LO#3 - Some Progress on HO Layout

Yesterday we finally laid the last of the sub-roadbed and base for some industries.  I promised some pictures of the 3 section bridge area and early attempts at bridge trusses and tunnel portals.

Outside view of the curved bridge.

Inside view of the curved bridge.

As I stated before, a curved railroad bridge is really nothing more than a series of straight spans wide enough to allow the car overhang to clear the sides.

Originally I thought of using a through girder bridge, but decided that a through truss bridge would be an artistic touch and allow the viewer to see through the area into our proposed mine location.

The inside view shows the mine access track sub-roadbed (black.)  The track radius is 23" so using the 7" length truss on the outside will require the inside trusses length to be determined by the line from each end of the truss to the center point of the 23" radius.  The support beams will coincide with those four lines, extending out to clear the lower track.  It will become clearer as it takes shape.

The original Atlas truss bridge that was the inspiration.

First try at a foam-core board tunnel portal.

    

My original 7", outside truss.  3/32" square strip wood.

LO#2 - About Bridges and Such Things

Some subjects in modeling  just lead into questionable areas and bridges is one that is sure to open a can of worms.  Here is a subject that is more than fully documented in printed material, internet blogs and historical records, yet so poorly understood by most of us designing, building and utilizing them.

Our club, Rail Roadrunners of Yuma, is building a 5'x10' layout that will require several of these mysterious devices of various types and sizes.  I, as a retired design engineer, felt most qualified to undertake this simple task and chose to begin with a curved section of the upper level where it passes over a curved section of the lower level at a fairly shallow angle.  We have all seen the beautiful curved wooden trestles built by men of old, but may be shocked to learn that there are none of today's materials.  If we move in to take a very close up view of a wooden trestle we will find that it is made up of many short, straight sections of about 13 to 16 feet between bents, the vertical legs that support the track-work.

While modern materials of steel and concrete allow us to make much longer spans than the wood beams between bents, the torsional stresses of a curved beam is still outside reliable railroad usage, although we see them used in highway designs.  

The curved bridge area over lower curved track roadbed is at the extreme right hand center of this picture.  The main frame is 1" x 4".  The four 8' and two 5' long members are one piece and the four 5' middle  members are in three pieces with all joints reinforced with a 2" x 2" x 4" block.  The cross braces are 1" x  2".  The lowest level is set at 3" above the main frame, minimum radius is 23" and maximum grade is 1.8%.  The sub-roadbed is 1/2" ply or scrap construction grade OSBwith a maximum span of 24".  All screwed and some glued.  After sanding the roadbed we will start laying cork roadbed to align turnout branches.  Ground contour will be formed with cardboard strips and plaster cloth or paper.

Two Kinds of Foamcore Board

New to me, maybe not to you.  So far all the Foam Core Board projects have been with a board with a heavy, smooth paper outside surface, produced by Borden.  For some time I have been holding onto several sheets by R. L. Adams Plastics, Inc. that I thought were just foam without paper outside.  Last week I was using some of this to make a stone tunnel portal.  I drew, scribed, cut and stained the portal.  When dry I detected a slight film raising at a corner and discovered the board DID have a paper outside, although a very thin and more rough one.  Going back to the original board I found that the thin paper could be easily pulled back and removed.  Other have written about how you can scribe foam for stone and block work.  This Adams product should do well for this scribing. 

More info and pictures in the next day or so on the tunnel portal and truss bridge sides.  Stand by.

Armchair

LO#1 - Bridges on the club railroad

On the far end of the 5'x10' club layout there is a curved upper track passing over a curved lower track at a quite close angle.  The upper bridge will be 21" on the outside and 18" on the inside.  I am looking at building a three segment through truss bridge with three 7" segments on the outside and three 6" segments on the inside.  They will have to be supported by extended beams to supports beyond the lower track.  Both curves are 23" radius, the layout minimum.  We meet Saturday morning so will try to get some pictures and maybe some mockups.  I know it is not very prototypical but was done in cities on the ells.  

Armchair

I Feel a Rant Coming On

I hate it when it happens to me.  I like to think of myself as an open minded person, accepting people where they are in their station in life, their circumstances, abilities, desires, etc.  Then it happens, I open a site and violate what I wrote yesterday about being "contributors."  A modeler had been asked to write an article about how he built a depot using foam core board.  I read through the article, began looking at the pictures and there it was "The chimney is the wrong size!"  I have become the dreaded rivet counter, or as POGO used to say, "We have met the enemy and he is us!"

Our prejudices are just laying there under our skin, waiting to jump out at our most embarrassing moments.  Most of us say that we are not prejudiced, it is not the politically right thing to be.  We want to be better people, more understanding people, less offending people.  When ever those thoughts spring up we push them down and overcome them at that moment.  But, if the right thing happens at the wrong time, or the wrong thing at the right time, those pushed down thoughts and feelings squirt out like a popped zit.

I believe it would be better if we would just admit that we are flawed humans, not bad humans, just not perfect humans.  For most of us, modeling is a modest part of our lives.  He have our spiritual part, family part, work part, community part, maybe even more parts.  When we see the efforts of another modeler we are  only seeing that limited part of them.  Maybe, when we see someone's modest efforts and say "I could do better than that" we should say thank you for being an encourager, pushing me to set a higher goal and improve my efforts.

An Expert? Who? What? How? When?

A long time ago it was said that an expert was "someone over a hundred miles from home."  In modeling an expert might be someone who is a better modeler than I, therefore if someone believes I am a better modeler than they then I am an expert.  So, in that case, we all may be experts in another person's eyes.  What I mean through all this convoluted mush is that in our hobby we all contribute something of value.  Maybe we should think of ourselves as "contributors."  Tom contributes on track-work, Mary on scenery, Joe on structures, etc. I like building layouts, but the 4'x4' Camp Swampy is the only one that runs.  But I do make great shingles.  I had a great time doing the clinic on Building a Diorama, and do know I encouraged some to pursue putting scenery on a layout, but when I see the work of others I see my own lack of expertise.

I've said it before and I will say it again, sometimes I believe that the "really great"  layouts scare away some from our hobby because it sets a bar higher than they believe they can achieve.  Believe it or not, even my feeble efforts in "Building a Diorama"  have elicited such comments.  We all will become more proficient in our efforts as we practice our trade so from now on I will try to see the contribution a modeler brings to the table that will encourage someone to pursue our hobby, reach a little higher or in a direction they have not yet pursued.  And let us all remember, it is a hobby and should be fun and enjoyable.


As Roy and Dale used to sing "Happy trails to you"

Armchair

Computer Crashed!!!!!!!!!!

My laptop crashed a few days ago.  Tech came out, hard drive wouldn't start.  Checked it out in another computer and contents are there.  I went out and got a rent to own to tide me over until I can decide which way to go.  Pics will be few until I get the contents moved over.

Good news!  The hits just keep coming.  3,386 today.  I hope they find something useful.

The great thing about modeling as a hobby is that it is wide enough for all of us to find something interesting to each of us that lets us excel to what ever level we desire.  I like to see what I can make out of leftovers.  I say I am frugal, others say I am cheap.  In the near future I will be spotlighting the efforts of others rather than my own.  If you have an area of modeling that you really enjoy add a comment or click the email at the top of the heading.

Armchair