I recently bought a 50610 girder bridge from another forumite as I would like to include one in the redesign of part of my layout. I already had a couple of the 50600 truss bridges so thought I could incorporate them to produce a sizeable structure. I have a few questions.
- I duly purchased boxes of 50612 (single blocks), 50613 (triple blocks) and 50614 (pier tops) plus some 50611 bridge mounts. I note the first three all have a series of locating 'pips' on the bottom to assist with assembly. Do I just cut off those at the base after I've gained the desired height so they sit flat or am I missing another part like a baseplate?
- Are the piers secured in position on the ground or left to move to accommodate any rail expansion due to hot weather?
- Documentation suggests a single 15mm block increase for each 300mm track section which gives a gradient of 1 in 20 (5%). I consider this might be a bit severe for the length/weight of trains I intend to operate so was looking to extend the spacing to 600mm. As there will be curved track within the climb I thought R3s would be more appropriate to improve stability, aid traction and ease coupling stresses. To improve the appearance and rigidity I want to place a support under the track rather than have a precarious toy-like rail and sleeper job. What have others used? I thought I might purchase a couple of the long plastic facia boards and cut sections approximately 150mm wide to slide under the sleepers and fit between the tops of the piers with some sort of guardrail each side, giving a continuous track bed.
- How high do I need to raise the bridge to provide adequate clearance for my (mostly) LGB rolling stock? Alternatively what would be the equivalent of the full size loading gauge?
