7mm Great Eastern trestle bridge

[Crab and Winkle]

Hi everyone,

I thought I would put up a couple of photos of a wooden bridge I am working on at the moment.


It still has several details to add such as the bracing on both sides of the uprights and metal ties between the main baulks, bolt heads, creosote coloured paint etc.
I could literally not find two of the prototype bridges the same when I was researching them, with differences occurring in span width and upright and cross member configuration. So I used the Wickham Bishops bridge plan from the Great Eastern Society as a start point and modified it to match photos of bridges on the Brightlingsea and Snape lines. Most notably the on WB bridge each pylon/trestle is asymmetrical with one angled upright and three vertical while mine are symmetrical like the Brightlingsea and Snape ones. The span width on mine scales to 16 feet while the WB one is mostly 13.5, Snape varying between 18 and 21 and Brightlingsea 15.75. The overall length however is most like Snape as all the others were very long.


This is how the bridge will fit into the landscape, the center piles are not currently attached and are just standing on the board as I am still experimenting with how to model the tidal creek water that will be on the bare part of the board.
After I was well under way on this project I found this photo online
http://railbrit.co.uk/slideshow/slideshow.php?coy=Wivenhoe and Brightlingsea Railway
it is handy as it shows details on the construction usually hidden by sleepers and in most photos passing trains.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/elettra1143/6089480742/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Wickham_Bishops_railway_viaduct.jpg
These Wickham Bishops ones are also useful I believe someone has already modeled that bridge in 4mm.
Cheers

Bill

 

[Scale7JB]

Absolutely lovely...!

JB.

 

[Stirling O]

That's an impressive structure you're building there, I'm looking forward to seeing the finished article.

Dave

 

[Crab and Winkle]

Here is a picture of the similar sized Snape bridge. The tide will not be anywhere near as high on mine and that will offer the opportunity for some interesting weathering experiments to replicate various tide lines driftwood etc.

The types of trains travelling over my bridge will be similar to this also.
Cheers

Bill

 

[richard carr]

I like that we need a bridge or something on Croscombe.

Richard

 

[Crab and Winkle]

I thought I would add a couple of photos of the bridge I have been building. These are progress shots and it is now all but complete, however I have lent my camera to my niece for school camp so it will be a little while before I show the finished product.
The bridge sleepers/planking being put in place every other long plank on the near side will have a post for a handrail.

This board has largely been an exercise in experimenting in what works well in 7mm. The bridge has been receiving some heavy weathering based on photos of that at Snape.
Probably my biggest interest in railway modeling is scenic work 7mm has offered a whole new scope for trying to replicate different plant species. This was the first patch I did and I have since added some more broadleaf plants, made from paper and thick tinfoil. I am still working on a way to make brambles that I am entirely happy with.

 

[Osgood]

That last embankment scene is a great viewing angle - something I've been looking at recently in order to set optimum baseboard height. I've already decided to set the viewing angle using seated height as the datum!

 

[Mike Sheardown]

I think that looks really impressive - both the bridge and the scenery work!! The thing I particularly like about the scenery you've completed, is how simple and un-cluttered it looks, despite there being a lot of work that's clearly gone into representing all the different plants and grasses.

Do you mind if ask if that's Artex that you're using to cover the foam?

Looking forward to further pics when you get your camera back

Cheers

Mike

 

[BrushType4]

That embankment detailing is superb

 

[Crab and Winkle]

Do you mind if ask if that's Artex that you're using to cover the foam?

Hi Mike, I have used a rapid set hard plaster (from a family friend who makes molds for dentures) with a bit of coloured powder (used for rendering) to dye it brown. The latex glue changes it to a much darker brown and I mix it in batches so there is variation in soil colour where bare earth is visible.

Cheers

Bill

 

[Mike Sheardown]

Thanks for the info Bill - I guess that stuff is quite light, and reasonably resistant to cracking too?

Cheers

Mike

 

[Crab and Winkle]

Hi Mike, yes it is light, I used it for part of my previous Australian layout and it only ever had one small crack where I had put it on a bit thin. I don't know the name of the product as it came in two 20kg clear plastic bags many years ago, it is white but sets yellowish. The only downside is it sets very fast so I can only make small batches of 1 cup or smaller at a time.

Cheers

Bill

 

[mickoo]

..... two 20kg clear plastic bags many years ago, it is white .....

Cheers

Bill

Mmmm, a white powder in clear plastic bags! are you sure it was dental plaster

Cracking scenery by the way, if you had placed that with a distant tree line background or something and not the garden fence I fancy you could of pulled that off as real, it certainly made me do a double take

 

[Mike Sheardown]

Thanks Bill

Cheers

Mike

 

[40126]

Mmmm, a white powder in clear plastic bags! are you sure it was dental plaster

Exactly what I was thinking !!.



Steve

 

[Crab and Winkle]

Mmmm, a white powder in clear plastic bags! are you sure it was dental plaster

If it was something more valuable, with 40Kg I think I would probably be retired now or possibly spending a long time in a place with bars on the windows!

 

[40126]

I prefer a bar with windows !!.

Steve