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Modelling a cable stay double deck bridge


aussietmrail
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Have made a start on marking and cutting the  arch sections that will make up the arch, I will use the first pieces as a template for the other sections, I am cutting up off cut pieces I have for each section  today and be starting on the very last corner module, level it and set up all the sections and modules, be an awesome site indeed .

I am not sure what size dowel I will use 9mm or 12 mm , may be for the first one  as it will be taking the main strain.

Tony from cold down under.


 

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What with a ship and now a suspension bridge plus a spiral on your layout, all at the same time, you dont like keeping things simple Tony! I find it difficult enough just getting the baseboards down and level. Keep the photos coming.

cheers

mark

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HI Mark, I like to keep busy, gets my mind off my health issues, the bridge isn't really  a  suspension bridge, designed on the Sydney harbor bridge and modern construction methods modeled on a concrete arch, the bridge has to be in two half's, join in the middle.

Hopefully will turn out and look ok, haven't done any work on the ship for a week, being watching Australian Coast, two more episodes  to go, the BBC did a doco  on NZ Coast too, which I hope to buy, two seasons

Where are you cruising now, is it still cold or warming up .

Tony from down under

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I have decided to cut square dowel for the hangers off the arch that supports the decking  after seeing a Chinese bridge which has them, save some money and have the timber, just have to cut the pine up into 12mm by 19mm, not square, will make it easier in fitting square dowel to the arch in stead of round.

Will cut square dowel on Friday going to be fun, use the circular saw to do the first cut and jig saw for the next, I plan to only have the rail deck up with a third bridge pier only temporary till the arch is built.

Tony from down under

 

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  • 2 months later...

 bought some 7 foot paling for the rail deck sections, and some of them have started to warp I had to make a start on the rail deck screwing the paling on the two sides, used one of the paling that had started warp, picked out one of the straight paling for the first side and wasn't easy screwing the warped one on moving the clamp down us I screwed in the screws.

First up I sanded down the paling smooth, making it easier to measure and mark where the paling went , looks better sanded as well, if the sides are to high will cut them down, have to see the trains on the bridge.

The support framing for the upper road deck will screwed onto the bridge sides and I plan to have a walk way on top of the paling, be double track passing loop on the bridge, three more to build, I put the rest of the paling in the tool shed, each section is 7 feet except the last  one being longer, I had to have the screws 6 inches apart .

Tony from down under.

 

 

 

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  • 2 months later...

Being a while, since any updates on the bridge construction, I have changed the design of the arch mainly to the entrance two both ends of the bridge and  made it easier to mark out each piece that will make up the arch, be in two halve the first two pics the drawing of the new arch, using it as a temp plate.

The third pic I plan to have people jumping off with wind gliding kites as on the pic , last pic is what I be basing the entrance  of the bridge, the real bridge is called the Story Bridge on the the Brisbane river, will have steps to the top of the arch, something different a heli pad on top as well, will have to look for a 87 scale of helicopter.

Will make a start on the arch after the weekend, getting the  inside of the house painter today , tonight put most of the furniture back and vertical blinds back tomorrow.

Just as well as is not hot outside under the pergola .

Tony from down under 

 

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  • 1 month later...

Back on the bridge construction, I out half  inch on bottom of the rail deck to an inch and the same on the rail deck side mainly to see more of the trains, was 12 mm is in stead of wasting  the off cuts I used them on the bridge hangers and thicker length for bottom   length the hangers  sit on .

The arch them be screwed on to the side of the road deck, the road deck be made so the  center of it lift out to get to the trains

I is getting pretty  hot, hopping to cut the other two sections today,, depending on how hot it is, 31 today , get this 41 degrees Friday , no work outside.

 

Tony from down under

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Construction is well under way of the double deck arch bridge, I decided to cut back the rail deck sides on both sides that made up the start to the arch of the bridge, will be slowly working my way up to the top of the arch.

Wont be doing anything out till late in the after noon so i can get out one of the bridge sections that make up the arch , found some shade in the back yard where I can do to cutting so it doesn't make any mess with saw dust in under the pergola.

Tony from warm down under

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  • 1 month later...

I haven't being on Cam river bridge since December last year, I am finely on the move with more construction on the bridge marking out the second side of the bridge end that will be the start of the arch .

I marked the bottom plate the large curve deck will join up to the rail deck of the bridge, 6 inched above the rail, deck be the road deck, I will mark the road deck support ready for cutting in the afternoon, four end sides to make , the road deck will be four lane and an emergency lane, the width of the arches is 350 mm's.

The road only be 7 mm ply deck  , be a  path way between the arch and the emergency lane.

Will have to make the most of the cooler weather going to be stinking hot next week in the high 30's, humidity is the killer as well.

Tony from down under

 

 

 

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

At long last the days are cooler in the very low 30's now,, two days of summer left, over the last weekend and Monday I made a lot of progress on one half of the main span of the bridge , finishing the frame work of the road deck and cut some supports to clamp the the deck to the rail deck sides.

I only cut the supports using the jigsaw, couldn't get a good cut, will cut some new ones with the power saw setting up the circular saw jig with so I can cut each piece the same length very important, will have to use a bigger clamp so I can screw the support post to the underneath road deck bracket, with I did that way cutting those brackets the same length.

 I thing I will have to check the arch hangers, might be too long and will have to remark the arch template on the pergola floor.  Having a rest today, joined a new train club yesterday, only 30 minutes away in Brisbane western suburbs, be helping them solder in place those fiber glass brass strips, they are building a layout to put in the Brisbane Train show in May.

The bridge looks twisted because the saw horses are not level , fingers crossed both half's will line up ok, should do .

Tomorrow will made a start on the last sage construction of the layout starting form the car port, I think I will just cut legs to the right height every 3 feet and screw in a hinge to fond the leg a lot quicker.

The bridge will look stunning when finished, some time start on building the arch, once I have finished the bridge and road deck be permanently screwed in place painted with track down, will ask my wife if I can put the  two main spans in the spare bedroom.

 Tony from nice down under

 

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Have finely started construction of the bridge arch, am half way there, takes time, now I can understand why it took so long to build a bridge, my hands and rams become the heavy lift cranes, ha, ha 😊.

I had a lot of trouble trying to hold the bottom pieces in place when screwing the the layer, first pic I used a off cut piece of ply, the last tow pics used 5 mm ply to hold the bottom arch piece in place, will need to have longer screws for the next piece of the arch.

Will use the first arch as a template, no need to bend down and get a sore back, the  arch hangers I cut were spot on, have to get a move on, storms predicted for three days next week.

Back to hot weather next Wednesday 35 degrees, will start dropping back .

Tony from nice down under

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I have finely finished one  arch side of one half of the bridge , took me three days, with a few issues along the way, the other three arches that will make up the bridge will be a lot easier using that arch as a template, tomorrow I will screw in place the arch and hangers to the road deck. Hopefully the arch wont bow out of shape, where the hangers are screwed onto the arch I be screwing another plate which will join up on the other side arch, strengthening the bridge.

Tomorrow I will set up the circular saw jig to cut the support posts so they be all cut the same length, will cut the post for the other half as well, 24 all up, they line up with the hangers, every 12 inches.

We be back to hot weather again the weekend ,Sunday being 36 degrees, there ill be those hot days in Autumn, 33 degrees today, lawn mowing duty this afternoon when it is cooler.

The ships second section progress is coming along nicely, after watching Doctor Who season 11 second desc will be working on the ramp access  from the top deck, will strengthen up the bulkheads on the top and upper deck.

Buying some more off cut ply today for the second arch, hopefully enough to build the  transformer cradle.

Tony from warm down under

 

 

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Hi Mick , thanks yeah the bridge has coma a long way to actually building it and coming together nicely, I am not sure if the arch is too high or not, based it on the Sydney Harbor bridge, with is higher to scale of 4 feet.

I may have to replace the hangers down the track finding the best timber to do the job on a budget, the hangers are fence paling,thinking of ply worried of the timber bowing.

Have some great ideas for the top of the arch, great jump of for hang gliding , es can get model hang glides in HO scale will be having steps on the arch with handrails of course, be a good view for bridge climbers, ha ,ha.😃

Summer has not left us we are copping 39 degrees Monday  and 37 for the next couple of days, I have joined a new train club in the Brisbane western suburbs, 20 minutes from home far better than over an hours drive.

Let me know Mick that the arch height is ok I know the cable stay towers are quite tall  even higher.

Buying  more ply midweek and the other arches be cut in full piece, be quicker construction, with the bus the road deck be level with the bottom of the arch be 12 mm's higher.

No work on Camdale till it is cooler, cool change coming in Friday and storms from Wednesday, will have to pack up the bridge , don't want it to get wet., bring it into the spare bedroom. 

Tony from down under.

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Hi Roddy, many thanks that is what I wanted to hear if I had the heat of the arch right for it to work, I am thinking of adding a second arch to strengthen the bridge and the will also stop the bowing  as in the pic.

Sydney Harbour Bridge is  where I got the arch design from, down the track I be donating my layout to the new train club when they get given land form the council to bight our club rooms, till then will continue as is , I hope to finish the layout this year. It has being too dam hot to work out side under the pergola yesterday peaked 39 degrees, could cover today an has being raining mightn't get as hot today .

Going to the train club today , soldering those fiber glass brass plates to the club 's show layout module track joins.

Tony from cloudy down under

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  • 3 weeks later...

Hi Chris, many thanks, year the bridge is park of the main feature, ship second and railway station third. Tomorrow I be using the first arch as a template for the other three arches and hopefully enough for the second arch of the bridge, trying to speed up the construction process, I still have to cut the uprights for that will support the road deck , cut them tomorrow as well, hope the showers don't come in till the afternoon, need to cut up the sheet of ply before it starts to twist out of shape , storm predicted as well.

Now it is getting cooler can start on Camdale at long last.

Tony from down under

 

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The bridge is starting to take shape and look like a bridge now, I have cut the rest of the pieces that will make up the main arch,tomorrow the  arches will  be set up and joined and that is when the big test will come if the arch will work . I wont set up the road deck will only test the rail deck first, will cut a few hangers to screw to the rail deck, I will probably need to screw in place the second arch that will strengthen the hangers stopping them from twisting out of shape.

Forgot, between the second and top arch I will cut bracing and be beams on the second arch as well.

 

 

Tony from down under

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  • 3 weeks later...

Happy Easter everyone, a slight set back with my bridge, sadly I will have to redesign the arch, I joined the road and rail decks today and it started sagging in the middle, would of done the same with the arch the way I had it. The arch will have to span the middle in one full piece, hopefully that will work, doing a mock-up tomorrow with the arches I have cut out, I may have to have  a smaller span of 9 feet with extra piers, disappointing.

Tomorrow was planing to get out Camdales modules and make a start on the spiral, still might be able to .

Tony from down under

 

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