steel viaduct question

Nazgul

Nazgul

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Jan 22, 2006
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I am putting this viaduct:http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/255-75515

here:
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Looking down
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Can I use my existing atlas flex track instead of buying the MicroEngineering bridge flex?...will it look stupidtooth1 with the spacing of the ties farther apart? Or could I continue my ballast over the bridge?

Since I'm asking this question...I'm obviously not a rivet counter, BUT...I don't want it to look ridiculous to other more knowledgeable modelers (not that I know any....besides you guys;) ). I must really plead ignorance here:cry:
your thoughts would be greatly appreciated...Thanks:thumb:
 

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If your track wasn't curved I'd say yes, but due to the fact that your bridge girders will be straight you may need the extra length of the bridge ties to over hang the girder. You'll have to take out the cork ballast anyways and the bridge comes with the track, so use it. It will look better too. ME's viaducts are great kits (and kitbashing material too) and your layout deserves the extra attention:thumb:

The second bridge always goes in faster and easier, you just have to get through the first one :D
 
Guys,
Thank you for your responses...a couple of things:
I received my viaduct kit yesterday...and it did not contain flextrack (came in a very small box) Walthers page doesn't mention the flex track but I ASSumed it came with it since it comes with at least some other kits:curse:

Secondly, I will be building the bridge curved (according to the kit instructions, it can be build straight or curved).

Having said all that, will my Atlas track be acceptable... or ballasting? Or am I just being too cheap and lazy?:D

Thanks
 
NazGul just go Grab enuf Bridge flex track to do the Job. You will be happy you did since i dont really think you are going to have to ballest the track over this type of bridge.

Best of luck with the build plz take lots of pictures for us all to see this thing go togather since alot of us dream about bridge on a curve.
 
Zedob
I owe you an apology...
you said:
due to the fact that your bridge girders will be straight you may need the extra length of the bridge ties to over hang the girder.
Click to expand...
You are absolutely right. I've seen these kits made with the girders curved, but that is not according to manufacturer instructions. I ASSumed that when it said it could be made curved, it meant that it could be made curved (how stupid of me:oops: ) In order to curve the girder it must be kit-bashed and modified. In fact my curve is too severe to even make it according to the instructions!:curse: However....the fact that it won't work will not stop me from using it;)
I just wanted to set the record straight....
Thank you for your Correct advice:thumb: :thumb: :thumb: :thumb:
 
I was just going to post "making the curve is going to be hard" but you've got that on your own now. Of course, I learned the hard way too as you just did. :-)

A scratch built stone or concrete viaduct would look good there and you get to use regular track and regular ballast across the top of the bridge. I don't think they are as hard to build as they first appear to be. 1/8 thick masonite is a pretty good building material and I've seen others here do wonders with .080 styrene or similar.

Best of luck and show us your pictures as you go.
 
Rusty Spike
Little did I know I was going to run into this much trouble:D But I'll survive:thumb:
I'm kind of committed to this thing since I now own it and besides.....It's the principle of the thing now!!! It's going up no matter what! But I like your idea of the stone viaduct and I have a place where that could work....Thank you for the excellent suggestion:thumb: :thumb:
 
Nazgul said:
Zedob
I owe you an apology...
you said:

You are absolutely right. I've seen these kits made with the girders curved, but that is not according to manufacturer instructions. I ASSumed that when it said it could be made curved, it meant that it could be made curved (how stupid of me:oops: ) In order to curve the girder it must be kit-bashed and modified. In fact my curve is too severe to even make it according to the instructions!:curse: However....the fact that it won't work will not stop me from using it;)
I just wanted to set the record straight....
Thank you for your Correct advice:thumb: :thumb: :thumb: :thumb:
Click to expand...

No apology needed. I just happened to know it because I read some books about bridges. Now you know it and now we're evensign1 .
It's actually a common mistake to those who built curved plate girder bridges. Most don't find out until after the bridge is built, or almost finished. You found out before. Like I said; "the second bridge is always easier than the first, you just have to get through the first one".:D :thumb:

I've been in MRRing for 30+ years and I STILL find out new stuff everyday from this forum alone, and not everyone is my senior.:cry: Ahha. I checked your profile NAZ, you're older than me :p
 
While it's possible to build the M.E. viaduct on a curve, the girders themselves remain straight. Curved steel girders, especially in the era when this style of bridge was first built, are quite unusual. The procedure for building the bridge on a curve is to shorten the girders between the towers on the inside of the curve. The ties of the bridge flextack are about 1/4" longer than regular ties, and because your curve is fairly sharp, it would be wise to use it. The suggestions to build a concrete viaduct are also good: I would use .060" sheet styrene, and make it with a ballasted deck.
Here's a picture of the Micro Engineering viaduct built on a curve and a grade. The radius of the curve is about 33".

100_5755.jpg


Wayne
 
Wayne...gotta tell ya, I love your work! How do you make your concrete piers?

Steve...keep at it, man. Don't give up, just remember to measure ten, cut one.

All this bridge talk has made me kinda itchy to build, and has reminded me of a direction I need to go when planning.

Galen
 
Hey Doc, did you find that your bridge parts were rather "flashy"? Both Nazgul and I were wondering if it was the norm for the ME viaduct kits, or if our kits were the last of the run (i.e. hot, or wornout mold) and the plastic oozed. Regardless, the ME bridges are just way cool.
 
Thanks for the kind words, guys. Here's a link to a thread that has some info on the bridge piers and abutments.

http://www.trains.com/TRC/CS/forums/911818/ShowPost.aspx

Zedob, the Micro Engineering bridges do seem to have quite a bit of flash on them, and the tops and bottoms of the girders need to be sanded to get rid of the parting lines. And it does get a bit tedious cutting out and cleaning up all of those parts, but the finished product can look quite nice. A big bridge can be a real treat to paint, too: mine were done outside, but were still awkward to handle.

Wayne
 
First of all...thanks to everyone who responded and all the great input! :thumb:
Second...I figure any thread that winds up with pics of Wayne's layout, let-alone a link to how some of it's done...Is well worth the price of admission :thumb:
Every time I see your work, I am challenged to re-think what I thought was Possible in this hobby. In the right hands...It's ART.
Thank You
 
Thanks, Steve, for the kind words. I always hope that someone will find something of use in the things that I post, whether it be a good idea that someone can expand upon, or a bad idea that someone with more sense than me will know enough to avoid.:rolleyes:

Wayne
 
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