Traincat skewed bridge / Tom Mann

[Bill H]

Group, Tom;
A lot of whatever has passed under the proverbial bridge since Tom's post back in 2007 regarding a Traincat skewed bridge kit.

https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=35387.msg414814#msg414814

I am currently building one of the kits and have noticed that the last, top layer of the two primary girders do not have the embossed rivets the entire length and stop at the arrow in the photo. In Tom's pictures in the above thread the embossed rivets go the entire length of the top. On the kit I have, the fret had nothing missing, and the fret was stamped with version 2. No where on either of frets was an appropriate width piece with rivets the entire length.

Tom, I know it has been a long time, was your bridge built will all the parts from the kit or did you obtain a redo on the top pieces from Bob or?

I have thought about using rivet decals but they would really look different than the embossed rivet details Bob used in the rest of the kit. Suggestions?

Thanks,
Bill

[daniel_leavitt2000]

This might be a job for archer rivets.

[Bill H]

Daniel:
As I remarked in the OP, don't you think that raised Archer rivets would seriously contrast with the current rivets embossed negatively in the brass?

Kind regards,
Bill

[sd45elect2000]

There are two more parts that go o top of that girder.

[DKS]

There are two more parts that go o top of that girder.

This. Look for riveted strips the same width but shorter than the bridge; these simulate the added edge plates of the prototype. This isn't a mistake.

[Bill H]

There are two more parts that go o top of that girder.

Please click to load the higher resolution picture - it takes a while to load. Perhaps the thumbnail is not clear enough. Sorry. Please look very closely at the picture, all three parts are already on the top of the girder. There are three layers defined in the instruction sheet as GT1, GT2, and GT3 and if you look very closely, you can see where each of the three layers stop. and I am discussing the top layer which should go on top of GT3, the cap strip.

DKS - In the HO versions I have seen and in the HO instructions which are in the N scale kit, there is mentioned a cap strip that has full rivet detail.  At least in my kit, which had no missing parts on the frets, I cannot find anything the width of the main girders with a full course of rivets, hence my question to Tom Mann.

I have attached a different picture that might clarify. All three GT layers are in place, but the cap strip on top of GT3 rivet detail stops at the far left. Same for the other three girder cap strips. Excuse the echo, I over compressed the pic so that it might load better - new camera and all that...

Cheers,
Bill

[wazzou]

I could be mistaken as I don't have the kit, but having been around a number of prototypes, it looks like the steps of riveted strips are too close together.
Are you certain you have them all positioned as intended?

[sd45elect2000]

Please click to load the higher resolution picture - it takes a while to load. Perhaps the thumbnail is not clear enough. Sorry. Please look very closely at the picture, all three parts are already on the top of the girder. There are three layers defined in the instruction sheet as GT1, GT2, and GT3 and if you look very closely, you can see where each of the three layers stop. and I am discussing the top layer which should go on top of GT3, the cap strip.

DKS - In the HO versions I have seen and in the HO instructions which are in the N scale kit, there is mentioned a cap strip that has full rivet detail.  At least in my kit, which had no missing parts on the frets, I cannot find anything the width of the main girders with a full course of rivets, hence my question to Tom Mann.

I have attached a different picture that might clarify. All three GT layers are in place, but the cap strip on top of GT3 rivet detail stops at the far left. Same for the other three girder cap strips. Excuse the echo, I over compressed the pic so that it might load better - new camera and all that...

Cheers,
Bill

This end looks like mine. remember the bottom is the same as the top Each girder has three caps on the top and the bottom. There are a lot of parts just for the girder looks like 8 parts just for the top and bottom caps.

Fixed quote tag -gfh

[Bill H]

I could be mistaken as I don't have the kit, but having been around a number of prototypes, it looks like the steps of riveted strips are too close together.
Are you certain you have them all positioned as intended?

Brian - they are centered correctly, hard to get them position otherwise as the layers have hidden tabs and slots for the layers above.

[Bill H]

This end looks like mine. remember the bottom is the same as the top Each girder has three caps on the top and the bottom. There are a lot of parts just for the girder looks like 8 parts just for the top and bottom caps.

Already know that. Clearly in the picture, top and bottom each have three layers plus a cap strip. Total eight strips per girder. The problem is the cap strips were not done correctly on this kit. Perhaps that is why it was for sale so cheap or perhaps it was a test run, I just don't know. Nothing was missing in the frets.

So again, the question is - does anyone have any ideas how to put some rivet detail on the cap strip that won't look too contradictory to the existing negatively embossed detail?

Kind regards,
Bill

[nkalanaga]

Do the bottom cap strips have rivet detail?  If so, could you use a bottom piece on top, and put the defective top piece on the bottom? 

Even if you have to shorten a bottom piece to fit the top, and splice the top piece to the remainder on the bottom, the joint should be out of sight.

[Bill H]

Do the bottom cap strips have rivet detail?  If so, could you use a bottom piece on top, and put the defective top piece on the bottom? 

Even if you have to shorten a bottom piece to fit the top, and splice the top piece to the remainder on the bottom, the joint should be out of sight.

Unfortunately, all the cap strips evidence the same partial lack of rivets. Do you think rivet decals would contrast too much with the current negative embossed rivets? In other words, use rivet decals on the top cap strips only?

[jpwisc]

Once painted the rivet decals will probably look better than the etched ones.

[DKS]

Once painted the rivet decals will probably look better than the etched ones.

This. Especially since most (all?) of the kit's rivets are etched in reverse. I'd be tempted to re-do most or all of the kit's rivets with decal rivets.

[jpwisc]

This. Especially since most (all?) of the kit's rivets are etched in reverse. I'd be tempted to re-do most or all of the kit's rivets with decal rivets.

I was thinking the same thing. A little green squadron putty to fill the holes in, a light sanding, primer it up and decal away. Primer again after and paint it up.