New Trainline45 bridges - any reviews yet?

Zerogee

Zerogee

Clencher's Bogleman
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Does anyone actually have one of the new bridges from Trainline45 yet? Just wondering what they are actually like compared with the classic LGB girder bridge and the Pola bridge kits (which look nice, but are much more fiddly to assemble than the LGB ones, and more delicate when built).
 
The 90cm looks good and at a reasonable price. the bow bridge is the same length and over twice as much.
Personally, I think the straight 120cm bridge looks too long for its height.
 
So, if no-one actually has one yet, anybody at least seen them "in the flesh" in the shops, and can comment on their apparent strength, method of construction etc?

Jon.
 
Jon if you are looking for strength go for aluminium, I have two LGB girder bridges that have been outside for a few years now and as with all plastics they seem to be deteriorating, however my aluminium bridge is still solid and very strong especially if bits of hedge and branches fall on it, I know it doesnt look as scale like as LGB etc but on balance its worth the trade off. Mitchell
 
I have a steel bridge from Garden Metal models, a really nice product. I am also wondering about these, they seem to be nice and have a good price.

I am in the market for a about a 2 to 2.5 foot bridge right now.
 
BUMP!

I ordered the 1.2m straight bridge today, so hopefully I can show some pictures of it in place next weekend :thumbup:
 
One of the stands at Reading had one of each on display, but just laid on the table with a loco 'posed' on them, so I didn't take that much notice.

They looked well coated in the black - possibly powder coat - paint, and assuming they're alluminium or steel, will be structurally sound.

Aesthetically - a bit basic. I assume laser cut out of flat sheet which is then folded. OK for the flat bridge, no lateral ties to the top chord of the bow bridge. No relief detail.

However, as a quick and simple impressionist bridge that complies with the 10 ft rule, OK. :thumbup:
 
Yes, I was interested to see them there (KGR's stand, if I recall?) and would agree fully with Rhino's assessment of them - very basic, just folded sheet steel, but the coating and finish looked good and I reckon they'd look fine once out in the garden. I suppose you could dress them up a bit, maybe add walkways to the sides, something like that - but that would then defeat the purpose of having a pretty-much-indestructible and easy to use product. The only bridge requirement that I have at present will be filled by an LGB one that I already have, but if I ever needed to add anything like a lift-out bridge section then I'd seriously consider one of the Trainline ones for it.

Jon.
 
I agree that the longest ones are a bit long in proportion to their height to be quite right, but with two or three intermediate piers they might be used as a fair representation of a Bailey bridge. Some extra joint detail would improve them, but there's no question that the 10 foot rule applies - much to the annoyance of anyone who has built a more detailed structure for a garden railway and then stood back to admire it!

Andrew
 
Bridge arrived last week....

IMG_2629%20(Small).JPG


Review on my website (in Dutch....) with some more pictures
http://45mm.nl/pdf/TrainLine brug.pdf
 
Nicely done, Ian. Good to see a properly supported bridge that looks as though the builder checked out the real thing first. Do you need expansion joints? Being that close to the ground you probably already have a good heat sink to keep it under control.

Andrew
 
Thanks Andrew. I cannot claim to have studied full size bridges. Just drew up a plan, scrounged some waste aluminium, the round supports are actually discarded ambulance stretcher poles. The rest came from a local hardware store and an awful lot of nuts and bolts. The base rests on the shelves of my pond. The picture shows it removed for pond maintenance.
 
Hi Ian,
My utility is stocked with a job lot of Wickes "L" aluminium ready for a self build. Does it wear ok outside or does it oxidise? Has anybody any experience of painting aluminium? I 'm not sure whether the paint will last on aluminium but more than happy to be told otherwise..
 
Hi - etching primer is the thing.
 
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