After what I thought was completing the two bridge girders last weekend for either side of the main river span of the Upper Richmond River Bridge at Kyogle, I took them along to our Tuesday Nighters meeting this week for a show and tell. Well one got broken in the transfer but not too badly. After talking to the boys, they just confirmed my thinking, that I needed to add detail (more webbing) to the rear of the bridge. Damn! I thought they were reasonably finished - painted and all. Originally I thought it might not be seen but I know it will be seen so it is smart to add it now. Well I added the additional webbing on Saturday around lunchtime, although I have not painted it yet so I could show it off below.
The two (what I thought were) completed girders with the extra rear webbing added
With the added webbing, the width of the bridge is now 2mm narrower, but I think all my rollingstock can still get through between the bridge. I think I have about 1.5mm of space either side of my diesel rollingstock. I hope my steam locos are not as wide or I may have some issues when I lay the track across it and run the first train. I may have to hold my breath when I do run a train through it. I may have to snap the rear truss off and add a 2 or 3 or even 4mm spacer to ensure everything fits through. How much safety room do others leave on their bridges?
As usual, it was Saturday night that I started drawing my plans for the main bridge span. Bad luck if I needed to go buy some styrene and start building the bridge this week, as the main hobby shops are now shut till next week! However while contemplating the drawing of the plan, I came up with a few questions. How high is the main span for the trains to go through? How long is span? How wide is it? What size styrene beams to use? What angle are the beams at in the triangles? I know that one is at 90 degrees but what are the others at? 65 and 25? 60 and 30? 50 and 40? I have no idea. I made a rough plan and the bridge works out about 29cm long. I may have to shorten the bridge slightly by increaseing the angle of the beams.
When I started to put the whole bridge together with a few steel girders, one on the northern end and at least 2 at the southern end - maybe three, the two girders I have made above plus the main 29cm bridge span, the bridge does not fit into the space I had allocated. So this afternoon, I spent 10 minutes in the shed trimming the styrofoam around the Richmond River opening to see if I can crib a few centimetres or more. I now have an opening of about 86cm. I still may be able to crib 1 or 2 cm more. I think I can make this size opening work, with the invoking of modellers license and shortening the steel girders at each end of the bridge I think I can make it fit. Tonight I will try and cut the styrene for the bridge girders at each end.
This afternoon I went for a run around a few shops for a few items and happened to find a Kibri forklift kit for $8.99, which I put together and added one of my pallets along with two of my home made 44 gallon drums. The drums were made from styrene tube with fine wire looped around and twisted at the rear and then superglued on. From the front you can't see the twist at the rear of the drum. The model just needs a driver and a bit of weathering.
The fork lift doing some work up at Fairy Hill Hall
I also picked up 6 more 3mm white LED's. One will definitely go to light up PK's room (via a switch on the facia) at the B & B. See you next week!
Hi Craig,
ReplyDeleteI reckon there's not one model I've done that hasn't been revisited either by someone pointing something out or I've found a better way of doing it or new information comes along. It's great to have friends to point out things and help you along the way. Good stuff with the bridge work as well. And by the way, Geoff isn't the only one waiting for Sunday night updates.
Cheers Rob