It dawned on me that my bridge project fits right into the challenge. So here we go...
Challenge: Build a close approximation to the following prototype bridge:
Yes, I already did a small mock-up as evidenced in the "WooHoo" thread, but hey, it didn't dawn on me to dive into the challenge until today. I'll post some of those photos here and then more as I go along.
Oh, YEAH! Join the madness! I look forward to watching this bridge come into being, just as I have enjoyed watching you build your "out-building" and fill it with really cool railroad!
Take it to the bridge! Take it to the bridge!
biL
Lehigh Susquehanna & Western
"America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves." ~~Abraham Lincoln
Anyway, I was looking at Galen's thread and that's when it hit me to enter the challenge (hope you don't mind, Galen, another bridge in the challenge).
First, the mock-up using a piece of DIN rail inside for structural support:
And a bit of weathering and ballast:
And the actual model bridge:
Yep, just a bunch of plastic strip and sheet.
The prototype bridge is about 5 miles from work. Several weeks ago, I stopped over there and walked around, took a bunch of photos, but did not bother to take any actual measurements. As for the length of the bridge, I used Google Earth to measure that, then extrpolated from the photos to get the lengths of the various spans and height. Today I stopped over there again with the tape measure in hand and took some measurements so I could buy the plastic strip. Once I made the measurements, I headed straight to the LHS and got most of what I needed.
Now, some of you will recall that awhile back, I was detained and questioned by the police while taking photos of a railroad bridge. This time I went armed with an old copy of "Railmodel Journal" and some photos of my layout - would use them to explain what I was doing if necessary!
P5se Camelback Wrote:Take it to the bridge! Take it to the bridge!
I'm there, biL!
Besides having the incentive to get this done that you guys provide, the continuous run capability of the layout is out of commission until the bridge is finished. So FULL SPEED AHEAD!
Ralph, when the Summer Challenge was announced, I figured it would be months before I was working on structures, but didn't even think about the bridges i would need.... so here I am!
E-paw, I was using a 1 meter piece of DIN rail as a stand-in bridge while I was carving the foam contours where the bridge would go. Then it hit me that the rail would make a perfect structural member and provide support! And it is right at the perfect size to add the plastic around it.
Now, not alot of flash and glamour to this project, but I think the bridge is pretty cool.
Got a bit done tonight. The bottom and sides are cut and glued together around the DIN rail. Next to go on is the top and the ballast retainer sections. All of this stuff is easy and straightforward - just various rectangles glued together. The DIN rail section inside makes it very stiff and straight, but still lightweight because it is aluminum. The pipe supports will be the tedious part of this one.
Darn... just realized that I didn't scribe the section lines in the sides. Would have been easier to scribe them before they were glued on. No big deal though.
Using your last photo of the model, I'm guessing the prototype to be 290 feet long...(approx). I'm curious to know what length you arrived at using Google Earth ?
About 40" is a good bridge for "run-by's " in HO scale. Waiting to see how this turns out.
We always learn far more from our own mistakes, than we will ever learn from another's advice.
The greatest place to live life, is on the sharp leading edge of a learning curve.
Lead me not into temptation.....I can find it myself!
The proto bridge was approx 290 feet on Google Earth. The model is exactly 1 meter long, 39.37 inches, or 285.4 scale feet.
The bridge isn't all that picturesque, no babbling brook and trees and spectacular scenery, but it is very representative of the urban bayous in Houston.
Gary S Wrote:The bridge isn't all that picturesque, no babbling brook and trees and spectacular scenery, but it is very representative of the urban bayous in Houston.
That's okay, Gary. Picturesque is in the eye of the beholder, as evinced by all the atrocious architecture and modernistic big box structures littering the landscape. Dadgum ugly if you like 'traditional' buildings, but really cool otherwise. I like the look of the river channels in SoCal. Had I stuck around long enough to build a module for my club, I would have most likely included one.
As for another bridge in the contest, no problemo from me! The more the merrier, I say! They will in the end be two very different spans (long vs. short, concrete vs. wood, trestle vs. truss, dry desert vs. lush appalachian wilderness). But both are crucial to running trains on our respective layouts. Well, at least running trains to a destination other than an 'end of track' sign.
Galen
I may not be a rivet counter, but I sure do like rivets!
Galen, I knew you wouldn't mind but figured I should at least show a bit of respect to you and your modeling skills!
Kevin: I was looking at the contest announcement thread and noticed that I had said I wouldn't be entering the challenge because I would be to busy on the track work. You responded with "a bridge is still a structure." I did not catch the significance of your comment at that time, but you certainly hit the nail on the head. Thank you for giving me the subconscious stimulus to enter!
Now, another note... looking at the cropped image below, notice how the pipes are not even close to consistent on the spacing. The question is, do I model the uneven spaces and risk having others think "Wow, he really messed that up, couldn't even get the pipes even" or do I remain faithful to what is actually there?
Awwww Gus! Not anal, just paying close attention to detail!
Just noticed something else... The pipe on the far right is vertical, but the one on the far left is angled. I assumed that both outside pipes were angled.
