Stockrington - Mojo ignited. Thanks, Heljan!

[David Todd]

Funniest thing I've read on RMweb in months!

 

I'm just muddling along and making it up as I go.  Botch it? Rip it up, do that part again....

 

But I'm enjoying myself. 

Yep, I got through those stages,

then got Freebs to make my buildings, enjoying that part.

 

18. Months ago, I passed the stage of enjoying,

am at the stage of relearning of what I have forgotten,

To do, 2 years ago.

 

Am off to watch the sea state now,as the Port of Dover has been closed.

[Sasquatch]

Hi Scott,

Please forgive me for missing this thread. What a huge undertaking and all in one go! When time allows (a sleepless night no doubt) I'll start at page one and have a good read. It has already become apparent that we both suffer from similar drawbacks such as heat, spiders and being so far from the UK!

Like the teak rake, right up my street that!

 

Already signed up, regards Shaun.

[jukebox]

Just some smaller progress this week;

 

The gap in the trackbed circuit is now 1200mm - the span of the bowstring bridge.

 

 

Today I've glued the last of the approach trackbed, and in coming weeks will form the support here "top down".

 

 

You can see the parallel strings I've used to keep the final approach pieces aligned across what was an 1800mm gap.

 

 

I like the potential for a view from the river bank back up to the viaduct approach. Not sure you'll see much train from this angle though....

 

 

The elevated view from the West with the sweeping curve coming around behind the MPD site  looks promising, too.

 

The other odd job I did this weekend was insert a 50mm spacer next to the ramp track.  This tapers at one end, and will eventually have the ramp up to a coaling stage built on top it, but also serves to get me the full 800mm of width I need here to lay out the MPD.

 

Last week I added the last of the braces that run across here, and can fix the sheet of ply here when I am ready.  I want to lay some track out on it first, and once I'm sure where the turntable is planned to sit won't foul anything, will lug the board back downstairs to cut the hole out.  Then lug it back up...  But that will not happen till I've laid the mainline behind the MPD, and ballasted that section of track (the access is easier with it off, as I can get 200mm closer because of the L-girder design).

 

 

Cheers

 

Scott

[jukebox]

...and so to The Gap.

 

I sort of c*cked it up, by cutting the span using the span dimension from all my reference material - a nice neat 300ft - 1200mm.

 

 

Except that is the span.  The bridge deck itself is 318ft - 9ft of support at each end:

 

 

Of course I realised this about 90 seconds after I had cut the aluminium sections I had lying around that were perfect temporary trackbeds.  But then logic got to me - the sections are about 40mm deep - and the deck, from rail top to bottom of support, is less than 20mm, so it would have been too deep anyway.

 

Walking away for a day, I came up with a solution. Screw and glue a 30x30mm section perpendicular to the span, that would form a lip the span would use for support.  And so I came up with:

 

 

That arrangement had the benefit of allowing two further timbers to be run along the insides of the aluminium "c" section, and so the whole lot is more rigid, and held aloft with six screws.

 

And those extra side rails, cunningly allowed me to fit mock up sides, that mimic the final bridge shape:

 

 

I did some gauging trials first - the tracks on the temporary bridge are on 60mm centres - much too wide, as the original is at 11ft centres (44mm) - but whilst the width of the span is the same as the original, I could get away with it as the particleboard sides are just 3mm thick.  When I replace the span with a permanent structure, the sides of that will be 16mm thick, and so the tracks will need to be closer. I'll take that into account when I lay the approaches, and splay them wide 100mm or so before the span to take that into account.

 

 

In building the span, the other clarity that came to me, is that the way forward is to now build the two approach viaducts as modules to slip under the existing trackbed, and each needs to have a 30mm lip, which the span will sit on.  Having built the span to the correct width, the process is now one of making the support structures fit that span, and mimic the original.  

 

I was led down a bit of garden path by the CAD files I have acquired - they show the steelwork in wonderful detail, but the approximations of the stone approaches is fiction:

 

 

The "L" shapes stonework around each span is nowhere as thick as shown - perhaps this cross section is what the stone looks like at rail deck level.... anyway, it matters not, as I'm not trying to make a slavish recreation.

 

The span now sits, Stephenson-Tubular-Bridge-like (or Brunelian-Tamar-like, if you are so inclined!), ready to jack into position once the tides.. er, supports are right.

 

:-)

 

[jukebox]

So how do you make a viaduct from the "top down"?  

 

Well you turn it over for starters.

 

 

The plain timber I am using is 89mm wide - a fraction too narrow for the viaduct.  So I am laminating two layers of 6mm play to each side. This will give me a basic double track width - the columns below the span are wider and need a little extra treatment, which I will get to as a build it.  I started off making the arches and piers all in one sheet of ply, then realised I was making too much work for myself - and for Mk.II the arches were separate.  I bought some brand new 6mm marine ply for this work - the idea being these approach viaducts are for keeps.

 

I also got frustrated waiting for glue to dry, so here's how I fitted spacers to four sides of the approach spans all in one hit:

 

 

That was this morning. But this afternoon the glue was firm enough that I could add these piers to the approach assemblies. Because I'd glued the arches yesterday, these are a friction fit, slipping down into the outside layer of the laminate. I use a small set square to be sure the columns are perpendicular before I clamp them up.

 

 

The MPD baseboard is sitting across the other side of the room, acting as a temporary woodwork bench.

 

I also sorted out the first back corner.  This was just a series of L-girder "Tee frames", to support a sheet of ply cut to the appropriate shape.  I can either remove this play and build on it away from the layout; lock it down and build something an another sheet and drop in on this area, or remove it entirely and so for a frame-and-plaster treatment.  That will depend on what I end up specifically builsing there, but for now I have a ground level.

 

As I was setting this up, I could see there were some tight spots on the ramp coming up from storage.

 

 

I had to remake one of the Tees, as the full depth fouled the line - but switching the size of the crossbar, I gained the extra 10mm clearance I needed.

 

 

The other areas were tight, and I nipped a few mm off some of the ends to ensure there's no clashes.

 

 

Having to crawl in and under the L-girders, to screw the Tees on, is tiresome.  I am going to push on with as much woodwork as I can this coming week - If I can get that done, I'll clear out all the timber from the room. The thing I did notice sitting on the floor *inside* the L-girders is how much space there is under the layout, for storage.  Once I've finished making a major mess (post plastering?), I will measure up the clearances and buys some plastic tubs to use as under layout storage.

 

More of the same tomorrow.

 

:-)

 

Scott

[jukebox]

...and so the "regular" part of the viaduct is done:

 

 

The missing pier needs to be thicker, to support the span - todays effort was gluing the front plate on to provide a landing so I can build down off it.  Sharp eyed readers will note the "F" on the trackbed.  That's so as I built it, I made sure I got all the parts facing the right way...

 

With ply laminates in place, I could not resist putting them on the layout to see how they look.

 

 

The red line is where I am thinking I will bring the ground level down to the waterline.

 

What this exercise did do is give me another moment of clarity: I do *not* want to be trying to work my way around this form, cladding the viaduct in stone plasticard in situ, let alone painting it.

 

So I will now press on and add the decorative laminate on the workbench, once the timber frame is complete. And I'll paint it.  

 

It will slow me down, but make life easier in the long run.

 

 

Cheers

 

Scott

 

 

[David Todd]

Can you put up a  real photo, of each bridge,you are building, just to jog my memory please.

[jukebox]

Can you put up a  real photo, of each bridge,you are building, just to jog my memory please.

 

Just the one bridge now, dt:

 

There's a nice view here:  https://www.flickr.com/photos/jncarter1962/11226787764

 

1988-12-03 51197 Monkwearmouth Bridge,  Sunderland by John Carter, on Flickr

 

This shows rather well where I am at - and how the piers under the span project out a good distance from the viaduct portion.

 

I've elected to reduce the approach spans to 2 arches each - three would have added another 120mm to each side, and that was getting out of hand.

 

:-)

 

Scott

Edited April 11, 2016 by jukebox

[freebs]

That's one sexy bridge - I love it!

[jukebox]

Just cosmetic work this week; cutting strips of thin pine, and glueing them. Waiting for the glue to go off. Add more. Rinse. Repeat.

 

 

 

The front piers have a nifty archway perpendicular to the approaches - the geometry is quite simple, but getting the relationship between the arches correct needed careful observation

 

Now that I have set it up, I can see I was a little generous with my estimation of the taller decorative pillar height closest to the span.  Easy to cut that down a touch.

 

 

Once I am happy with the proportions, I'll go ahead and replicate the work on the other approach.  

 

 

It looks the part loosely slid in place with the span.

 

 

Don't fret about the gaps in the timber work - remember these are just spacers to get the plasticard sheets sitting in the right places. I will correct and square up any less than acceptable edges using the card - a much more workable material. An industrial sized order for Slaters 7mm stone sheets has been placed with Antics online, so I have about two weeks before I hook in to the next phase - bringing the timber frame to life.

 

Scott

[David Todd]

Just cosmetic work this week; cutting strips of thin pine, and glueing them. Waiting for the glue to go off. Add more. Rinse. Repeat.

 

2504b.jpg

 

2504c.jpg

 

The front piers have a nifty archway perpendicular to the approaches - the geometry is quite simple, but getting the relationship between the arches correct needed careful observation

 

Now that I have set it up, I can see I was a little generous with my estimation of the taller decorative pillar height closest to the span.  Easy to cut that down a touch.

 

2504d.jpg

 

Once I am happy with the proportions, I'll go ahead and replicate the work on the other approach.  

 

2504f.jpg

 

It looks the part loosely slid in place with the span.

 

2504e.jpg

 

Don't fret about the gaps in the timber work - remember these are just spacers to get the plasticard sheets sitting in the right places. I will correct and square up any less than acceptable edges using the card - a much more workable material. An industrial sized order for Slaters 7mm stone sheets has been placed with Antics online, so I have about two weeks before I hook in to the next phase - bringing the timber frame to life.

 

Scott

 

 

Look's like you had a fair productive 3 day's,

Should look good, in 7mm stone.

[runs as required]

Wow!

The word has gone around all us Mackem University graduates:

 Keep an eye on the web - big things are afoot– they’re re-building oor bridge in Western Australia just like London Bridge got rebuilt in Arizona.

 

its really good to see you back in the groove Scott.

Remember the old Mackem maxim "Measure twice, saw once...then a couple more times; have a tab or two...and by then it'll be time for wor dinner !"

 

Mind, I'm sorry you're just rebuilding the one.

  dh

Edited April 26, 2016 by runs as required

[jukebox]

I spent a few evenings this week making one abutment "just so" and when I was happy, started to bring the other up to spec.

 

I'm not quite done, but am almost there:

 

 

I'm happy with the reduced pillars, and  the overall look of the skeleton.

 

 

I had a dabble with painting some of the brick plasticard, but that didn't quite produce the outcome I am looking for - so will need to re-read a few of the postings here on RMWeb and see how the experts do it - painting the mortar and dry brushing the bricks seems to be the way to go...

 

I also started to paint the backscene that will sit behind the MPD.  I had thought I could get away with a painted suggestion of a row of terrace houses, as I don't want the backscene to be the focal point, but I'm not happy with the result, so will go back to Plan A, which is to use Scalescenes terrace house rears - but in 2D.  I don't have enough depth there to make them 3D, but will use the garden walls, so there will be depth. I *may* even stick the returns of the terraces to plywood, to give them a little definition...  watch this space.

 

Scott

Edited May 8, 2016 by jukebox

[jukebox]

Definitely one of those moments of satisfaction when a plan in your head comes together in the flesh.

 

 

The approach span skeletons are complete, and I brought the jigsaw upstairs to trim the roadbeds so they could be test fitted.

 

 

I won't be screwing them into place until they are clad and painted, but for now, they are balanced and holding up the span.  This gives me a chance to contemplate the proportions, and be doubly sure I am happy with how far down each column I'll take the stonework cladding.  I'll also have a think about those approach towers - still a touch too tall, me thinks.

 

 

Very pleased with the overall proportions - and also right about now, glad I'm now not going to crowd the scene with another bridge behind this one.  It's big, but not overpoweringly so. And on it's own, will be an appropriate scene feature for the North end of the layout.

 

Cheers

 

Scott

[David Todd]

That looks real good now !

 

Guess where I am today ?

 

[jcredfer]

That overall shape is very pleasing Scott. 

 

I'm not sure the piers are too high, when it is in place, they all look right to me, particularly when the steelwork detail is in place, as that will look more "busy" than the plain card.

 

Regards

 

Julian

[jukebox]

The postman delivered the bulk Slaters shipment this week, and I supplemented that with a hardware store fresh cylinder of Liquid Nails, which I'll be using to bond the plastic card to the wood skeleton.

 

It occurred to me, having never used textured plasticard before, that it might be good to have a practice on something other than the bridge, so I thought I'd tackle a tunnel portal behind the MPD.  It will be barely visible, and people like Jeff and Gordon knock these things up in their sleep, right?

 

Turns out there's a bit of a knack.  Here's what I did.

 

I started with a piece of 6mm ply that fits the space for the portal.  I drew and cut a tunnel mouth shape that was aesthetically pleasing to me, and then used a Mk.IV coach to check the throw did not foul the edges.

 

 

The next step was to cut a rectangular piece of embossed brick the size of the ply.  I then used a fresh blade, and worked my way up the sheet, carving out blocks and half blocks to make a suitable shape for the finished stone centre.  The posts on Black Country Blues were a big help in getting that to look right:  

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/64502-black-country-blues-old-gringo-does-a-bridge-and-tunnel/?p=948253

 

I then used the serrated embossed stone sheet, as a template to cut some plain plasricard.

 

 

These two pieces were glued to the ply, to completely cover the opening, and left overnight.

 

 

This afternoon, when it was all firm, I cut out the ovular core of the plain plasticard

 

 

I then used another fresh knife blade, and carved the lines that represent the gaps in the individual blocks around the central arch.

 

 

Lastly, I used some filler to pack the ends of the embossed card where there were gaps, or the blocks had been halved, and the hollows were showing.

 

I just need to sand that filler down, and paint it.

 

Oh, remember how I said Jeff et al make it look easy?  This is actually my second attempt.  The first was done on the flip side of this portal (!) - I got this far, and the central ring of stone was just too narrow and looked silly...

 

 

As you can see, I also built that a little differently - and it felt like hard work. Too much trying to make things fit by trial and error...

 

Much happier with Mk.II in both looks and methodology.  

 

Now where's those viaduct approaches?

 

Cheers

 

Scott

Edited May 13, 2016 by jukebox

[Sasquatch]

Nice work there mate!

You could try water based wood filler and just wipe off the excess while still wet with damp paper towels.

 

Regards Shaun

[jukebox]

Just to close this exercise out, here's the end result:

 

 

I airbrushed medium grey enamel all over, and once that was dry, used acrylics and water colours to wash into the grout, and then smoke up the stone.

 

This portal will be in a cutting behind the MPD shed, so I'm happy enough with it as is.  It passes the 3ft test for me, and more importantly, gets me off my L plates in time for the weekend, when I'll hook into cladding the viaducts.

 

Cheers

 

Scott

[jukebox]

Nice work there mate!

You could try water based wood filler and just wipe off the excess while still wet with damp paper towels.

 

Regards Shaun

 

Thanks for the tip Shaun - I hadn't thought of that. 

 

I am comfortable with the Tamiya plastic filler - I like how it softens the Slaters card a little, as that is useful when filling corners where sheets were butted up together.

 

Whilst Monkwearmouth is a (very) weathered sandstone colour, I'm going to stick to the more obvious grey and black when I build my model.

 

Scott

[The Blue Streak]

Looks pretty good Scott. With a bits of "beading" (not sure if that's the right word) at the top it would be passable as a model of the Entrance to Swan View Tunnel.

[jukebox]

Looks pretty good Scott. With a bits of "beading" (not sure if that's the right word) at the top it would be passable as a model of the Entrance to Swan View Tunnel.

 

Thank you

 

Ah - had never thought of that!

 

For those who aren't from around these parts:

 

Edited May 17, 2016 by jukebox

[runs as required]

Wow! That Premier League ( ) bridge really does look majestic in its railway room setting.

The Devonian red sandstone from Cumbria of the NER original is a wonderful colour, shame you are opting for West Yorkshire blackened.

 

dh

[jukebox]

Wow! That Premier League ( ) bridge really does look majestic in its railway room setting.

The Devonian red sandstone from Cumbria of the NER original is a wonderful colour, shame you are opting for West Yorkshire blackened.

 

dh

 

I just was looking at a similar texture on a photo on the Tyne Dock Consett thread... and thinking just how much I like it.

 

Fear of failure, and uncertainty of how to achieve said weathered sandstone finish, may yet be conquered!

Edited May 17, 2016 by jukebox

[jukebox]

Sooo... I brought the two approach span skeletons out of the railway room, and downstairs to my study.

 

I had added carefully measured plinths to the piers whilst the units were upstairs, so these are now at correct height, and will just slide onto the baseboard of the river section, to support the trackbed 1000mm off the floor.

 

I've used my study desk to build a DJH Duke of Gloucester, and also other bits and bobs, and the cutting mat and magnified anglepoise there are essential for me to carve up the Slaters dressed stone sheets.

 

Hmmmm.  Revelation. These units are big. You don't really notice that in the context of the layout room. The approach spans don't quite fit on my desk / work bench. 

 

So I spent a few hours lifting them on and off the table, measuring, cutting, gluing, lifting off, cutting and lifting up. Rise. Repeat.  Maybe I'll have Popeye arms by the time I am done.

 

I got this far:

 

 

 

I'm happy with how that is looking, and how quickly things progressed - considering I did not spend long.

 

Once the glue is solid, I'll fill the corners and sand back so they look like full blocks.

 

I think it's starting to look like a bridge.

 

Cheers

 

Scott

Edited May 23, 2016 by jukebox