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Modelling a cable stay double deck bridge


aussietmrail
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Last update 15th of February, the new bridge is coming along, is now in one full piece, but still needs a lot of work to get stop from sagging  not in the middle at the ends the side beam is not in full piece , 3 foot 6 inches short, once I screw on the end section for the arch will be 5 foot in length  when cut , that happen Wednesday, the main span still is 14 feet .

Is going to look stunning when built, be the main feature of the layout, will build the   road deck later . the first two pics of the arch , third pic of the scene I plan to model and pulling of the same scene when the first train runs on the layout , bridge be different  and higher water clearance of 2 feet .

Forth pic I had to clamp a piece of pine to level the centre join  of the bridge , the  last two pics of the bridge standing up on it's own with out clamps , I had to clamp on two 6 foot lengths  of ply to strengthen the bridge sides worked out well, will be better when the other sides go on.  The bridge is stored in the garage and I will screw the other sides on in the garage, need a level floor .

This bridge has being going on for some time with lots of changes, that happens,  with the move a new layout and new bridge, once the bridge is finished will start construction on the layout .

Yest I do have those two locos , they are NR class , running numbers 109 and 74, don't have the Ghan passenger cars will use the Indian Pacific cars no one will know.

Tony from nice down under 

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It's starting to look good, Tony.  Glad to know you are getting on with the bridge.  I like the way those low side walls are at a slight inward angle - very neat.  Sounds like you have the weather on your side at present.  Keep up the good work.

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Hi Andrew, many thanks yeah I made the side beams like that so I didn't need to file if the the sides were square, hope doing them that way will make the bridge stronger once the arch is screwed in place, I am not hurrying it don't want to stuff up now being so close to finishing the bridge be a stunning site indeed and my main feature of the layout.

Yes weather  is great, can't do much to the due on the grass  dry's, cold nights , 21 degrees tomorrow , not much higher for the rest of the week.

Are you and family ok  out of arms reach of this virus, we are ok 

Take care Tony.

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

The latest pics are out  on the latest update construction on the new bridge, I finely finished screwing the last of the double side beam in place and had time to to see how the first arch half fitted like, wow, just mind blowing, I took off the lower side clamps and the arch stayed in place, the top clamp holding the arch. The middle jig is to support the arch while I screw the arch hangers in place, they will take the most of the load , arch 1 inch and a half wide and joined in the middle with a second skin like the side beam, the second pic showing side on looking down the bridge , the last pic I be modelling the boat  ramp and having a boat in the middle of the river with a film crew  watching the big event of the first train over the bridge and be those two locos I have.

My big day tomorrow, birthday lunch  with my mum wife and sister,  I am finely retired on an old age pension, more work on the layout.

 

Enjoy Tony.

 

 

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The bridge has come a long way and finely after all my hard work has paid off  ,on a very big high,  that ply jig in the middle wont be there once the arch  hangers are in place, will be modifying the piers  so the water line clearance be 2 feet in stead of 19 inches .

Be while before I get back to the bridge, be starting work on nailing down the track on the five modules, making a start on the new layout track plan .

Tony from  wet down under keeping on moving ahead.

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  • 2 months later...

The bridge has come a long way with many design changes , finely took out the arch support post in the middle of the arch , was very surprised that it was easy to drill the holes for the arch hangers,  am happy that the arch has actually worked , the main span is 14 feet  and where the saw horses are is where the piers be going,. That is the next job adding and extra 5 inches   for  2 foot clearance to the water line .

Thursday I will buy 4 more lengths of 9 mm round dowel , though I get three hangers out of one length. 

Have being busy last week , gravel is in ready for the  rest of the decking to sit on., once the hangers are in will sand the top of the arch, may have to do some filling as  the cutting of the arches didn't go so well .

 

Tony from down under

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

At long last the bridge constructing is finished other than sand the top of the arch square and tiding up the underneath of the arch ready for painting, it has being a long while since I started this thread , March 2018 with different designs till I came up with this one .

Yes it is a heavy bridge bridge to move on my own from where it is in the garage, I plan to make a small trolley that will clip in underneath  the bridge.

The bridge still is call the Cam river bridge after my late son, since Camdale was renamed, bridge has a 14 foot main span with a height of 6 foot from water line to  top of the arch.

I couldn't get any timber long enough the side bridge beam so I had to join two 7 foot sections together and on the centre line , I measured the side beam in the middle which was 7foot too, I braced the sides still was sagging till the arch was screwed in place, that was a big job, I am on a high the ach has worked.

The bridge will be painted gray and plan to have a jumping platform at the top for hang gliders, the steps wont be on the top of the arch will be on the side saving time in only needing one set of hand rails, come later.

Being also busy with the new approach module track is down, more on my layout page.

Tony from down under 

 

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

Like to announce that the bridge construction is now finished at long last, being at it for 5 years trying different designs and came up with my own and wow she worked, still need to modify the bridge piers raising them to 2 feet from 19 inches, easy task.

At the moment I am involved in  the Queensland state election  , on pre-poll and election day, no  work on the bridge and layout till after the election 31st of October, I may get to do some track laying on the bridge the weekend, which I have off . And that will depend on the weather , very overcast and storm predicted today as well, rain tomorrow.

So very happy with the outcome indeed , where the saw horses are is where the piers be going, measurements are 6 inches wide x 2ft x two feet high when modified., the track nails will have to go between the hangers .

The access to inside the arch will have to go on the  left side as there be a road bridge on the other side , road bridge be higher than the rail deck , will start work in the hotter months late afternoons, will save on having to make steps and all those hand rails only on the platform entrance..

Tony from down under

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That's looking really good Tony and you've every right to be pleased with the outcome. Yes, it has taken some time but you've kept us entertained during the planning and construction - it's been a long old journey! Be great to see something running across it eventually.

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Hi Mick, many thanks for the kind words , I hope to nail down some track tomorrow, will depend on the weather,  a storm rolled in this afternoon, was very muggy before hand, a test of leading up to summer .

Have yet again modified the track plan for where the bridge be going so the is enough room for the ship to fit like in the pic where I want to do the back scene, the RO, RO port be further down where the yard is flat and where I want to fit a sea plane water bomber base .

Tony from down under

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Many thanks , yeah that is the idea, I will have a Ro-Ro port as well with a ship I am working on is 1/87 scale , quite long, is in four sections will join the two stern sections and bow sections together once the bridge has being finished.

I have  a post in the the members work beck thread.

 

Tony from down under

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  • 3 weeks later...

At long last can say the bridge is nearly ready to go other than the making bus wire harness for both tracks, on a big high all my work has paid off with the track down, even that took a few hours, was able to do that in the garage, will do the same with the bus wiring .

There is still a bit of detailing to do after the layout is up and running on those hot days .

I am still basing my bridge on the third pic only thing is the bridge be higher and later plan to have a road bridge beside the rail bridge .

Tony from hot down under

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That cable stay bridge is looking great, Tony, after so much work on your part.  Well done on getting so far.  I hope you can get the main part of the layout ready soon.  Looking forward to seeing the first train running!

By the way, i'm not clear why you posted that photo of a very different bridge which is nothing like yours.  Are you also working on a low-level pier bridge?

All the best as the work continues, anyway.

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Hi Andrew, many thanks for the nice moments, yeah that took  9 months off an on working on the layout modules, I am on a big high the construction work is finished for now, more work once the the layout is up and running.

Yeah well the first attempt didn't work, yes same bridge now the right pics are on the front of the forum, the bridge height from underneath is 2 feet clearance, pretty high, I now can build a second ship this time will have passengers as well as freight.

How are you going, getting pretty hot over here, work will be slowing down only on cooler days of 30 degrees.

Tony from down under

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Hi Thomas, many thanks, for the bridge comments I am itching to put a HO scale figure on top of the bridge, look small  it is cooling down in Germany heating up here , 42 degrees next Tuesday, not much work done outside till late afternoon if it cools down .

Got some track work to finish, might tomorrow afternoon before it starts to heat up the weekend, need an air-con work shop.

Tony from hot down under

 

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