A needed bridge

[Matthyro]

There is a 32 inch gap in the canyon section of my layout. Been thinking about how I will build it.
First is a photo of the gap

 

[Matthyro]

Next I drew this sketch to see how it may look. A draftsman I am not.

 

[Matthyro]

Thanks for all the responses and ideas folks. I do have the book and get ideas from the Diablo Canyon Bridge. As Bill says, this is N scale and it will be built out of a combination of corrugated cardboard and cereal board. You are right Errol in that only the abutments will be fixed in place before the scenery is done. The bridge itself will then be installed.
The main beams are made of corrugated cardboard with a combination of with grain and cross grain. Here is the first step of cut pieces.

 

[Matthyro]

Next comes laminating the pieces.

 

[Matthyro]

Cross sections added

 

[Matthyro]

The two main beams joined

 

[Matthyro]

Clark, the first thing is to have a very sharp cutting knife. I use one that has the break off sections of the blade. Make the first cut lightley, and take about 4 or 5 cuts a little harder each time then the corrugations don't crush or twist

 

[Matthyro]

Next I cut 3/16th inch strips of cerealboard and 1/8th inch cross grain corrugated cardboard. This is to make up some steel girders.

 

[Matthyro]

I glued two of the crealboard strips to a corrugated strip to make up a girder.
Here are a bunch ready to be used on the bridge.

 

[Matthyro]

Does your steel ruler have a cork back to it Dick? Mine does and doesn't slip

 

[Matthyro]

The LPBs have been busy welding girders to the bridge frame.
Next will come cross connecters and such.
One huge benefit to us model railroaders is that we can build a bridge like this, up-side down.

 

[Matthyro]

Clark, I used some white glue that has been around a while and it is a bit thick. Only had to hold the girders in place a few seconds then they stayed where I put them.

 

[Matthyro]

Here I have started adding some cross beams and bracing.

 

[Matthyro]

I don't know if I will add rivets Arl. Do you know a way of doing them?

 

[Matthyro]

Thanks Arl . I will try it

 

[Matthyro]

Thanks very much for you kind words folks.
One of the benefits of N scale is that details are so small that they are almost invisible so it is quite OK to leave them out and as Shaygets says, one doesn't miss them.
Here is the structure complete ready for painting.

 

[Matthyro]

OK you two Ron's I gave it a spray coat of grey primer and it has been turned over finally.

 

[Matthyro]

No warping at all so next coat was red oxide primer.

 

[Matthyro]

Last I sprayed it with flat black. Just a light coat so some of the red still shows through.
Here it is jerry rigged in place. Bridge abutments and scenery to be added before it is fixed in place.

 

[Matthyro]

Thanks very much folks. These projects are a lot of fun to build.
shaygetz it is a single track bridge