Baby trestle

[ge_rik]

Just completed the trestle bridge for the mine siding. Built from oak stripwood and based (very loosely) on the trestle across the River Blyth and mill stream on the Southwold Railway. Nowhere near as impressive as those US and Aus trestle bridges (or those on the Great Western), but does the job and seems to look OK (though dwarfed by the stock).







Trying to decide whether to add check rails. There were none on the Southwold trestle, but I think they do add a certain something to a bridge.

Rik

 

[KandNWLR]

Now that has a real narrow gauge feel to it

 

[playmofire]

It's perfect for the job. As for check rails, yes, I think they would just give it that completed look.

 

[mbiff]

likes

 

[ge_rik]

Thanks chaps.

There are a few more photos and an account of the construction on my blog - http://riksrailway.blogspot.com/2014/05/how-i-constructed-small-wooden-trestle.html

Rik

 

[Madman]

Very nice !

 

[KandNWLR]

Thanks chaps.

There are a few more photos and an account of the construction on my blog - http://riksrailway.blogspot.com/2014/05/how-i-constructed-small-wooden-trestle.html

Rik

Thanks for this. It´s a good description - and it gives me an idea of two :

 

[korm kormsen]

a nice little bridge.
will you leave weathering to nature?

what did you use for water?

 

[ge_rik]

a nice little bridge.
will you leave weathering to nature?

Yes - that's my plan, I think I will treat it with wood preservative - though some have advised against the need to treat oak.

what did you use for water?

Errrr .... the real thing H2O........

Rik

 

[korm kormsen]

that explains, why it looks so natural. well done!

 

[JRinTawa]

Looks good Rik. I'd vote for check rails, I've added them to by bridges and they improved the look immensely

 

[KandNWLR]

Check rails look good on longer bridges, but I´d check what they look like before using them on shorter ones. Otherwise with the space required on either side to avoid snagging the rolling stock, you can end up with something wider than it is long, which IMHO doesn´t quite catch the NG feel, and has a little to much elf-n-safety for my taste. Longer bridges are another thing.

K&NWLR: "Russell" on Kentish bridge by kandnwlr, on Flickr

 

[Madman]

On the dark side, railings can tend to support the gathering of unwanted debris. Just one more thing to clean before trains can be run.

 

[ge_rik]

Decided to give it a coat of wood preservative, add some cosmetic bolts and check-rails - so now installed in place. Just needs a couple of years to weather down.



Rik

 

[KandNWLR]

It´s looking good!

 

[ge_rik]

It´s looking good!

Thanks. Just need to bed the bases of the supports down (though they won't be seen when the stream is in full spate) and finish off ballasting the mill siding. I also need to clean out the sump of the stream - but at the moment it seems to have been colonised by several froglets who eye me disparagingly whenever I try to do any work on the railway (and of course, I'm anxious not to accidentally step or kneel on them!).

Rik

 

[CoggesRailway]

That's beautiful, has a lovely narrow gauge feel.