Pete, great twist on the thread. I planned mine in from the get go(layout construction began winter 2004) and finally built the bridge in early 2008(I think). Even though I model Cajon and there is no such bridge I have seen one of these along the coast up close and had to include on the layout. No regrets and I like the results so far. I was about 12 years old(1979 or 1980) and we stopped at a beach/campground on the way up the coast but to get to the beach you had to walk under this huge bridge. I was distracted the entire time we were there waiting for a train to roll over when finally an SP came by to satisfy me. Great day.
All right one more bridge pic from me. I hate to show this one as it shows just how much progress I have NOT made in the last year. (sigh) The biggest stumbling block is that, like Wolfgang D., I too need to make module breaks just before the east end and just before the truss section on the West end. I'm worried that I'll be fighting constant derailments at these places while at lofty altitudes above the layout surface. I'm tired of looking at pink ground though, and with winter upon us I am hoping to spend more time in the train room and get something done that I can brag about. The small double bridge in the backgound is piecemeald from ME girders and styrene. Brian ps, Heath, your rock island bridge "rocks"!! I saw it last summer in person and thought it was impressive. You've captured it perfectly!!
Thanks it's the centerpiece of my layout everything is heading east and west from there depending on space.
That's a cool photo effect, dstuard. Boy, some of these trestle-like bridges look spindly to me, as I'm used to long-span trusses. But, when I see the real things, I'm amazed at how spindly they really are!
Doug: That model is incredible!! It brings back a lot of memories, I grew up in Nevada City, and I used to walk that bridge back in the fifties with buddies of mine. Rotten ties and everything. We were IMMORTAL back then, LOL! I loved that bridge. When it came down in the 'sixties, a lot of my affection for where I grew up came down with it. Beautiful model--just beautiful! :tb-biggrin: Tom
Thanks Tom and Pete! I had to shorten the left approach to fit it on a 4 ft module, but the height is correct at 13" (a scale 170 ft.). Actually, although the model looks spindly, it's rather sturdy (unless you whack it from the side). The prototype didn't come down easy either, as when they blew the footings it just hunkered down a few feet. As I understand it they needed bulldozers to pull it down. Were you there, Tom?
Doug: No, I was in the Service in Texas when they took it down, but you're right. After the dust from the explosion cleared, the bridge was still standing there, a little askew but still very solid. They had to come in with bulldozers and cables later and finally pull it down. The bridge had been built extremely solid, and built to handle standard-gauge traffic in case the NCNG was ever standard-gauged. When it was built, it was the highest railroad bridge in California. It held that record for a number of years, as I remember. From a distance it looked a little 'spindly' until you got up close to it and could see just how remarkably solid it had been designed. Beautiful bridge. I didn't know that it had been destroyed until I came back and was driving the highway between Colfax and Nevada City. I looked up the Bear River, and there was this big fill where the trestle used to be--Rollins Dam. It took me several years to get over the shock. I really thought that bridge would be there forever. Tom
I know which one you mean, the ex B&O over the Great Miami River. A much better viaduct to see is the ex NYC in Sidney, OH...It looks identical to the one Scott created.
This is an N scale bridge that I am currently installing on what was previously an HO module. There is still much to be done, but you can get the idea. More information in my blog.
Here's mine. Its not nearly as grandois as most others but it fits my needs. I scratchbuilt it. The track is code 40. I need to touch up some paint on it but I think it looks pretty good. Please to mind the backdrop - its just temporary to block the clutter behind the layout. Eric
I have several small, scratchbuilt bridges across Salado Creek. Inspired by Russell Straw and his Sugar Land modules. Small bridge; different sections. The largest of these small bridges:
Here's an old shot of the bridges at Bridges Gorge on a prior layout: This was back in the film era, so I never knew what was going to come out. Some of it was surprising: You never knew what would come out of a shot: I never really got the scenery finished on this scene.
My double-tracked, double-decked road/rail bridge. Rail on top, road underneath. The road is constructed from Rix highway overpass parts, I need three more sections to finish the bridge. They're on the way, hopefully arriving before the long weekend.
Bridge construction is done My Rix parts arrived today, allowing me to finish construction of the bridge itself. Lots of work to do still.
Water under the bridge I made some real progress today. One riverbank is landscaped, riverbed is painted, piers are permanently glued down. I still have some foam to carve on the other riverbank, then I'll landscape it and pour a thin coat of gloss medium on the river.
