my New Howe Truss Bridge, and new trestle

peterbunce

peterbunce

1880's Colorado Narrow gauge on 45mm track
I have started a new bridge which is bridge number 3 ? I will have 3 bridges, all different on my railroad; two I will have made myself and one in Aluminum was made for me as a kit from Frank Neher in Germany, and is very good: this one is the same size as Frank's.
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The first is a pony truss and has a slight mistake (which I won?t be correcting, as you have to be very knowledgable, and it does not affect the bridge ), and is made from wood strip; thus it is removeable and stays out of theweather. The present bridge is being made out of PVC solid foam and some scrap plastic called Altuglass which is very hard and quite rigid. The bridge is a 4 foot long Howe Truss bridge, which is 4 foot long, just over a foot high and will be 9 inches wide ? nothing like variety!

The first attempt foundered on my lack of bridge knowledge ? and it is not mentioned in Kalmbachs book on bridges etc either; they have to have an odd number of side panels (shaped like a ?X?) otherwise they will not work! Mark 2 is much better, one side has been made, and still needs the tension rods adding (those need some nuts fixing to them ? they have not yet been ordered! But I can now make the other side to a viable pattern: then the cross pieces top & bottom are due to be made, needless to say they are both different.

Here are a couple of photos of the side panel; most things are in threes; so plenty of work has been done on the big circular saw ? still more to do, but I am getting there!

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More to follow ---

 
Re:my New Howe Truss Bridge

kool..loves it...cant wait til it done..well done...aslo i have 4 truss bridges tht i kitbashing it........yr is superb!!!! :thumbup:
 
Re:my New Howe Truss Bridge

Hi,

The framing for the bridge is now complete, and I estimate that the bridge is about half done. Next are the (welding rod) tension rods one the sides and top, plus two nuts on each; one will be soldered and one fittied with nutlock; I may alternate them so the nut is either at the top ot bottom(on alternate rods.

Note that the top barcing 'X' members need to be offset from the side ones - to allow the tension tods in.

The base of the bridge has underneath a couple of square steel tube (painted in red oxide (which is a medium brown) undercoat) that run from end to end, and add a lot to its stiffness.

Finally there a a couple of double thickness end cross pieces at the top of the sides; those ar every useful for picking it up!


Herer are a couple more photos

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A composite view showing the cross bracing on the top of the bridge; in both view that bridge has been stood on stacked bricks to the (almost) correct posituion, still to build (afetr the extra work the bridge needs) is a 6 foot long trestkle that the bridge abuts to, that will need 10 treasle bents I think, and I have an old cedar greenhouse (in bits after we demolished it when it was 30 years old - the only rot was on one lower corner.)

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A side view of the bridge - note the centre, where the double diagonals change direction Each side 'X' is made up of three pieces.
 
Re:my New Howe Truss Bridge

wow
they look real

what else can i say 
wow!

so just how are you going to be able to take this up and down if its not weatherproof??

-no fishplates on the track i presume and some sort of jumper cable to the bridge tracks for power???? 
 
Re:my New Howe Truss Bridge

I LIKE!! Bridges is fun, especially own made!
 
Re:my New Howe Truss Bridge

Steve,

It is waterproof, its made of the same stuff as I use in my buildings and they stood up to the winter frost & snow; once the tension rods are fitted there will be two styles of fixing both my favourite glue, (Evo-stik) and the mechanical solder and threadlock used.
 
Re:my New Howe Truss Bridge

Hi, 

Thank you for the kind comments - 

A reply for Steve Denver re current for the track - I use the Hillman bridge clamps, as long as the approach tracks are fixed, which they are those hold the bridge clamps at the ends, the bridge  which at 4 foot long will have a soldered joint in the track drops into the clamps and the current runs through. I have 3 sets (of 4) and the 2 sets in location work well. The bridge is aligned at one end and the other end is gently dropped into the other pair of clamps and that is it.

Removal is equally fast if needed.
 
Re:my New Howe Truss Bridge

:thumbup: :thumbup: :love:
 
Re:my New Howe Truss Bridge

Very nice work Peter:thumbup:
 
Re:my New Howe Truss Bridge

The bridge I have been building is virtually finished and here are some photos of it ? its a scale 80 feet long, and is an actual 13? tall, and 9.5 inches wide. I was suprised at the large amount of both paint, and the time to apply it that it has taken!

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It will be fitted at the end of a series of trestle bents, they will be a total of 6 feet long, with 10 of them to build and join together, and they are to be made from redwood from an old greehhouse that has been awaiting its new use (of its timber)
 
Re:my New Howe Truss Bridge

Hi,

A final view of my new bridge - looking down on the top of it.

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Re:my New Howe Truss Bridge

what a beast is tht !!! what a lovely pieces of work u did on it!!..i was really gobmacked with it...........it give me a nice feeling whenit ran through inside it....................are they painstaking work on it mate?
 
Re:my New Howe Truss Bridge

Dear Peter,

Compared with the magnificence of the civil engineering of your truss girder bridge, my query will seem very minor indeed. I noted the characteristic check rails you have installed on the track to reflect the derailment measures taken by the CCE on railway bridges - nice touch, if I may say so. Please could you advise what material you used to create the check rails, and how you attached these to the sleepering?

Many thanks for such an interesting thread - an inspiration.

Kind regards

Alec K
 
Re:my New Howe Truss Bridge

I have only one further comment..............

Magnificent!!!
 
Re:my New Howe Truss Bridge

I can only give it the highest accolade - it's Museum standard.

What a model!
 
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