bridge & portal in progress

[t. alexander]

This is a shot of a bridge and portal combo that will be spanning over the new trackage being layed to the big terminal and through the cut it took to lay them.
The portal is inspired by an engraving of the Bergen tunnel's at Hoboken, NJ.
They are of styrene and when finished will be made to look like smooth face granite & limestone. Unlike in the photo the portal will actually set back off the bridge about an inch.

 

[Tyson Rayles]

Darn!, that's real nice t. Love the trim work.

 

[t. alexander]

Thanks Tyson, there is more trim to add. On the bridge there will be large decorative bracketed arched niche's, one on each side of the main arch.

t.

 

[Bill Stone]

Beautiful, t. You've a good eye for detail and proportion --- not to mention a good hand at building this stuff.
Bill S

 

[t. alexander]

Thanks for the kind words Bill, I'm not sure when the prototype portal was made. The book the picture is in was printed In 1890.

On my layout It will represent a newly constucted bridge.


t.

 

[Clerk]

I agree with Bill. That all looks sooooo good and beautiful. I love those engines.

 

[spitfire]

Wow!

Love it! Is it all hollow construction? I've been struggling with an underpass myself, this is very inspiring. Please post more as you progress - I'd really like to see those niches. Great work!

cheers
Val

 

[t. alexander]

Thanks Clerk, one of those engines was a real labor of love.

Hi Val, yes the bridge is completely hollow, made up of various thickness of sheet styrene. I stated the bridge and portal will be smooth faced stone but the retaining walls are to be rough cut blocks. I did some experimenting and found that after scribing in the block lines and then using the Dremel fixed with a wire brush wheel I got a decent representation of the rough cut look. Unfortunetly my camera does'nt pick up detail so it's hard to see.

t.

 

[marty w.]

t.
Nice job. Excellent work. The trim work is great!
Looking forward to seeing it done.
Marty

 

[aartwmich]

WOW!!!


Did you scratch build those moldings and everything!?!? What a beautiful piece of work!!

I wish I had room on my layout to have a tunnel

 

[Gary Pfeil]

T, Those are EXCELLANT! Great detail work. I too look forward to seeing the completed project.

Gary

 

[Bill Stone]

One of the things I have to put up with --- modeling an 1880s, back woods, western road --- is no excuses for finely crafted stone work, like your bridge and tunnel portal. I'd love a nice stone viaduct, but a spindly wood trestle is more appropriate. The rickety, quick and dirty stuff is fun to a point, but the pretty stuff would be too.

Like everyone else says --- keep us updated as you finish these, t.

Bill S

 

[t. alexander]

Hi ima, everything is made from sheet styrene. for example I made the dental trim on the portal by stacking and glueing up a couple of different thickness of styrene then used the Dremel with a cutoff wheel and just sliced part way through the strip every 12 scale inches or so.

Bill, I know what you mean. The turn of the century urban construction will be a feature of the layout but I made sure I got some back woodsy area's too so I can get away when the big city gets to be to much

t.