The code 70 rail has now been attached as previously described using the Pliobond adhesive method: The guard rail timbers have also been attached: Rio Grande Southern Goose No. 4 a Precision Scale ON30 model with sound creeps across the finished Trestle after the Track Gang have ensured the gauge is…
As the trestle nears completion the final cross bracing is added to ensure the structure is strong and stable.
Construction is nearing completion as the horizontal bracing “girts” are added to the structure to provide strength to the vertical bents as this forms amazing rigidity to the structure. Threading the 32 ft long 8″ x 8″ long timbers through the openings in the trestle bents was challenging.
I have been struggling with attaching the Trestle Bents to the Splined Bridge Deck trying to keep them square to the deck and upright at the same time. I created a styrene jig to hold them in place but this failed as I tried to apply sufficient weight to aid…
At the ends of the trestle there would have been abutments to hold back roadbed fill. These abutments consist of a trestle bent with scale 3″ x 18″ timber boards which would have been nailed through the back before being backfilled. The iregular shape is due to existing profile of…
Construction progress has been slow over the last several weeks due to my new role as Renewals Officer for the British Region NMRA. It is quite a daunting task but I have had great support from John Firth and I am beginning to get the hang of it…! I revisited…
Construction progress was halted recently as the rail spikes refused to hold the rail securely to the ties. Pre-drilling an undersize hole for the spike to prevent splitting seemed to work but there was not enough grip to hold the rail. In the past I have used Shinohara code 70…
The splined trestle deck is now complete with ties and before assembling this to the trestle bents it is time to spike the rail on to the ties. The RGS typically used rail length of 30 feet. I used weathered Micro Engineering code 70 rail cut to scale 30ft lengths and…
The splined trestle deck is completed with the placement of the 8″ x 8″ x 10′ pre-stained ties. Clamps and more clamps – you can never have enough clamps to hold parts and assemblies together…! Prototype photos showing weathered wood and fittings . . .
Adding Ties to Stringers Finished splined stringers with temporary longitudinal spacer inserted to hold the stringers apart ready to accept the ties. Pre-stained in the shoe dye and alcohol solution and left to ‘pickle’ for different lengths of time produces (in my opinion) a good selection of aged and weathered…
