I could use some suggestions...

[vanda32547]

Is there any rules about decking width on trestles? I made a grave error when making mine

Since I had a HO trestle that I made for a previous layout, I cut the new deck out of plywood to match the trestle and attached the track. Now I have to figure out how to camo the edge of the plywood which is about 2 1/2" wide.

 

[belg]

Bob the only thing that comes to mind is maybe to make it look like the top is built from logs but I have a feeling with the thickness of the plywood the logs you would have to use would be way out of scale. The fineness for the lack of a better word of your trestle would be lost I think. I believe your better off taking the plywood out and building a open grid deck and raise your trestle to match the height. Pat

 

[MasonJar]

If you cut out the section of plywood, and put it under the trestle, it should come out at the right height again... I can't tell from the photo if there is a suitable top to the trestle as is?

Andrew

 

[Matthyro]

A tough decision Bob but I agree with Belg. Normally the ties used on a trestle are longer than the normal ones. This gives some room for a planked walkway and a fire barrel or two.

 

[TinGoat]

Grab yourself a copy

Of the January 2005 Railroad Model Craftsman. There's a long article on building trestles....

In your case, I would ballast the deck of the bridge.

Like in this diagram...

 

[vanda32547]

Ron's suggestion seems to be the easiest remedy to my situation. I really don't want to dismantle that section of the layout if I don't have to. I guess I could attach some kind of edge on the ends of the plywood and ballast between the edges. To answer Andrew there is no top on the trestle except the plywood.

Regards,

 

[Doc Holliday]

Bob,
Here's a pic of a similar bridge I built. In my case, I used a piece of hardboard as the base of the bridge that rests on the trestle supports. Replace the hardboard with your plywood and you have the same situation. I used off-the-shelf Atlas plate girder sections as the sides. I cut some of them to help fit the curve of the bridge better. They might work for you as well.
Doc

 

[vanda32547]

Doc,

I have been buying Atlas Girder Bridges for a couple of weeks now on Ebay. I have about 4 of them and thought about doing what you suggested, however I don't think one would use steel girder plates be on a wooden trestle. I think it might look strange. Yours works because they are on steel piers.

Regards,

 

[Doc Holliday]

Actually, they are on wooden piers (or that's what they are supposed to be on. I scratch built them from an actual prototype picture from coffee stir sticks and then weathered them with diluted rail brown paint wash and chalks. The do look like steel in the photos, but in real life they look more like weathered wood.

Although not common, I did manage to find a couple of prototype pics online of steel plate bridges on wooden piers. You are right that I've never seen a plate girder bridge on a trestle. How 'bout you removed some of the trestle bents closser together to form piers with longer spans covered by the Atlas plates? Just a thought. Otherwise if you can get the plywood off the top of the trestle, why not just scratch build risers for each bent and put new wooden girders under the ties.
Doc

 

[Matthyro]

I still have a lot to do on this trestle but as it is very similar to Bob's one I thought I would show you what I am doing.
The trestle bents are recyclyed from my old layout. I will add wood support beams under the track and the cross beams to the trestle.

 

[MasonJar]

Bob,

I think you have hit on a great solution with Ron's suggestion to ballast the deck. Looking forward to seeing the result!

Andrew