Killashandra - Irish Nn3

[DKS]

I'm thinking to not even use any fancy stone castings. Just carve up a couple chunks of balsa wood, apply a few coats of grey paint, weather the heck out of them and call it a day. Also note that none of the reference shots show stone supports in the middle of the bridges; they're all wood and steel trestles, so perhaps you can partially redeem yourself with Chris and replace the trestle bents.

[VonRyan]

would these not work?
http://www.choochenterprises.com/9840.html
they are not as wide but have great detailing
even if you cannot cut in half, you could bury one face
into the terrain on each side.

kindest regards
Gary

I have some of those, but they are quite thick, so I would have to do a lot of cutting.

I'm still plugging away at gathering references. I can't find anything quite like what I'm planning to build, but I at least have reference points for the size/shape of the abutments. I'm going to start trawling the site DKS used, because Google isn't being all that helpful.

[VonRyan]

I'm thinking to not even use any fancy stone castings. Just carve up a couple chunks of balsa wood, apply a few coats of grey paint, weather the heck out of them and call it a day. Also note that none of the reference shots show stone supports in the middle of the bridges; they're all wood and steel trestles, so perhaps you can partially redeem yourself with Chris and replace the trestle bents.

From reading the descriptions, those bridges were 1920s construction. I'm going more for late 1800s construction.

I think I got the size figured out now.

[VonRyan]

Ok, so the stone abutments are staying, but I don't need a support column any longer.

The stone abutments are indeed good for use. I've been getting active once more on a narrow-gauge forum and I got some good feedback from the membership on the abutments.

I also found a far better reference photo which my bridge will be based off of.



It's a bridge on the old Tralee & Dingle Railway, which is one of the major inspirations for the layout. So next up scratching together two girders, which should make a good evening project.

[timgill]

I like the look of the new abutments. A lot better proportioned.

It's a bridge on the old Tralee & Dingle Railway,

And, for the record, I definitely DID NOT giggle when I saw the word "Dingle" in the name of a railroad. Definitely not.

[VonRyan]

I like the look of the new abutments. A lot better proportioned.

And, for the record, I definitely DID NOT giggle when I saw the word "Dingle" in the name of a railroad. Definitely not.

Surrrrre you didn't. 

[VonRyan]

So I wont have to scratch together the two girders.
Someone on the narrow-gauge forum suggested using sides from an old lima gondola.

Well I may not have one of those, but I have two types of Camden & Amboy models gons, plus an ESM gon (in CR paint) who had a side that decided to separate from the body.
Personally, I like the rivet detail of the ESM gon. Plus, the spacing of the braces on the sides better lend it to being chopped up for girders.

[VonRyan]

Progress!

So I have the two bridge girders sliced, diced, and ready to build a bridge.
The winner of the cut-up contest was....



The ESM G26. 

And after it's 91% alcohol bath.



So right after, the slicing and dicing began:



And here is a finished girder:



And someone over on the narrow-gauge forum gave me a suggestion about how the bridge should interact with the abutments.



Needless to say I hadn't thought of doing it like that.
Mark Fielder of Nn3 fame suggested it so I'm going to take it and roll with it.

So perhaps I'll get this bridge finished before my college classes start again on Thursday.


Cheers!
-Cody F.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

That's a pretty interesting use of a gon.

Of a rather expensive gon too...

[VonRyan]

That's a pretty interesting use of a gon.

Of a rather expensive gon too...

$20 bridge? Check.

[davefoxx]

I don't know.  I'm no bridge engineer, but that gon side seems to be missing some pieces that would add to its rigidity, e.g., the flange at the bottom to keep it from bowing and failing as a plate girder bridge.  Remember, on a flatcar, that bottom is bolted/welded to the flatcar frame.  I think it needs more structure to be a bridge side.

DFF

[eric220]

Turn it upside down to hide the missing flange under the ties?

[VonRyan]

Turn it upside down to hide the missing flange under the ties?

That's what I was thinking.

I just took that picture with no specific orientation just after finishing up smoothing the edges from the cut.

[VonRyan]

So not much progress recently except I blew the dust off the layout the other day.
The trade deal I was working on for rolling stock may have fallen through permanently.
Still hoping to work out a purchase deal for some Peco Nn3 rolling stock.

Meanwhile I'm probably going to finally glue the girders onto the bridge later on today.

I just have had zero motivation to do much of anything modeling related recently.
I've watched a whole piece of my life ruined beyond repair as people have turned their backs on me and others tell lies.
Modeling is pretty much the only thing I have left in my life, but all this nonsense going on has killed my desire to do anything.

[VonRyan]

I suddenly had a spurt of motivation (I guess going to Timounium helped more than I thought) and I'm currently installing the bridge abutments.
In a couple weeks I should have some Peco wagon kits to assemble and paint.

That'll leave the cattle dock, the rest of the ballast, the scenery, and kitbashing the locomotive (the hard part).

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