Biff...............I used a table saw with a 7 inch  plastic/aluminum cutting blade,  it cuts cleanly and easily this way.    I  found it was best to do it fairly slowly so the plastic didn't get hot.

 

 

Plexy with styrene parts added on and ready for painting.  Glue used was methylene chloride,  which usually is sold where plexy is sold.   The same glue holds the styrene to the plexy,  and holds well.

 

 

Picture of first section before being installed on layout.  Used Krylon camo black and camo brown to paint them. 

 

 

Second type of bridge using the same system.  No pictures of track down yet,  got too wet to keep working on layout.  When / if the weather drys out some I will get back at it.

 

Garry

For some reason the second picture did not display   But the third Picture is a great over view.

 

You are going to have one  beautiful looking rail road when you get done. 

The whole layout area was grass and a vegetable garden before the railroad was planned.  I designed the layout knowing where the river,  mountains, tunnel and wharf area would be and also what diameter of curves there would be, before starting.  Since I am hand laying my track with aluminum code 250 rail I needed a good solid base for it,  so went with the concrete,  so all the track placing was worked out in advance.  The idea of hand laying all my track is taking longer than first figured...big surprise....have most made up in sections like sectional track, in differing lengths,  just needed the bridges built and now the weather to cooperate some. Looking forward to making some switches up and seeing how they work out.   Figured I'd do the plants and moving of dirt before any track got down...less chance of dropping something where it shouldn't  be dropped.  So far all has gone well,  slow,  but well. !  Hope to have things up and running soon...but worst case would see it done by early spring. Really looking forward to seeing first run of  first loop.  Already have second phase of layout planned,  but first things first

 

Garry

Dave.........I use Red Cedar for the ties.....I cut the ties to 7/16 X 7/16 X 3 1/2 inches and then soak them in used diesel oil for several days,   then let them dry out for several more.  I find they dry well and aren't messy to handle,  but look nice and dark with the grain of the wood showing through.   I'm happy with the way they look when finished.

     I make jigs that I keep in the house to make the lengths of track.  The straight track is made in six foot lengths,  which I can cut to the lengths I need when laying it.  The curves are made on another jig I made,  which is laid out to lay both 11 foot dia. curves and 12 foot 3 inch dia. curves....the two sizes I am working with.  I am making the curves in lengths of 2 foot,  3 foot and  5 foot,  which I can also cut to any other lengths I may need.  I don't like making the curves any longer than the 5 footers as they get a little more difficult to handle moving them out to the layout.  I also made a thin plywood jib for the curved track that fits between the rails,  it makes sure that the track is in proper dia. of curves before final fastening in place.

 

Regal        ..........all the trees on my layout are real.  Don't know the names of some of them....but there are small pine bushes...I think Black Pine ??,  some Juniper bushes which I try to train to grow upwards to look like trees,  some dwarf Alberta Spruce.....and several other ones that I have no idea what they are called....they just looked good so I bought them     Some are growing a little faster and getting tall too fast,  so will be digging them out this spring and putting them back in pots to keep the roots in check and hopefully slow their growth.   Also have some ferns and Heather here and there as well as moss and thyme.    I bought some of them in little pots at Christmas,  guess they were supposed to be used as table center pieces...have grown quite a lot since then.    Others I bought at Home Depot,  Walmart  and in garden shops around my area,    can never pass up a nice looking tree or shrub. 

    I do think at this point I have brought home enough rocks and plants to keep me happy ...........for now,   and more than enough work ahead of me getting the track down and then working on phase 2, on  which I hope to get the roadbed  concrete poured this coming year.  Great to be kept busy !!!

 

Garry      NCGRR

  

Garry

 

One can never ever have enough rocks.

Looks fantastic, Garry! You should be very proud! Nice bridge, too, by the way.

 

Take care,

Matt