Module: Ludgershall Branch bridge

[cromptonnut]

Thought I'd start a new thread to document the construction of a new module, albeit a fairly small one.

 

Having "not modelled" for over a year due to a house move, I thought I'd restart my mojo with a small project whilst I'm finishing off lining my new shed with a small, fairly straightforward, module.

 

Name: Ludgershall Branch Bridge.

Size: 4ft x 18", single track.

 

Anyone who has travelled up the A303 over the years will recognise the bridge where the Ludgershall branch passes over the A303 near Andover.  We moved to fairly near this location and thought it would be a fairly straightforward, and fairly recognisable, module that'd be slightly different from what I've done in the past.  However, the module would happily fit in any geographical location and, with the use of appropriate road vehicles, probably anything from about the 1960's onwards.  I do plan to accurately represent the westbound (right in the pictures below) carriageway accurately, in being solid nose to tail traffic as is often the case when it's backed up with grockles passing Stonehenge.

 

The Ludgershall Branch is the remaining southern section of the old MSWJR line from Andover to Swindon, now single track as far as the Defence Equipment & Support Rail & Container Terminal at MoD Ludgershall.  It diverts from the Waterloo-Exeter main line just west of Andover, about half a mile south east of the location of my module. In the past the line has naturally been used for military trains to Ludgershall, although there hasn't been much traffic in recent years.  There's a nice video tracing part of the line here, for those interested in the history of the line.

 

First, the prototype inspiration, courtesy of Google Street view.

 

 

Looking at it in map view, it is clear that the A303 passes under the line at an angle.  However, for the purposes of modular, I imported the image into Photoshop and have rotated the whole scene so that the track goes left to right and the road is now at an angle across the board underneath it. 

Some quick calculations tell me that the line is at a 52 degree angle to the road, which is a fairly distinctive feature that I wanted to reproduce.  The aid of Microsoft Publisher and some drawn 'boxes' gave me the measurements from each end of the board to get the right angle.

 

Nothing very spectacular about the board construction so I won't bother with too much detail, I started with a ply and planed timer frame in the normal manner, glued and screwed.  One advantage of the current hot weather, which although not much fun to work in the shed, does at least mean the glue dries very quickly.

 

Having done some quick calculations based on some suitable vehicles, the two lanes each side, central reservation and a small verge required about 10" width for the road underneath between the bridge abutments.  Lines were calculated and drawn on the surface, and spacing checked.  

 

The outside lines of the verge were then copied onto the second board which is the track bed, 4" wide track bed strip calculated, and the road space cut out leaving a complete section for the upper surface to make life easier.    Angled offsets were cut in order to make the embankment between the upper "field/track" level and the road level.  Risers were then glued to the lower board surface, at the module ends and where the bridge starts and ends.  This is about 2 1/2" tall, in order to accommodate vehicles underneath as well as the bridge deck which will go underneath the rail surface upper level.  This was then simply screwed to the risers along the ends and each side of the 

 

A different angle shows a train crossing the road.  I know 59-hauled stone trains don't use the line however it was the first thing I could find

 

Finally, a more "drivers eye" view from the road level, to compare to the Google Street View image.

 

I've ordered some of the Wills Varigirder bridge sides to reproduce the bridge sides, and will make an attempt with Plastruct sections to detail the underside of the bridge, which again is a distinctive feature from road level.

 

I have also downloaded some concrete slab walling from Model Railway Scenics, to match the sides of the bridge.  That fun is to come soon but I want to make a start on the scenics on the upper level before the lower surface, in order to minimise the risk of gravity damage from glue etc.  There will be front surfaces to the board trimmed to the end profile of the scenery, which will then all be blended in.

 

Watch this space...

Edited July 6, 2018 by cromptonnut

[teetrix]

I wonder if the modul would be easier to build with the "hanging valley" method. One of our swiss friends is a real fan of bridges and uses mostly this approach, here's one of his modules:

 

 

"hanging valley" by Michael Carl, on Flickr

 

Just a thought...

 

Michael

Edited July 6, 2018 by teetrix

[cromptonnut]

That looks somewhat beyond my dreadful skills - or lack of...

 

However it seems a similar principle, although obviously with a much greater depth to the lower level. Nice work though.

Edited July 7, 2018 by cromptonnut

[cromptonnut]

On the subject of military trains, this has just gone past the bottom of my garden. Perfect for if the Ludgershall branch, although this one ran Warminster-Doddington (passing Andover, where it could have gone up the branch).

 

https://www.facebook.com/grateleytrains/videos/996139967217115
 

[cromptonnut]

A little update on the module.

 

I've built the bridge, using some plastruct angles, sheet and Wills "Vari Girder" sections, and given it a coat of paint.

 

 

I measured it as needing 15 panels each side to get from one side of the bridge to the other.  Although I originally scaled the bridge size roughly from Google Maps, and used a guess based on road vehicles for where the lanes should be, I was a little surprised to go back to the real bridge image and count that it was in fact 15 panels wide.  So I'm fairly accurate in that respect.

 

I also took another street view image showing the underside of the bridge which I worked on approximately for the cross members.  I couldn't measure them or the spacing so I went for what looked right, and once the first one had been done at the correct angle, I simply used three 5p coins to ensure the next was parallel, and continued across.  Really there should be more, but I had a limited amount of angle left and given that most people either won't think to look, or won't know, it's good enough for me.

 

 

Using the first road vehicle I could find, I tried to take a 'road level' view of a similar angle and I don't think it has come out too bad so far, do you?

 

 

Next I need to work on the concrete panels, which I've downloaded and printed out from Model Railway Scenery, then I can attach the bridge sides permanently to the spacers and begin work on the scenic side of things.

Edited August 9, 2018 by cromptonnut

[ess1uk]

looking good so far

[Satan's Goldfish]

Very nice modelling good sir!

[whoppit]

I used to work Army trains to Ludgershall, a few pics here http://www.swindonsotherrailway.co.uk/kray.html

Edited October 28, 2018 by whoppit

[ess1uk]

I used to work Army trains to Ludgershall, a few pics here http://www.swindonsotherrailway.co.uk/kray.html 

The link doesn’t work

[whoppit]

The link doesn’t work

try now

[cromptonnut]

Nice pictures, seem the shunter was a Thomas Hill Vanguard 0-6-0 and available in kit form from Judith Edge.  Would be a nice addition, however my kit making skills are second to most.

Edited October 29, 2018 by cromptonnut

[Southernman46]

Nice modelling of a very familiar site ........... you need some "00" scale hawks flying around it too

 

And SWR so need to establish a Parkway station there now the MOD site is disused with a shuttle / portion into Andover

[cromptonnut]

Nice modelling of a very familiar site ........... you need some "00" scale hawks flying around it too

 

And SWR so need to establish a Parkway station there now the MOD site is disused with a shuttle / portion into Andover

 

already being discussed... https://www.spirefm.co.uk/news/local-news/2431425/passenger-train-idea-on-track-for-ludgershall/ … and in my alternate model reality it probably will anyway with either my 170 or a hired in 153 (as happened in Suffolk).

[IncorrectlySpelt]

Im really liking the bridge, with a bit of weathering it might look like the real thing. This is going to be a really nice module when its finished

 

already being discussed... https://www.spirefm.co.uk/news/local-news/2431425/passenger-train-idea-on-track-for-ludgershall/ … and in my alternate model reality it probably will anyway with either my 170 or a hired in 153 (as happened in Suffolk).

 

Thats the 2nd time I've heard about the line from Andover to Lugershall being reinstated, I think last time it was a northern Co-op around 2013 who was going to use it but nothing came of it. Though I have no idea about the rest of the track, the part visable from the station up to redpost junction (?) was rather weedy

Edited November 4, 2018 by IncorrectlySpelt

[cromptonnut]

Thats the 2nd time I've heard about the line from Andover to Lugershall being reinstated, I think last time it was a northen Co-op around 2013 who was going to use it but nothing came of it

 

There's a new Co-Op distribution centre just off the A303 Monxton turning, behind the "Chalkhill Blue" pub if you look on google maps.  That's not quite close enough to the line to be useful.

[IncorrectlySpelt]

There's a new Co-Op distribution centre just off the A303 Monxton turning, behind the "Chalkhill Blue" pub if you look on google maps.  That's not quite close enough to the line to be useful.

 

I'm not refering to The Co-op but instead an actual Co-operative called Go! who were looking at opening the line in around 2011 as a shuttle service into Andover and improving the area generally. I only ever saw a little column in the local newspaper but from what it seems like they have all but given up on the Andover branch. There's only a little footnote on the wikipedia page about it 

[cromptonnut]

Unfortunately like many such schemes, the benefits are obvious until someone starts number crunching.

[cromptonnut]

This morning, the Ludgershall branch saw a visit from 37219 and the Structure Gauging Train on a trip from Eastleigh to Bristol via Basingstoke, Salisbury and various other locations.  Unfortunately I wasn't able to get to the branch or my bridge (partly because of it being 6am, dark and pointless trying to film it), however I did head down to Grateley station to film it going through.

 

A 9 car set of 159's departs on the 0616 to Waterloo, then just turn up the sound about a minute in and enjoy a 37 applying the power uphill through the station.

 

Video: https://www.facebook.com/grateleytrains/videos/1042403839271700/

 

RTT link: http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U08372/2018/11/08/advanced

[rob D2]

With the demolition of much of the military base, it appears trains running more often from Warminster ?