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Thinking about a new bridge

Barry Ten

Entry posted by Barry Ten

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Fairly self-explanatory this; for some while I've been toying with the idea of altering the bridge over the three tracks as seen here:

 

blogentry-6720-0-07597800-1529942936_thumb.jpg

 

The existing girder bridge was all right, and I've lived with it for a good while, but I've gradually become dissatisfied with it and have
been considering alternatives. The front-runner at the moment (not that there's much competition) is a brick arch structure which
would take the road over the rails in a gentle hump, with one large arch for the main line tracks and a smaller one for the goods
siding.

 

Clearance is tight, though, so I thought I'd made a card profile to get some idea of how it might look:

 

blogentry-6720-0-91563400-1529943182_thumb.jpg

 

The narrower arch is a semi-circle, whereas the wider one is a three-centred arch which gives a little more headroom. My concern
was that the pier between the two arches would have to be too narrow, but, allowing for tight clearances, I don't think it looks
out of place, at least in this mockup. In practise, I'll have to make the main arch slightly wider to accommodate a run of point-rodding,
with the tracks slightly skewed away from the center-line.

 

I very much like the idea of the smaller arch being as tight as feasible, which would in turn place running restrictions on which locomotives
could and couldn't traverse that siding. A final consideration might be to make the bridge symmetric, with another small arch on the right
side of the main lines, which would permit a trailing siding off the down line. As with the girder bridge, the new structure would be built
on a slight skew to add a bit of visual drama and help draw the eye into the scene.

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  • RMweb Gold
Mikkel
  • RMweb Gold

Hi Al, I like how you are always improving on the layouts. A living scene, indeed. But on the other hand:

 

For what it's worth, I tend to agree with Steve that the existing bridge works really well. It provides a nice airy view under the bridge that extends the layout in a natural way. The new idea seems to block off the view a bit much, and introduces a more confined feel that might not fit the otherwise spacious nature of the layout so well? 

 

Maybe the third arch on the other side would help open things up a bit, although that will mean doing away with the rather nice access road, won't it? 

 

Anyway, just my thoughts, you know what is best. Like national heritage structures, I Iike the layout so much I don't want anything changed!  :)

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grahame

Yep, another vote for the plate girder bridge. It certainly gives more space for the track to breathe and be further detailed (point rodding, etc) as well as proving better views of the trains passing under.

 

G

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  • RMweb Gold
Barry Ten
  • RMweb Gold

Thanks chaps, good to have such a resounding vote in favour of keeping the girder bridge! It will remain.

 

I might possibly revisit the bridge supports at some point as they're not very well observed but there's no rush there.

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  • RMweb Gold
wenlock
  • RMweb Gold

Hi Al, speaking as a chap who as you know loves a brick arch, I completely agree that the girder bridge works better! I think the whole scene is very convincing as it is and would probably leave well alone:-)

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  • RMweb Gold
Barry Ten
  • RMweb Gold

The brick arch bridges do work wonderfully well on Sherton Abbas, Dave - perhaps I was getting a bit of brick envy!

 

Anyway, it will be left well alone now. The next thing is to rip up the last traces of the overscale Wills point-rodding (visible in the pics above) and replace with the cast MSE stools I bought at last year's Railwells ... which is coming up fast again! I think I'll drop any plans for a kickback siding off the down line, as well.

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nigelb

If you looking for a change  perhaps rebuild the girder bridge into  a bow topped one

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