Re:my New Howe Truss Bridge
Hi Alec,
Guard rails - the first bridge I built I made them from Pexco rail, andf glued them to the sleepers with Evostik. That bridge is the samllest one at 3 feet and it still took a couple of lengths. Guard rails are meant to be smaller section rail, if you are using 330 section they could be 250 section for instance, though really the difference eis possibly a but large, thouigh our deep flages should be able to accomadate it. The ends were made from tapered bits of rail on a plasticard plate that was glued to the (curved) ends.
The next two bridges are 4 foot or close to that - so they are gouing to need 3 1 yard lengths each. Now that rail (or track) is so expensive (& I am a pensioner) I thought what could be used instead, and decided that I could use strips 5mm wide, and 4 mm high (so keeping the top of the guard rail below the normal rail height - I use Peco G45 which is code 250, and from the top of the sleeper to the top of the rail it is 7mm so I have a 2mm clearance to allow for use of a track cleaner.
They are pre-curved, and then glued down with plenty of Evo stik, and painted a mucky brown/black/grey/rust colour - when done give them a matt varnish coat as well. Agreed they are not protoypical but are a very close match when viewed at niormal G scale distances and much cheaper and look effective, also I do not know of a smaller section rail that my 250 section rail.
The idea (I model the period of Colorado narrow gauge of 1880) may have come from reading somewhere that guard rails were made from iron faced wood strips - I do not know now, but its possible.
Hope the above helps.
Alec K said:
Hi Alec,
Guard rails - the first bridge I built I made them from Pexco rail, andf glued them to the sleepers with Evostik. That bridge is the samllest one at 3 feet and it still took a couple of lengths. Guard rails are meant to be smaller section rail, if you are using 330 section they could be 250 section for instance, though really the difference eis possibly a but large, thouigh our deep flages should be able to accomadate it. The ends were made from tapered bits of rail on a plasticard plate that was glued to the (curved) ends.
The next two bridges are 4 foot or close to that - so they are gouing to need 3 1 yard lengths each. Now that rail (or track) is so expensive (& I am a pensioner) I thought what could be used instead, and decided that I could use strips 5mm wide, and 4 mm high (so keeping the top of the guard rail below the normal rail height - I use Peco G45 which is code 250, and from the top of the sleeper to the top of the rail it is 7mm so I have a 2mm clearance to allow for use of a track cleaner.
They are pre-curved, and then glued down with plenty of Evo stik, and painted a mucky brown/black/grey/rust colour - when done give them a matt varnish coat as well. Agreed they are not protoypical but are a very close match when viewed at niormal G scale distances and much cheaper and look effective, also I do not know of a smaller section rail that my 250 section rail.
The idea (I model the period of Colorado narrow gauge of 1880) may have come from reading somewhere that guard rails were made from iron faced wood strips - I do not know now, but its possible.
Hope the above helps.
