Gantry Crane Construction and Bridge Building Recommences

Last Monday was a public holiday so I spent the time starting to build the NSW 5 Ton Gantry Crane.  This will go into Kyogle Yard.  I have started building the basic frame structure, but need to get some nice scale gears to simulate the bits that make it actually work.  I have quite a bit of scale chain - somewhere that I will also put to good use.  I also need some more Code 40 rail - which I actually found yesterday, so the little jig on the top of the crane can ride on.  I might try and make mine a working model.  It just adds to the scene when you show people that you can pull chains and the jig moves or the hook lowers or raises.  Also it just proves to people how sick you are.  So far this has cost $3.00 in styrene.  I plan to see if some of my old watches may have some gears that can be used or I might visit a watch repair place to see what I can get from them.  Failing that maybe I can find an old alarm clock that is past its used by date.

My 5 Ton Gantry Crane frame with steps up the near post

Yesterday I purchased a large piece of balsa from Bunnings so I can experiment building some bridge piers for the bridge across the Upper Richmond River at Kyogle.  I have carved some basic shapes from the balsa that I will coat these with some Jo Sonja's Testure Paste mixed with some paint pigments, just like our local Tuesday Nighter's scenery expert Peter Leslie does.  Peter's home layout, based on NSW outline, is certainly up to the standard of those featured in the AMRM magazine.

The shapes I have so far cut for the piers have basically matched the shapes in the photos in last weeks blog photos.  What I do not know is the exact dimensions of the piers - so I'm just guessing.  I have also decided to scratchbuild the main through span of the bridge from styrene, as well as the through trusses either side.  I have started making the two through spans either side of the main span with styrene and will complete them possibly next weekend - if I have the correct styrene available.  I will also make the girders for under the rails for the spans on the other side of these as well using the same technique as I did for the Cougal Spiral girders.  I still have to complete the basic contours for the flood plain but that will take some time.

In the forground are my balsa piers, behind is an example of a bridge that I will scratchbuild for the main river span, while either side of that are the first drafts of the through girder spans

A second view of the right hand side through girder span.  The webbing will go on next weekend.

This weekend is the Toowoomba Model Railway Exhibition put on by the Darling Downs Model Railway Club, which I did not get a chance to go to.  It appears that my mates up there are terrorising their credit cards with lots of great bargains so I hear - Oh maybe their wives weren't meant to know that yet! - Oh bugger I may have let the cat out of the bag - hey Darren and Geoff?  But we know PK is a dobber.