

[davefoxx]

Thanks for all the input. My bridge happens to be a through truss so I don't know how that will fly, especially on how to throw the points with the switch inside the truss cage(!). The track has to be suspended over a pretty wide space, but if I feel like shortening the truss I can stick in a pier and have a through girder bridge cover the rest of the gap, and have the switch on that. That's plausible.
BTW, this situation is for an N scale layout, Peteski.

Sounds like the perfect opportunity to model a gantlet track.

DFF

[sd45elect2000]

Thanks for all the input. My bridge happens to be a through truss so I don't know how that will fly, especially on how to throw the points with the switch inside the truss cage(!). The track has to be suspended over a pretty wide space, but if I feel like shortening the truss I can stick in a pier and have a through girder bridge cover the rest of the gap, and have the switch on that. That's plausible.
BTW, this situation is for an N scale layout, Peteski.

I am modeling a section of Chicago Elevated railway and I still haven't really worked out how to arrange the switch mechanisms either.

Randy

[OldEastRR]

Sounds like the perfect opportunity to model a gantlet track.

DFF

Tricky, since it's a double-track bridge (walthers). Truss and plate girder sounds good. Ironically I lengthened the Walthers bridge with extensive rework for use on the last layout and now would have to shrink it again.