Weekend Update 11/18/18

[nkalanaga]

There's no reason they couldn't use long ties, so you may well be right.  If so, I wonder if they had a walkway in the middle?  Most long bridges have a walkway on one or both sides, but if the tracks are far enough apart, this one could have it in the center.

If this bridge is still in use, I wonder if Google Maps would have an aerial view that shows the ties?  Some of their photos are clear enough, others get blurry before they reach that magnification.

[unittrain]

I love that bridge, great work I'm huge fan of bridges, I got some more in the works too. Looking forward to watching this progress.

[CNR5529]

will post again once i finish salting this beast.

Hi Miguel, great job with that bridge. It will look impressive when all done. I recently used the salt method and various other weathering techniques to simulate a fairly rusty, weathered bridge on a small module. Thought I might share some pictures in case they can be at all helpful to someone. As many have said before, props to @tom mann on his fantastic weathering book. This was my first real project using the techniques describes, and I am quite satisfied with the results.

First the prototype:

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This overpass is at the end of the line of the CN Sorel Subdivision. The line used to continue on for quite some distance connecting up to other subdivisions, but tracks past this point are now ripped up and there are stop blocks on top of the bridge. The bridge I built is for an end of track module for my group's Free-moN endeavour, which is inspired by that scene.

I started by painting the rails in rail brown, ties in tie brown and the bridge itself in automotive primer (iron oxide). Then, I dry-sponged on multiple alternating layers (5 or 6 maybe) of burnt umber and burnt sienna. This gave a really nice rusty metal look to act as a base coat.

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Once this was dry, I added the salt which was a mix of coarse and fairly finely ground down sea salt, to have the best control possible over the mask placement. I tryied as much as possible to place the salt where paint would tend to peel, rather than have it land randomly. Yes the paint chipping is random, but it tends to occur in particular areas such as on top of flat surfaces, on the lower half of panels, along ribs or rivets, etc.

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I painted with silver, per the prototype, and as soon as the paint was touch dry, removed the salt.

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As you can see, the chipping worked, but the contrast is very harsh. I forgot to take a photo of this but i went back and added silver paint in the areas that I over salted, to undo some of the chipping... particularly at the top of the panels, under the top flange. Then another multiple rounds of washes, dry-sponging, and other weathering was used to blend it all together and dull down the silver. There are coats of raw and burnt umber and sienna stippled on and streaked on as washes, some green-grey to act as moss and dull the silver, dirt, soot and mud washes, etc.

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The final effect is a pretty rich texture of flaking paint on rusty metal, with years of neglect. I imagine your bridge will be simulating a structure in much better condition, but the techniques used can still apply. Reference photos are so important for this sort of work, particularly to help break down the layers into colours and techniques.

[mark dance]

Love that Salt Technique!  thanks Tom M!

md

[garethashenden]

There's no reason they couldn't use long ties, so you may well be right.

There’s no reason why the couldn’t, but there is a reason why they wouldn’t. The longer a piece of wood is the more expensive it is. A single piece isn’t going to make too much of a difference to the bottom line, but over a bridge that long, two sets of normal length ties would be a considerable savings over the longer ties.

[mighalpern]

Currently there is only 1 set of tracks on that span,   and it looks like it was probably laid out as two seperate sections right next to it.  Google zoom is bad on this bridge. I guess I could cut the double ties once this is all glued in place and created the look.  I will see how strong this gets. As for the walk ways, I dont think this one had any.( yeah i know thats not right)   The origial B/W photo's show the ties just hanging over and no vertical posts.  And the top photo with the snow doesnt help.  I need to look at that one again , because i think I saw vertical posts on one side.    For now the whole thing is salted, and hopefiully i can give it the grey coat tonight.  I'm leery about the towers since I modified these to make it wider and those side struts I fabricated are delicate, so real slow and steady on those.
Guys thanks for your pictures too.   very nice

[davefoxx]

I'm freewheeling here, but I would think that shorter ties would be more appropriate:

1) Cost of shorter ties versus longer ties, not to mention handling the much heavier, longer ties; and
2) Maintenance.  If the railroad would have to remove any ties, this could potentially take out both tracks during the replacement, as opposed to just one track, if there was a need to replace a shorter tie.

Also, Ed's law always applies, but I don't ever recall seeing an access walk down the middle of a double-tracked bridge.  To the side would be much safer, especially if there were two trains on the bridge simultaneously. 

DFF

[OldEastRR]

Bryan B. could probably answer better, but the NH TOFC flat looks like a 40-ish foot flat.  The model is a Red Caboose 42' flat.  Probably a good starting point for a detail project.  I think there was a Shoreliner article on NH TOFC service.

The NH flat, like a lot of other cars, were peculiar to the NH (like their lightweight coaches) and no current N model can be used w/o lots of rework -- it'd be easier to strip off the deck from a stock flat and build the sills and underbody from scratch. The killer is the rubrails ... very distinctive for that car but a real pain to fabricate. And it'd be great to run them with those shorty trailers with the "M&M" markings but both those would also need to be custom-made.
Hey, Rapido, how about getting into NH freight cars ....?

[up1950s]

I'm freewheeling here, but I would think that shorter ties would be more appropriate:

1) Cost of shorter ties versus longer ties, not to mention handling the much heavier, longer ties; and
2) Maintenance.  If the railroad would have to remove any ties, this could potentially take out both tracks during the replacement, as opposed to just one track, if there was a need to replace a shorter tie.

Also, Ed's law always applies, but I don't ever recall seeing an access walk down the middle of a double-tracked bridge.  To the side would be much safer, especially if there were two trains on the bridge simultaneously. 

DFF

You could have fun with a center walkway . Have a person on that walkway on a vertical wire going down to a gear reduction drive . Set it up that it only activates when trains in opposite directions pass him . Diode blocking switches or an And Gate circuit could do the starting of the spinning man . An off can be effected by IR detectors on both tracks via And Not Gates .

[nkalanaga]

garethashenden and davefoxx:  I agree on the cost, maintenance issues, and the safety of the center walkway. 

The cost factor may not be that big, though, since the NP had both timber lands and creosoting plants.  They made most of their own ties and bridge timbers.

On a bridge, you'd just about have to close both tracks to replace a tie anyway, because the workers and machinery would interfere with the other track.  On the other hand, simply trying to install a 25 ft(?) tie in midair would be difficult. 

The center walkway wouldn't be any more dangerous than a side walkway - IF the two tracks were far enough apart.  If we assume trains are 11 ft wide, the track spacing should be at least 16 ft, to allow for a person and adequate clearance.  Since the walkway would probably only be used in emergencies (one train stopped), it wouldn't be as bad is it looks.

That said, I don't remember ever seeing either double-track ties or a center bridge walkway.

[up1950s]

garethashenden and davefoxx:  I agree on the cost, maintenance issues, and the safety of the center walkway. 

The cost factor may not be that big, though, since the NP had both timber lands and creosoting plants.  They made most of their own ties and bridge timbers.

On a bridge, you'd just about have to close both tracks to replace a tie anyway, because the workers and machinery would interfere with the other track.  On the other hand, simply trying to install a 25 ft(?) tie in midair would be difficult. 

The center walkway wouldn't be any more dangerous than a side walkway - IF the two tracks were far enough apart.  If we assume trains are 11 ft wide, the track spacing should be at least 16 ft, to allow for a person and adequate clearance.  Since the walkway would probably only be used in emergencies (one train stopped), it wouldn't be as bad is it looks.

That said, I don't remember ever seeing either double-track ties or a center bridge walkway.

The trains going in opposite directions causes people to be less steady . That said being on a walkway that's vibrating with death on either side is not desired by me . Probably feel safer on my knees sucking in brake dust .

[BCR751]

I have zero doubt that these fellows are enjoying themselves immensely. It's just a bit odd that they don't look like it...



With apologies to @BCR 570!

That was a bit below the belt, wasn't it?

Doug

[Maletrain]

I have zero doubt that these fellows are enjoying themselves immensely. It's just a bit odd that they don't look like it...

Says the guy whose avatar has a serious expression and his blood flowing down his head 

[jjb62556]

Look like Mug Shots.

[DKS]

Well, that backfired. Nevermind.