lownote
1st Class Member
Arlington VA
Conductor
Posts:652
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 | | 09/23/2008 11:50 AM |
| I had a bridge on my layout made from the sole plate that you use for framing with metal studs, cheap and dirty and lousy.
Here's an easy way to make better bridge--still cheap and dirty, but not lousy. I got the idea, lock, stock and barrel, from Bob McCown at LCS
Here's the old one:
And here's the new one
It's made from PVC downspout, with styrene angle and T-bar pieces glued to it. It's stiffened with some 2x3 running down the middle.
The bridge piers are made of cast concrete. I'll probably face them with something or do some kind of faux stone treatment | |
Evading the Midas touch of expertise
http://chnm.gmu.edu/courses/magic/westover/ | |
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nick s.
Posts:0
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| | 09/23/2008 12:30 PM |
| Looks great Mike, cant tell the differance between yours and a GMM bridge from that distance. looks good..
Nick... | | | |
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markoles
1st Class Member
Lancaster, PA
Conductor
Posts:882
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| | 09/23/2008 12:42 PM |
| Looks a lot better, Mike!! Cheap bridges can be made to look pretty good. I needed a bridge last year and ended up using a 20" piece of 8" channel.
Here's a well traveled Budd car crossing the new bridge last year:
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Mark Oles
Millersvillanova Railroad, Lancaster, PA | |
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jimtyp
1st Class Member
Centennial, CO
Conductor
Posts:753
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| | 09/23/2008 1:33 PM |
| | Wow, what an improvement! Excellent work! Got any construction photos? | |
livin' la vida loco | |
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Stan Cedarleaf
1st Class Member
Dewey, AZ
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lownote
1st Class Member
Arlington VA
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Posts:652
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| | 09/23/2008 2:21 PM |
| Thanks all--but credit should go to Bob McCown, it was his idea.
I would have used a garden metal models bridge except the span is too big by about a foot.
No construction photos, but it's really easy--just glue 1/4 plastruct styrene channel to the top and bottom, then cut 3/16 styrene t-bar and glue it in every four inches | |
Evading the Midas touch of expertise
http://chnm.gmu.edu/courses/magic/westover/ | |
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Allegheny
Brakeman
Posts:41
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| | 09/24/2008 10:04 AM |
| Actually, the moderator at LSC is Bob McCown, not McGowan.
I've been up to see his railroad and I have to admit that those bridges look great even at short distances.
Brian | | | |
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lownote
1st Class Member
Arlington VA
Conductor
Posts:652
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| | 09/24/2008 1:05 PM |
| Posted By Allegheny on 09/24/2008 10:04 AM
Actually, the moderator at LSC is Bob McCown, not McGowan.
I've been up to see his railroad and I have to admit that those bridges look great even at short distances.
Brian
OOPS! My stupid mistake. I'll go back and correct it | |
Evading the Midas touch of expertise
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SandyR
Near Lake Ontario in NY
Brakeman
Posts:95
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| | 09/25/2008 8:32 PM |
| What kind of glue did you use? Inquiring minds want to know!
SandyR | | | |
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lownote
1st Class Member
Arlington VA
Conductor
Posts:652
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| | 09/25/2008 8:55 PM |
| | I used PVC Glue from Home Depot--the kind you use for gluing/welding PVC Pipe. I was trying to use plastruct's cement but that stuff is useless, in my experience, for anything but really small parts. The PVC glue needs to be used outside--it's nasty. But it's cheap | |
Evading the Midas touch of expertise
http://chnm.gmu.edu/courses/magic/westover/ | |
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