12-02-2009, 05:35 PM
...and just when I thought the thread had died. Thanks for all the interest and ideas gents. 
I received the book I ordered from Amazon the other day. Interesting read to say the least. I had to remind myself when the book was published (1917) a few times. Especially when I came across a paragraph that indicated it would cost $20.00 to replace a pile on a wharf made with timber. No kidding.
Pile and trestles could be anywhere from 14, 12, 10 ft to as close as 6ft apart from each other. The 1/4" dowel will closely resemble the diameter of Pile I'll need to use in my build.
I also have a book (CPR Steam "in colour" Vol. 1) which shows CPR F1a Jubilee 2926 working the fishing pier at St. Andrews on the Bay of Fundy during the year 1960 pulling (or pushing?) five steel 40' box cars on the pier itself. It shows the pier at both high and low tide and the difference is quite dramatic. At low tide the pier looks to be as tall the loco while at high tide the pier is only a few feet about the water. Then there is the large structure which dominates most of the pier. I also get a kick out of the fact that that the piles and cross bracing appear to be quite chaotic. Piles are crooked, and the cross braces seem to point in every direction. It also looks like the rails sit right on top of the ties with no decking to fill in the "gaps". So good reference photos and makes me feel better that the idea is / could be reasonably close to some semblance of prototype operation.
I'm going to try and put together a mock up sometime in the weeks ahead to check my measurements to make sure I've got it all level and lined up.
Who knows I might get something built before the end of the year. ... but not likely...
I received the book I ordered from Amazon the other day. Interesting read to say the least. I had to remind myself when the book was published (1917) a few times. Especially when I came across a paragraph that indicated it would cost $20.00 to replace a pile on a wharf made with timber. No kidding.
Pile and trestles could be anywhere from 14, 12, 10 ft to as close as 6ft apart from each other. The 1/4" dowel will closely resemble the diameter of Pile I'll need to use in my build.
I also have a book (CPR Steam "in colour" Vol. 1) which shows CPR F1a Jubilee 2926 working the fishing pier at St. Andrews on the Bay of Fundy during the year 1960 pulling (or pushing?) five steel 40' box cars on the pier itself. It shows the pier at both high and low tide and the difference is quite dramatic. At low tide the pier looks to be as tall the loco while at high tide the pier is only a few feet about the water. Then there is the large structure which dominates most of the pier. I also get a kick out of the fact that that the piles and cross bracing appear to be quite chaotic. Piles are crooked, and the cross braces seem to point in every direction. It also looks like the rails sit right on top of the ties with no decking to fill in the "gaps". So good reference photos and makes me feel better that the idea is / could be reasonably close to some semblance of prototype operation.
I'm going to try and put together a mock up sometime in the weeks ahead to check my measurements to make sure I've got it all level and lined up.
Who knows I might get something built before the end of the year. ... but not likely...