First run across Potomac Creek

[AlkemScaleModels]

The bridge at Potomac Creek is finally done. I got it installed and tested over the snowy weekend. The scenery  is not complete, but the bridge construction is. Here is a short video showing the first runs across it.
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NY5a44b9Cc" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NY5a44b9Cc</a>

Although I made good progress on the bridge, I did encounter a problem with the roadbed just to the east of the bridge. The roadbed warped laterally and was causing derailments. I could not get it level, so I had to rip out a section and must do it over. You can see the construction in the last clip in the video in the distance. Oh well, two steps forward, one step back.

[SquirrelHollow]

Nice work.

It looks like the drivers are binding, though.  Drive rods? 

[Iain]

The music doesn't exactly fit with the era, though, does it?


Nice bridge.

[wm3798]

Is the bridge laser cut or hand assembled?  I'm assuming a combination of both!  Looks amazing.  Nice work.

Lee

[Bob Bufkin]

That's a great looking bridge.  Gotta add some smoke to that loco.  I would place a small detachment of troops on both sides of the bridge to protect against gorilla raids.  Mosby and other you know

[AlkemScaleModels]

The music doesn't exactly fit with the era, though, does it?


Nice bridge.

That's an original Garage band piece - Royalty free.

[AlkemScaleModels]

Is the bridge laser cut or hand assembled?  I'm assuming a combination of both!  Looks amazing.  Nice work.

Lee

All of the standardized parts were laser cut. The prototype bridge parts were pre-fabricated off site using jigs. They transported the parts to the site and built the bridge in a few days. When they assembled it, they just treenailed or bolted it together. The model was built the same way. I laser cut the lattice and chords instead of using jigs.  It went together like a jig saw puzzle. The trickiest part was getting the hole for the vertical truss rods to line up and making hundreds of 0.060 inch treenails. I made a draw plate using an old hacksaw blade to make the tree nails.

 The Howe truss on the bottom deck (a lateral stiffener) had to be hand cut. That took about 3 hours to measure, cut and install all those pieces. If I  did it again, I'd make the Howe truss first using laser cut parts, then add the side truss to it. That would have avoided the slight waviness of the side truss that necessitated custom fitting every piece of the Howe truss.

[JR59]

Incredible work! I can imagine how many hours was going into this Bridge, Hat's off.