Building Bridges

So this week I have gradually started back into the hands on modelling scene after just pottering round with some DCC electronics over the last few weeks. I decided to build a set of bridge piers out of styrene to be used in my model of Cougal Spiral. I do have access to a rather old photo of which I have no idea where it came, that shows a train traversing the Cougal Spiral with a 50 Class loco and some old 72' 6" coaches. I previously mentioned that this photo shows that the spans are approximately 70' to 80' in length. My spans work out to be 30'. I was going to buy some Micro Engineering 30' girders after Bob from SCR advised that this was what he had used on his very finely detailed layout, but at this point I will see how some scratch built ones work out.

Photo of 50 Class loco on Cougal Spiral - Source Unknown

Contrast this photo above taken in the 1950's maybe with one taken in 1988 that I showed a few weeks ago on my blog showing a lot more trees in existance.  Isn't nature grand!

I have 6 piers built so far, and may add a 7th. This week I will attach the webbing to the girders and try and join the two girders together to create each of the 5 initial spans. I will also put a top on the hollow pier frames and see if I can then file this off to make them a nice smooth structure so that the spans can sit nice and flat on them. I could even pour plaster down the piers to make it a more solid structure, but we will see how things pan out.  I may have to build up the scenery around the base of the piers so that the piers sit nice and square and are at the correct height to support the track at a constant grade.

The 6 piers balancing the girders and supporting the track

I even placed a train on them to see how it would look - sorry about the photo quality

So after construction is complete, I will then have to work out how I will paint and weather the piers and girders of the bridge, but that is for another update in the future.