The Little Rock Line

[Philip H]

Many of the guard rails I've seen over the years don't actually touch when then turn in toward each other. Careful bending and perhaps a guiding notch filed into the rail on the end and you should be fine.

[Bendtracker1]

Thanks Philip.
Yeah I'm not sure how I want to go about this yet?
I've seen them use a part from a turnout that brings them to a sharp point similar to this, which I like.
   

While others are crudely laid out to vague point that looks like the crew was drunk when they did it.  I think this one has more interest, but I don't think it would be well recieved in the modeling world?

 

[Philip H]

Do the less ordinary version and invoke both Ed's Law - since you have an example - and Rule 1.  If you really want to do that way too neat point, then just cut a gap with a Dremel, insert some styrene, file to profile, and paint and weather.  Not exactly Easy Peasy but not technically difficult either.

[rodsup9000]

  Looking good, Allen
 
 Don't forget that the guard rails will be powered (unless you cut the pc board between the track rail and guard rail) and if you bring them together, you'll need to isolate them to prevent a short.

[davefoxx]

Allen,

The rail ends do not have to touch.  This isn't the best picture, but I just gave the ends a slight bend in to divert errant wheels.



interestingly, I came across a photo of the N scale Atlas double track plate girder bridge, and Atlas did it the same way, despite being plastic guardrails.

DFF

[C855B]

How about:



No guardrails at all, ballasted deck. This is the BNSF at the Lower Victorville Narrows. I'm glad I found this picture and site. It saved a bunch of work on an immediately pending project, representing this particular pair of bridges.

As far as guardrails coming to a point - and no facts were harmed in this conclusion - it's my observation that the bigger the bridge, the more likely the guardrails will meet at a point.

[Bendtracker1]

Do the less ordinary version and invoke both Ed's Law - since you have an example - and Rule 1.  If you really want to do that way too neat point, then just cut a gap with a Dremel, insert some styrene, file to profile, and paint and weather.  Not exactly Easy Peasy but not technically difficult either.

Well OK.
I guess I can always give it go and see how it turns out.
I like modeling oddities like this, but in mind it may be viewed as not good modeling, but if it does turn out, it would be kind of a conversation piece?

I'll see what happens, thanks Philip.

Do I need to ask for Ed's permission? 

[Bendtracker1]

  Looking good, Allen
 
 Don't forget that the guard rails will be powered (unless you cut the pc board between the track rail and guard rail) and if you bring them together, you'll need to isolate them to prevent a short.

Thanks Rod!
LOL, yeah I planned for that with three gaps in the ties, but when I tinned the ties, the outer two got covered by the guardrails anyway, oops.
If I actually bring them to a point I plan to file them flat on the inner surfaces and then lay a strip of styrene between them and epoxy them together and file them to a point.

[Bendtracker1]

Allen,
The rail ends do not have to touch.  This isn't the best picture, but I just gave the ends a slight bend in to divert errant wheels.

DFF

Right!
But there's just something about open ended guardrails that just doesn't make sense to me?
I can't recall ever seeing one in person, that might be why?
The more and more I think about, I might just take Philip up on his challenge?
It'd be something different?
Thanks for the input...

[Chris333]

I've seen guard rails in person all sorts of ways including just a stub end, but I'm sure either way you do it, it will be ok.

[Bendtracker1]

Thanks Chris, we'll see what happens...

[Bendtracker1]

This evening with the bridge about ready, I started messing around with the track realignment between North El Dorado and Calion.  Even though the radius looks tight, I'm guessing it's over 20" on both ends of the short tangent.  This short tangent is where the Deck bridge will be placed.



A bit more on the Blog...

[Bendtracker1]

Last weekend I finished getting the track relaid and the trains running again. 

The deck bridge is about done, as well as the bridge flex track.  Next up I need to start removing the ceiling tile and foam where the river will be, but first I want to get the second bridge built.  This will tell me where I need to cut out for the river.  Once the bridges are in place I'll finish the guardrails on the first bridge.

Tonight I glued down a section of cork for the lead into Calion Lumber so I can get the spurs in place.  Then I grabbed the second bridge kit.  For this bridge I plan to use one of the Central Valley Pratt Truss bridge kits.

More on the Blog...

[Bendtracker1]

After a little bit of work the other night I was able to get the spurs relaid into Calion Lumber. With the cork glued down I was able to sand it to a slight slope to get the tracks back down to ground level.  A few hours later I caught the Haskell turn with #675 and friends as it was setting out a couple of cars on the new spurs.








Once this was done I started working on the Central Valley bridge.

The first night...



The next night...



They called out to use black thread for the cables, but I read somewhere to use thin brass rods instead.



Now I'm working on the tie assembly, gluing the rails and guard rails in place.

[Philip H]

That's a really nice bridge Allen