07-30-2010, 11:25 PM
Well, necessity may be the mother of invention, but perhaps procrastination's the wierd uncle? :? 
SO I am going back on my word. I do not, nor will I, have a drawing to share tonight. Not because I haven't pursued that avenue - I went as far as getting out the paper & pencil and ruler, scanning pages from a book with a suitable drawing, opening up Photoshop and starting to stitch the pages together with the drawing on them, even taking an inventory of my stripwood stock. No, what cinched it in the end was the width of the bridge I was planning on building.
The thing's too wide!
Measure ten, cut one. That's what saved me from perhaps some serious heartache, or at least a major grade realignment. Time to call the lining bar gang!
So I've decided to 'build' that Tyco plastic truss bridge afterall. It's in need of a little TLC but I think with some paint and weathering it'll do just fine.
Tomorrow I begin the physical rebuild work. There are a few tabs designed for holding track in place which will be sawed off. Also I may thin down the top chord H beam and perhaps add a few more rivet plates. After that I can clean it, prime it, and begin painting it. There are wood walkways that will get a sun-bleached creosote look, and the bridge itself will be silver with signs of rust & dust.
This is a much more 'do-able' project by the September deadline. Plus it'll get trains up and running sooner. AND, it's a bridge in the back of the layout. If I'm going to bust out the serious scratchbuilding skills I want it to be on a foreground model.
Galen
SO I am going back on my word. I do not, nor will I, have a drawing to share tonight. Not because I haven't pursued that avenue - I went as far as getting out the paper & pencil and ruler, scanning pages from a book with a suitable drawing, opening up Photoshop and starting to stitch the pages together with the drawing on them, even taking an inventory of my stripwood stock. No, what cinched it in the end was the width of the bridge I was planning on building.
The thing's too wide!
Measure ten, cut one. That's what saved me from perhaps some serious heartache, or at least a major grade realignment. Time to call the lining bar gang!
So I've decided to 'build' that Tyco plastic truss bridge afterall. It's in need of a little TLC but I think with some paint and weathering it'll do just fine.
Tomorrow I begin the physical rebuild work. There are a few tabs designed for holding track in place which will be sawed off. Also I may thin down the top chord H beam and perhaps add a few more rivet plates. After that I can clean it, prime it, and begin painting it. There are wood walkways that will get a sun-bleached creosote look, and the bridge itself will be silver with signs of rust & dust.
This is a much more 'do-able' project by the September deadline. Plus it'll get trains up and running sooner. AND, it's a bridge in the back of the layout. If I'm going to bust out the serious scratchbuilding skills I want it to be on a foreground model.
Galen
I may not be a rivet counter, but I sure do like rivets!