Challenge #3 - Milwaukee Yakima River Bridge #2

[pdx1955]

Got some more done tonight and the past couple of evenings over an extended weekend. I got the soil in place and the ballast (made my own "Kato" mix of NP rock & cinders) followed by a few varieties and colors of static grass and the first scatterings of small bushes and undergrowth. Brambles, larger bushes will be next.



I also finished the grass on the companion ("non-judged" ) central Washington Yakima Canyon module and it passed the spousal test of looking proper since this is modeling the area close to the ranch she grew up on . Probably won't do much more with this other than some small shrubs as trees would be out of place here.

[pdx1955]

The module is a bit more green now with the additions of the more dense brambles and taller bushes especially on the riverbank:

[pdx1955]

This weekend worked more on the bridge spans. I got the final steel pier assembled and the bridge catenary supports which are built from cutting apart ME viaduct tower pieces. I also built a wooden pole following a recent NSR article. In my case, I do have proper diameter dowels (medical surplus - enough for 40+ miles of electrification!) and smaller wire which allowed a better outcome than what was shown in the article. The second picture shows them attached to the spans ready for the painting step.






While the paint was drying, I put together a jig to build the catenary wire assemblies. While digging around on the 'net looking for the necessary dimensions, I found a old article on a simple jig which is just a piece of wood with the messenger, trolley, and hanger wire locations drawn on. brads are added alternating along the messenger and trolley conductor wires while keep them in place and in shape as the hangers are added. I'm just using CA in this case as this won't be electrified and I can avoid any blobs which wouldn't look good. I just have to careful and not glue the wire to the jig!

[nkalanaga]

That method works very nicely, and gives good results, as long as one only wants a few spans, or has unlimited time!

[pdx1955]

Yes, it does take a bit of time but makes it manageable. I got one of the two I need done for this project other than trimming the hangers to shape. I put some pieces of the medical applicator dowels that I used for the wooden pole to elevate the wire a bit, so I could avoid gluing the wire to the jig. The extra bit of elevation also helped positioning the 0.015" hanger wires (technically I should be using 0.010" as its a smaller diameter than the double conductor trolley wire, but I don't want to press my luck too far with this).

[pdx1955]

Milwaukee Road infrastructure going in ...although this picture has that abandonment look to it ...



Got the catenary wire assemblies finished and got the bridge assemblies weathered with the first span and the mainline track laid. Half of the fascia is also put in place - will need to do some touch-up at the scenery interface to get rid of any white spots. I think I will get the rest of the bridge and the catenary supports in and about half of the trees on one side before the wire gang shows up. The challenge will be to get the wire hung and rest of the trees in without destroying it along the way!

[nkalanaga]

By the late 70s the MILW looked like an abandoned railroad, and often didn't run much better.  We watched a crew cleaning up a derailment in western Montana, along the St. Regis river.  The wires were gone by then, but the poles were still there.  The derrick crew was preparing to fish a fairly new bulkhead flatcar, formerly loaded with lumber, out of the river.  The car was on the bank, one end near the roadbed, the other in the river, with lumber everywhere. 

A pole was in the way, so, as we and several other stopped tourists watched, the derrick crew swung the boom around and simply knocked the pole into the river itself, snapping it off at the top of the stub.  I'd never seen a wreck crane used that way before...

We spent the night just east of Missoula.  They were picking up another wreck between Deer Lodge and Butte the next day, and had a third wreck a week later, near the first, when we came back through, headed home to Pasco.

Once the railroad was abandoned, US 10 was widened to finish I-90, and the entire scene is unrecognizable today.

[pdx1955]

Second span in tonight plus with some "deferred maintenance" ballast treatment. I also finished up touching up the fascia in basic black.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Looking fantastic.

[nthusiast]

Beautiful!

Voting is going to be very, very difficult ...

 

[pdx1955]

Just a quick update tonight. I'm down to the last couple steps with the last catenary pole up waiting for the glue to fully dry before the wires go up. Once the catenary is up, then the last half of the  trees can be placed and that will be about it other than  the final beauty pics.

[nkalanaga]

Looking good!

[pdx1955]

Got the overhead spans to behave enough to get them hung and planted the rest of the trees, so I'm  calling  this module completed. I set up a old backdrop and posed some equipment  for a quick shot. I'll take more formal ones a bit later.

The Milwaukee  wires wait for the next train as the Mainstreeter  climbs toward Stampede  Pass...

[pdx1955]

And one from the other side...

[nkalanaga]

Turned out good.