Yes it's true, the Micro Engineering viaduct kits are still out there in hobby shops, and I found a place with them in stock. So I bought a 320' kit, a 120' extension kit, and an 80' extension kit which put the span perfectly at my required 520'. However, the kits had mixed girder lengths of 40' and 80', which causes a tricky situation for the curve: The parts are laid out on my curve template for the bridge. As supplied, a mix of girders makes up the curve, which is not what I had in mind. I was hoping to use only 40' girders so I could get more joints and a smoother curve, along with more of those cool trestle bents. As shown, the trestle towers would go over the 40' girders on the template, for a total of 4. With a span made of nothing but 40' girders, there would be 6, and they are cool to look at IMO. Anyhow, the shop I ordered from might be willing to exchange some of the ME parts sprues. The kits were actually just compilations of ME trestle parts and not the actual viaduct kits that ME sold (they were missing a few of the details, and the bridge flex track). So I'm hoping the shop has enough parts sprues in stock to be able to fulfill a request I made to them: If any of you know Larry at Able Hobby in Spokane, WA, put in a good word for me please. So anyhow, thus begins the constructoin of the biggest N scale bridge I'll probably ever build. It's going to be a centerpiece of my climbing grade section of the layout, right out in front and one of the first things to be seen when approaching the layout.
Jeff, Good luck with the project and keep posting back here, I have been waiting in anticipation for your bridge project.
Jeff, If you can't return them please let me know. I am pretty certain the G&G will have a trestle bridge. As for screwing it all up. //phooy Even if you do you will chalk it up to learning.
Looking forward to seeing this piece of engineering develop! Bridges are excellent, and scratchbuilt ones are even better - I've got 4 so far on my layout, and they are definite focal points. Your's is gonna be awesome!
Thanks for the encouragement guys. The shop I bought from has contacted me informing that it will be possible to return the un-needed parts and purchase the additional pieces. So it looks like everything is under control, at least until I start wielding the super glue. If I can get some vector calculus homework out of the way, I'll get some progress going on this thing and post up some pics. I was planning on building the girder assembly right over the template, like a fuselage to a model airplane.
Update: The shop would not allow me to return the individual sprues, and they told me this after I cleaned up some 40' girders, so I ended up eating the loss and buying 26 more 40' girders from internet trains, along with some ME bridge track. They should arrive any day now. Of the girders I do have on hand that will be used, I started assembling sub sections of the span: One down, 12 more to go. I do all most of my modeling late at night BTW. One of my other hobbies is astronomy, and my sleep habits must have been altered from years of all-night scope outings.
Excellent to see FD,show us all the good bits. If you wish to part with those other unwanted parts,I could help you re-coup some $$'s
Hi Jason, I'll let you know what's left over after the rest of the girders get here. I might need some cross braces from the 80 footers in order to build my remaining 40 footers, but I know for sure I have a surplus set of 8 80' girders. Moving on to the bridge report: The cardboard temp bridge confirmed that my existing track will flow into the bridge curve, and trains seemed to look fine running over it. I filed off about 1/16" from the inside girders at each end, and a 25" curve assembly was glued together. I'm planning on finishing the girder spine, forming the bridge track and gluing it down, then hanging the whole assembly in place, propped up temporarily. Then, I'll cut the bents to length while the bridge spine is in place. The whole gig will be removable, so I don't damage it when I end up moving this module / layout after college.
A slight update if anyone cares: ME bridge track over the 25" curved girder assembly: A close look will reveal spike heads for the inner guard rails on the ties, so the Code 40 rails can be simply slid in place in proper alignment.
looking good it wont be long until you are running trains across the new bridge. Keep posting pics of your progress.
Boy this is cool to know! I'm sure there will be a bridge in my future, and I think something like this is an important concideration.
Nice solution to the problem of gluing the c40 guardrails. I think ME suggests Walthers goo. That never worked for me. I resorted to superglue and lots of cuss words when it didn't stick.
