More Bridge Works

On Thursday at work, PK asked me to deliver some packets of styrene to old Mike. So on Good Friday I went around for a visit and made the exchange. That man is just amazing! He has built another HO layout and scratch built some very simple buildings and structures. They look very good. He also had a couple of small wooden boats that he gave me, as well as a couple of structures - one HO and N scale for our club layouts. I'm sure one of our N scalers is going to have an absolute ball putting the N scale station building together. Thanks Mike!

This Saturday I decided to visit the local hobby shop and pick up a few more decoders for the Club Shop.  I also had a good look through their rather extensive Evergreen styrene collection. They had no 0.060" angle styrene which I was to use for the virtical webs on the girders I'm constructing over Cougal Spiral. I thought I will have just enough left at home so this should not be an issue. They did have a packet of 0.080" angle sytrene which I decided not to get it as I also thought I had enough of that size. The 0.080" styrene is used along the top and bottom plates for the girder. It turned out that I could do 4 girders with the 0.080" before it ran out. Bugger! I also got about a quarter of the way through the fourth girder with the 0.060" before it too ran out. Double Bugger! No shops open today and no guarantee that they will have any anyway. Tomorrow I will travel over to the only shop likely to be open on the southside of Brisbane that has styrene and I will pay an exorbitant amount for another packet of 0.060" and 0.080" angle that I need to complete my bridge. Serves me right as I should have picked up the packet of 0.080" angle on Saturday.

In the mean time, I painted the first three complete girders with a can of redish brown spray paint that I had laying around.  Unfortunately I think it is now empty.  What's the bet the next two girder will end up a different colour and everyone who looks at my bridge will ask why are those two girders a different colour!  Oh I get myself into some messes.

The 3.25 girders from top to bottom, left to right area #4, #3, #2 and #1.

I think the girders fit in quite well into the scene, even if the area I'm photographing is a low light area, so you can't see the detail on the girders.  If I was to use a flash, the picture gets all washed out.  So I can't win here either.

The first three girder in place - sorry for the dull photo - contrast needs adjusting

I have also built some balsa form work around the base of the bottom bridge at Cougal Spiral. Monday afternoon I plan to conduct the plaster pour. Damn workers demanding triple time on Sunday to do the pour then, so it was delayed until Monday as this is only double time rates.  At this stage I'm not sure if I will build the girder to do on the plaster piers on the bottom bridge or I will buy one. We'll see what turns up tomorrow at the hobby shop.

Balsa form work for the bottom bridge

Well I got my camera working again. It was absolutley amazing. If you put new batteries in it, it just seems to work. It's like - Magic! Doh! My wife made me feel very small when she suggested I replace the batteries. Don't be silly dear it's kaput! But to humour the dear wife, I did it and damn it worked. Wife 1 - Husband 4115. But we all know they don't count.