Bridge building on the cheap!

[trammayo]

Re:Bridge building on the cheap!

This morning, I have been able to initiate a project that has been on my mind for some time. Whilst the bridges are not heavy, there is the tedious task of setting them up to cross the drive. Steve had asked if I had to do this every time and the answer was yes (if I needed to get the car out). Since early January, the bridges have been sitting behind the garden wall until now.

Whilst putting them in place only takes about five minutes (process illustrated below), I long ago determined life woulds be easier if they just swung out of the way. Here is the start of that project:-

A few years back I acquired a number of electric scooters (for salvage) for their motors and other bits. I had intended to build a 5" line but got hooked on 45mm so bits were lying in the shed. The front fork will provide both the pivot and hinge movements of this "swing" bridge arrangement as the drive slopes upwards in the direction the bridges will take. The fork stem, with its bearing, just simply drops into a length of 1.25" iron pipe which has been hammered (3ft) into the ground. More to follow (I hope)

 

[Rhinochugger]

Re:Bridge building on the cheap!

I like the idea of a swing bridge - but to sacrifice a whole push bike ...................

I thought the title was bridge building on the cheap

 

[beavercreek]

Re:Bridge building on the cheap!

That is a forkin' good solution Mick. I think that this project has been beautifully executed and a downright inspiration mate!

 

[trammayo]

Re:Bridge building on the cheap!

I like the idea of a swing bridge - but to sacrifice a whole push bike ...................

I thought the title was bridge building on the cheap

Tis cheap as chips - all recycled (pun intended) -

 

[trammayo]

Re:Bridge building on the cheap!

That is a forkin' good solution Mick. I think that this project has been beautifully executed and a downright inspiration mate!

Cheers Mike - thought I would complete the exercise this afternoon but didn't reckon on the ESB (Electricity Supply Board) having yet another outage (4 in less than 24hr).
Brassed off!

 

[Rhinochugger]

Re:Bridge building on the cheap!

.................Brassed off!

It looked chrome to me

 

[trammayo]

Re:Bridge building on the cheap!

.................Brassed off!

It looked chrome to me

Ah! The beauty of chrome is only skin deep

 

[trammayo]

Re:Bridge building on the cheap!

Managed to weld up the supportin frame before rain slowed things down.

With one end hinged, I needed a wheeled support for the other end. I fitted a rubber-tyred castor and made the leg so it could be hinged up out of the way when the bridge was in situ.

After the rain had temporarily gone, I got the hot air gun out and dried the primed metalwork ready for painting. That was as far as I got yesterday.

Today, after a bit of thought, I decided to add a truss under the frame just in case the deflection under load was too much. I had a spare turnbuckle and used some galv fencing wire.

The assembly, when complete, will just swing clear of the drive parallel to hedge-side tracks (when the latter are constructed). After lunch I intend to fasten the bridges to it and address how the tracks will connect to the arched bridge section. Then the opposite end will need sorting out - all weather permitting of course!

 

[Rhinochugger]

Re:Bridge building on the cheap!

A suggestion sir.

While I'm no engineer when it comes to making things to that standard, have you thought about having an open bridge deck?

Many protytype bridges only have a solid deck where the go over highways. An open deck allows rain, hail, sleet, snow and rubbish all to pass through without accumulation.

 

[Wobbleboxer]

Re:Bridge building on the cheap!

<snip> and address how the tracks will connect to the arched bridge section.<snip>

That was going to be my question. How are you going to connect and disconnect the track when the bridge needs to be moved?

Excellent job BTW.

 

[trammayo]

Re:Bridge building on the cheap!

A suggestion sir.

While I'm no engineer when it comes to making things to that standard, have you thought about having an open bridge deck?

Many protytype bridges only have a solid deck where the go over highways. An open deck allows rain, hail, sleet, snow and rubbish all to pass through without accumulation.

Hi - it is open apart from the board down the middle! Cross members are around 200mm centres - its the camera (said he) that foreshortens the view

 

[trammayo]

Re:Bridge building on the cheap!

<snip> and address how the tracks will connect to the arched bridge section.<snip>

That was going to be my question. How are you going to connect and disconnect the track when the bridge needs to be moved?

Excellent job BTW.

If I knew the answer to that I'd be in paid employment

Actually, the bridge rail end will just drop into channels (crudely created, I might add, from rail joiners - and if I cannot [strike]bash[/strike] fashion four identical pieces, then I have some brass angle.

 

[beavercreek]

Re:Bridge building on the cheap!

There are great bridge connections or drop in connections made by Hillman. I have used them for the bridging unit that goes from top of my pond surrounding wall to the shed spanning the walkway.

http://www.gardenrailwaycentres.info/shop/index.php?_a=viewProd&productId=533 < Link To http://www.gardenrailwayc...Prod&productId=533

 

[trammayo]

Re:Bridge building on the cheap!

Hi Mike, as a [strike]tight git[/strike] Yorkshireman, I'll try and make them - but thanks for the link

Anyway, enough of this badinage. I managed to transfer the bridges to the new structure and fastened them in place using self drilling screws - all of 10 minutes in total.

Before going to feed the goats, I managed to lash up some cross bracing from off-cuts and the aftermath of shortening one of the bridges. There are one or two 3.5mm holes but, what the heck, I'm no Thomas Bouch and there will be no egg in these holes.

All that remains are the track connections (at one end) and the curved tracks and connections at the other.

 

[Richie]

Re:Bridge building on the cheap!

Looks fantastic

 

[DoctorM]

Re:Bridge building on the cheap!

[strike]Bravo![/strike] Bravissimo! - I just love real civil engineering.

 

[trammayo]

Re:Bridge building on the cheap!

[strike]Bravo![/strike] Bravissimo! - I just love real civil engineering.

So do I David - now how would I start?

But seriously, thanks everybody for your kind comments, observations and help. This project has come to an end (apart from the official opening of the bridge - when the extension is completed I hope) and the other bits - electrical connections and the like - will be included in my railway thread which should be in G Scale Pictures (Ox Mountain Railway? - cannot remember exactly!).

 

[trammayo]

Re:Bridge building on the cheap!

I revisited the bridge because I wasn't happy with the single swivel wheel that supported the end of the bridge. Apart from bumping along over the paving blocks, the extreme length to the inverted scooter forks (12ft) was causing a wobble when swinging the bridge around to open or close it.

The forks (from a foldable electric scooter) are spring damped, and the errant wheel was causing the bridge to tip and load one spring or the other. This morning I removed the leg and took off the swivel wheel. I made a simple self-compensating "bogie" which has overcome the problem....

The upturned forks...

The swivel wheel...

The new arrangement...

Also included, are two pics of the completed curve/s of the bridge and which move with the bridge (one section permanently fixed and the other a short lift-out section)...

The bridge swung back to the side of the drive showing lift-out section...

The bridge in position and the curve in place...

 

[trammayo]

Re:Bridge building on the cheap!

Further cosmetic (and weatherproofing) work has been carried out over the past two days. The bridge pier and abutment needed a little enhancement ....

I gave the already primed woodwork a coat of lichen green paint then, using grey undercoat and red oxide primer, I splodged on different colours to represent sandstone. These colours slowly blended in with the wet basecoat...

Then the masonry needed delineating by marking in the mortar lines, first I dried a DVD marker pen, then a brush using dark grey paint, then back to a marker pen. The idea was to prepresent black lime mortar (which dries grey!) ....

And finally, the track was removed from the bridge deck and the latter given a coat of black bitumen sprinkled with dry (paving) sand....

 

[Richie]

Re:Bridge building on the cheap!

Very nice work Mick do like your painted brick piers