Jump to content

Modelling a cable stay double deck bridge


aussietmrail
 Share

Recommended Posts

I bit the dust and decided to add a tower and go cantilever design bridge, I still wanted to use the arches I cut out, turned them over to become a new bridge, hopefully will work this time. I will have redesign the approach to both ends of the bridge so the other half of the arch works in well. May end up lifting the main arch up a n inch will see what  happens. I am basing the bridge on the Story Bridge in Brisbane my span may be a bit longer scale wise.  the second arch wont be as long as the main arch, going by drawing I stumbled on be about 3 feet long , will work out well, pity the cantilever design is an old design

I still need to build a frame that will sit over the bridge join  bolting to the arch frame, yep I be able to nail the  track down  before I screw the road deck in place, will paint the rail deck first.

Tony from down under, Easter over for another year

IMG_2868.jpg

IMG_2870.jpg

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The bridge becomes gigantic.
My bridges for the lower High Speed Line are finished, but since today it's raining ..

For this I completed the planning for the first big bridge of the upper High Speed Line and ordered the material.
I base it on the construction of the Metlac Railway Bridge in Mexico.
That means it will be a concrete beam bridge.

In the model, the support beam will be an aluminum square tube of 80 x 80 mm.
The pillars will also be an aluminum square tube but of 80 x 40 mm.
Then the 130mm wide support plate made of HPL is fixed on the support beam, on which lie two tracks. 

15562890623016802847336048322446.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Thomas,thanks , I have  done some more work on the bridge finishing screwing in place the hangers which strengthened the arch, still some more framing to be added between the hangers.

Once I finish the second half will build the piers so I can sit the towers onto the piers, will add some weight to the piers, might be able to close in a  couple of bricks,then sit the ship on the floor.

I like the pic of your bridge, was it printed using  a 3/D printer, would love one to print winches for the ship , noticed you have  a walk way with hand rails too, I will have on my bridge and on the arch too.

Looking forward seeing,them  some pics of your concrete arch bridge, like them as well, beam frame is quite big what is the span between piers.

Tony from down under

 

 

IMG_2882.jpg

IMG_2883.jpg

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

At long last my double deck bridge is now joined together,, the gp on the rail deck will have to fill the gap but may try to get it closer together , bridge still needs a lot of work on to look like the bridge I have based my bridge on . The middle section on the road eck is now screwed in place, I would love to leave the bridge in one full piece, will try and pick it up tomorrow, if I can't will ask my wife to help me put the bridge on the floor, then be able to slide it out the way.

Long time coming , I think I started a year back, and finely came up with this design, there be an arch on the other side of the tower as well , next is work out the  piers, I am thinking of making them wide enough to fit a large brick in side, hopefully stop the bridge tipping over so it will stand up in its own right, there be a second pier three feet from the main pier.

I am on a very big high, after next weekend I will start back on the layout,  it is our federal election next Saturday, I be manning the polling booth at the school close by.

Tony from cold down under.

IMG_2970.jpg

IMG_2973.jpg

IMG_2974.jpg

IMG_2975.jpg

IMG_2976.jpg

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Thomas, I needed the river to be wide enough for two ships passing each other and  smaller sailing ships, I am happy it working out this time, will paint the rail deck and start,laying track down  so I can put a couple of trains on the track,the road deck wont go no till the track is down.

Will need to get s lot of cars, go the cheap Chinese brand same with trucks and buses, 4 lanes and emergency  lane each side with a pedestrian pathway too.

Tony from down under

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Now that's some bridge! It looks like being a 2-person job for moving around though and heaven forbid you should ever decide to relocate.

What length is it overall? Counting your block pavings it looks to be about 170 inches or 14.1667 feet to be precise! (Google's your friend) 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Mick yeah you are close, she measures 14 foot main span, the the hangers are a foot apart, actually should be 6 inches apart, I just wanted to save on timber and weight, rearly two 7 foot modules could become a good test track for locos.

The two other arches be for show to make the bridge look better, just a bit more work to tidy the bridge and finish as far as I will, want to get stuck into Camdale, finishing of the last construction stage, aiming for September 11 my sons anniversary. His Thomas is getting a replacement motor put in and I should have back next week, will be the first loco to run on the layout with the old shell and once gone around a couple of times will get a new shell and old one go into the glass cabinet. The only part left of his thomas is the chassis and wheels, the loco went over the edge of the module when I was trying to clean the wheels, she is 26 years old.

Tony from down under

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Forgot to add the full length of the bridge being 20 feet in length, I hope to be ably to unscrew off the two ends for moving around and the bridge left setup on its piers, will have to make a middle pier to stop any sagging if any cat decides to jump up onto the bridge.

Don't know if I will get any work done on the bridge this week, busy week coming up with the federal election campaign , helping out there and voting day this Saturday, cercover after the big party Saturday night , be next week .

Tony from cool down under 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

Latest update on bridge progress, a bloke from the Brisbane library sent me some drawing with measurements on the Story Bridge I have my bridge based on,after seeing the measurements the tower was far too high, real bridges tower is 40 metres from road deck. I decided to cut my tower down to the right height and that changed the angle of the arche to not as  steep, be easier to add steps, the center section now is longer by 4 feet will have to wait on more ply this week some time

Surprising the new tower  is pretty tall, put my HO scale bus in the bridge, still towered above the bus , the middle height is higher as well .

Wont be doing much o  the bridge this week, I might get a chance to cut back the second half  no more until next week some time , going into hospital on Thursday to have a procedure on Friday and wont be going home till Monday after.

I decided to lash out and buy 4 new saw horses, the legs fold up into the orange channel for easy storage, I pulled down the two stands I made from my son's computer table, the timber be used on the four bridge piers, main bridge piers will have paving bricks to weigh pier down so the bridge will stand up in it's own right, that is the plan.

Hopefully finish the bridge off next week and then get stuck into the last stage of the layout.

Tony from cool down under

IMG_3069.jpg

IMG_3070.JPG

IMG_3071.jpg

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Being a while since last update on the I was in hospital a few days and while recovering last weekend at home I decided to bite the dust and go back to the old design where the bridge was at the back of the layout and station at the front, station is in a lot more now so I can add on the second stage of the station complex .

With the changes the second station be on the curved decking where the station building is, be three tracks, third one a passing loop, other big change I be modelling a lock , based on the Immingham port lock and port down past the double gates, out the front of the house, where the  pathway is is where the lock be double the length of the ship be fun.

This weekend I ill start working on the piers of the bridge and they be on wheels so I can shift the bridge out the way so we can have lunch or coffee, both piers be the same height, will have to level the bridge an pier cloest to the pergola post be a few inches higher.

 

Tony from down under on a high

 

 

 

 

IMG_3324.jpg

IMG_3325.jpg

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Not much progress  since August, yesterday I finished building the second main pier for the bridge, they are pretty heavy, the bridge will pre stand on its own with out having to be screwed to the floor, be added pavers for extra weight.

Today I will be marking and cutting the sides to the road deck, be also cutting beams that  will brace the bridge in the middle, the lighter colour to the left  pic I made in one full arch piece , the darker pier arch wasn't in one full piece, I may add another piece to the front and back of both piers later after the bridge is finished, by the weekend at long last.

Tony from cool down under 

 

 

IMG_3435.jpg

IMG_3434.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Thanks Mick, well will be a bit quicker now with the scrapping of the double deck bridge to a single deck with road deck beside the rail deck using the same piers, based on a bridge on the Elizabeth River Northern Territory , actually was my first bridge choice, till I saw the bridge with the ship  passing under it.

Back to the bridge on the weekend, will finish it with track down, be able to put a train on it, yes I plan to anchor the both ends when the bride is set up where it be going, that will help stop the bridge sagging on the joins, still need the ply strps as well on the two joins, later will build the road deck which will be higher ,haven't worked if the road bridge have 4 lanes with an emergency lane 

Yes I do have those two locos and can pull off that scene when the layout is finished, even plan to model the boat ramp, will let my brother drive the fist train across the bridge, he actually designed the bridge just wont hve all the piers, all 16 of them , ship will look good passing under it, that canal the Finnlines ship is on is called the Kier canal in Germany, has two locks at the entrance.

The rail decks are locked into the top of the piers with 19 inches clearance underneath. 

Tony from down under keeping on moving

Elizaberth River bridge first Ghan crossing a A.jpg

holtenauer183edekaskyiuq8x  a.jpg

IMG_3472.jpg

IMG_3473.jpg

IMG_3474.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Bridge deck now has track down 12 lengths of flexi track all up double that with using 24 rail joiners, didn't fully nail down the last two lengths of track, tomorrow after I solder the brass strips down and cut the jails at the join b able to pull the bridge apart and then be able to get the bridge up higher , was getting a sore back.

Once I have painted the bridge and piers will set the bridge up where it will be going with in the track plan, will have to anchor the bridge ends, easy with the northern end being in the garden, a littler harder on the southern end on the pavers 

The norther end I will start the ramp grade on the bridge back 3 feet dropping down 19 mm's , have 30 feet in length for the ramp, have to gain 7 inches from the corner module to the bridge, that be my next job is the ramp after the bridge is set up and levelled, southern end be a four track  station with middle island platform.

Tony from down under keeping on moving ahead

IMG_3483.jpg

IMG_3484.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The track on the  joins of the bridge sections have being cut and have pulled the bridge a part, with some issues, had one of the middle screws in the wrong spot where the track covered it and have to pull up the track, luckly the track went back ok lining up again.

Tomorrow will finish nailing down the last two lengths of track with out getting a sore back and finish painting the bridge sections, going to look stunning when set back up, will start work on the road bridge after the layout is up and running,will be asking for another box of track for Christmas that way will have enough track for the first circuit and see if I have any left over the station complex.

Not going to use bus wires will use the rails for that to save on wire, will still need to buy the double speaker plugs for the bridge.

Tony from sunny doen under keeping on moving ahead.

IMG_3488.jpg

IMG_3489.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

At long last the bridge is down and levelled, one side is anchored, only need one side, I was surprised that I didn't need to build up the second pier it was perfect, only needing to level the second pier , the last pic 144136 I started the grade down giving that extra 3 feet in length about 40 feet .

Both piers are marked where they will sit each time making it quick to set up the layout, so on a big high, next project be the ramp from the bridge to the back of the layout starting Friday, going to be very hot from Sunday peaking 40 degrees MOnday, could you all share some of that rain with me over here need it to cool down, har, harandit only is Spring 

Tony from down under

 

20191002_144028.jpg

20191002_144055.jpg

20191002_144115.jpg

20191002_144136.jpg

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

HI Storm trooper, how are you going with your layout, yeah I just got that bit closer today competing the curve coming from the back of of the layout, all I have to do now is link both curves with a bridge.

Even though it was hot today I pushed ahead finishing u when it started to get hot and go inside for a break, yeah getting very excited I am getting closer every day I work on the layout itching to run a train especially the new ICE-3 8 car set I bought with my birthday money.

Tony from very hot down under keeping on moving ahead

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 months later...

With the move form old house to new, is time to redesign the bridge, will be made in one 14 foot length, will store in the garage once built, will save time in setting up rather than joining three sections, basing the rail bridge on a Crimean Bridge linking Russia, I made up a mock -up bridge arch t see what it will look like pretty happy .

The new bridge will have 2 foot clearance , ship will look heaps better sitting underneath  it. side beam will be joined together making it stronger, have to cut 12 mm square framing for the second beam , the frame work in under the second beam be cut out of 3 mm ply strips,  lot of work ahead, got a cooler day Thursday , will cut the second side beam strips out of ply .

I like the way the steps are made , will do the same, not sure if I will have the other side with steps, waiting for my brother to bring hid battery jig saw so I can cut out the arches, be a while before I can buy mine .

 

Tony from sunny down under. 

20200214_150132.jpg

20200214_150157.jpg

20200214_150221.jpg

20200215_222418.jpg

5d306d9018356168398b463e.jpg

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...