The Carolina Sandhills Lines in HO Scale

[Point353]

By far, this loaded 89' TOFC is my worst case scenario for clearance, ...
But, I don't want to create a situation that I cannot run certain rolling stock, because I didn't plan ahead ...

Any (future) possibility of running autorack cars?

[davefoxx]

Any (future) possibility of running autorack cars?

Probably not, but I bet I have the room, considering the clearance over those trailers on the flat car.  Width-wise, the overhang of an auto rack should be similar to the TOFC.

DFF

[davefoxx]

I just went and measured it.  There is approximately twenty-five scale feet from the railhead of the lower track to the bottom of the I-beam.  That means an auto rack fits with five scale feet to spare. 

DFF

[Point353]

FWIW, CSX presently specifies a minimum vertical clearance of 23' on its mainline tracks.
https://www.csx.com/index.cfm/library/files/customers/industrial-development/site-design-guidelines-and-specifications/

[davefoxx]

I made up a couple of jigs this morning for the trestle bents.  Even though I’m using yellow carpenter’s glue, I found that it grabs fairly quick- a lesson learned from building Bullfrog Manual Turnout Controls.  So, the bents can be popped out of the jig in just a few minutes.



DFF

[davefoxx]

. . . and the 2019 Curved Trestle Regatta is on!  Just taking my sweet time and working out all of the angles and fitment into the abutments and the hillside by trial and error.  So far, so good on all clearances with the SBD line below.  The difficulty level is raised, because this scene is just within my reach on the layout, if I stand on a footstool:



I still have to build a small bent to rest the end of the bridge on the shelf of the abutment:



I installed four pieces of I-beam over the lower track.  Hopefully, the bridge police won't take me out for insufficient structure to hold a Geep and a few loaded freight cars:



DFF

[davefoxx]

A good day’s work.  The raw construction on this end of the bridge is finished.



DFF

[Dave V]

A good day’s work.  The raw construction on this end of the bridge is finished.



DFF

Ah...  A scracthbuilt wooden trestle.  An agreeable sight to a narrow gauge man even if the rails are too far apart!

[Point353]

Ah...  A scracthbuilt wooden trestle.  An agreeable sight to a narrow gauge man even if the rails are too far apart!

Pretend it's for an On30 layout.
https://www.nmra.org/sites/default/files/standards/sandrp/pdf/S-1.2%202009.07.pdf

[Ed Kapuscinski]

One thing I'll mention about the static grass.

Having some dirt showing through isn't a bad thing.

[wm3798]

Ah...  A scracthbuilt wooden trestle.  An agreeable sight to a narrow gauge man even if the rails are too far apart!

An N scale man might offer the same opinion!  (rails too far apart!... that 89' flat... )

Trestle looks plenty plausible for the span.  You may proceed.

Lee

[Jbub]

An N scale man might offer the same opinion!  (rails too far apart!... that 89' flat... )

Trestle looks plenty plausible for the span.  You may proceed.

Lee

So does that mean HOn30 is the best to model? Still 9mm on the gauge.

[davefoxx]

An N scale man might offer the same opinion!  (rails too far apart!... that 89' flat... )

Trestle looks plenty plausible for the span.  You may proceed.

Lee

@wm3798,

Don't bust on my 89' flatcar that, as funny as it looks, doesn't derail when I run it.  Especially since this is coming from a guy in model railroad "retro" mode running that Bachmann white box "stuff" that runs like a Swiss car.   

DFF

[davefoxx]

I built another bent tonight, and have the section under the I-beams finished.  Gettin' there.



There's plenty of clearance for anything that I want to run:



DFF

[Chris333]

You have clearance Clarence