Footbridge for the Caradon Branch

  • Thread starter Thread starter Alec K
  • Start date Start date
Doctor M - brilliant!

If there are any, send them forthwith. Playmobil do a nice line in medics, and vets, for that matter...

Regards

Alec
 
Flattery, flattery....!

Seriously, the feedback has been great: there came a point about half-way through when I wished that I hadn't been so personally ambitious and the comments carried me onwards. Truly a case, for me, of a idea that took a strong hold of the imagination and the pocket. The Plastruct sections alone amounted to over £40 and the total bill needs to include the Plasticard sheets and two bottles of MekPak - and no paint purchased yet.

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The usual poor pictures, but a finishing touch was to make up a couple of LSWR bridge number plates- you can just about see one of them in the picture above. Sorry, Gordon - I've gone for SR green, as I suspect I had one or two bridges on the Okehampton line in mind at the working drawing stage. Or was it the Airfix bridge, Mel ? (!)

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The scale and proportions look about right on the dining room table. The only real test is the final location outside on the line itself. Weather permitting, I'll start the primer coats tomorrow.

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This is what started it all. The Mark 2 token exchange platform. Funny how your priorities shift, really. This is made with spare materials from the footbridge, and yet I drew it up first. I'll economise and use the same paint scheme...

Yours, suffering from Plasticard withdrawal,

Alec K
 
Brilliant Alec , such detail . You can join the top 1% with Woderwick:thumbup:

Unlike us adaquit bodgers :thumbup:
 
A superb testament to skill and perseverance.
From another adequate bodger
 
Believe me, when I see the DCC, 'chipping', garden civil engineering, electrical advice/circuitry, and wealth of experience displayed on this forum, it's me who is the (sometimes-less-than-) "adequate bodger". I just enjoy trying to capture a little prototype presence, like many others, I know, and the footbridge of all things demanded to be made.

Thank you, all, for cheering this project on.

By way of further apology to Gordon:
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NER footbridge at Stanhope, from the cab of an EE type 37 on a cement train from Eastgate to Wolsingham, Bishop Auckland and beyond, taken by yours truly in (I think) 1974. I would be e-mailing this from somewhere very different, Gordon, if I'd tried to build a bridge to the NER pattern - deceptively simple, aren't they? It would, however, have been painted in red and cream!

As ever

Alec


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Oh Alec - that should have been added to my 'BR Blue' thread - great shot!

Love the footbridge, you have more patience than I!
 
Sorry, Neil -my shots weren't in colour, so I thought they didn't count! Way off thread (apologies to the Mods), here is 37 036, taken very much earlier on the same day, in the morning fog at Eastgate, NER, with the branch pick-up goods from Darlington.
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No footbridge here, as Eastgate had a single platform, and a road overbridge to my left, out of shot, that accessed the goods yard and the River Wear.

All the best

Alec K
 
Final pics of the completed footbridge in 'ex-works' condition:
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The colour chosen for the 'metalwork' is Halfords' Ford Meadow Green, this being the nearest I could find to the BS colour used by the SR and BR (S). The 'wooden' stairs and platforms have been painted with thinned Humbrol Matt 84 - these are out of sight in the pictures - which will be dry-brushed with matt white to age the finish over the next few days. The structure number is authentic, although the Tavistock (North) platform footbridge was 655B.
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From the remaining Plastruct sections, Token Exchange Platform MKII was built. As it is an adjunct to the Moorswater Signal Box, it is finished in Halfords' Rover Maple.

On with the operational TPO now....

Alec K
 
Swoon! Looks fantastic, love the detailing on the outside supports - tapered, with lightening/lifting?? holes, oh yes!!
 
Thank you Tony, Mel, Frank and Neil - very, very much appreciated. This became something of a labour of love as you know, but the encouragement throughout has been invaluable.

Kind regards, all

Alec K

PS The Airfix water tank may be making an appearance before too long (!)
 
A mighty fine structure you have there sir! Well worth the effort.

Rik
PS - Just realised it must shortly be celebrating its fourth birthday. I wonder what it looks like now.
 
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