Lift up bridge questions

Greg Elmassian said:
Picture please! Carriers are always interesting. The big live steam guys have them custom made.
Click to expand...

These will give you some idea.
Cassettes

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You may know them under another name, a common issue when dealing with international people they use different names for the same item. It can get really confusing very quickly.
 
Some of my 00 cassettes, people do use them even for 0 Gauge in UK, but some of the max 5-6 foot ones look very worrying to me. For G perhaps to manage maximum if 3-4 short 4 wheel wagons or perhaps 2 small bogie coaches with multiple cassettes to make up a larger train may work.
4226BED2-959F-443C-A2D2-6F276FFE907A.jpeg
 
Greg Elmassian said:
Yes cassette is well picked.

So, I would think the idea of cassettes would top out around HO scale.

Thank you for explaining. Have not seen this in the US except for train storage, like a wall module.

I have seen ones that have foam on the top to keep the train on the "tracks"

Greg
Click to expand...

There was a company advertising them for large scale in Garden Railways back in 2009 but they seem to have gone http://backontrackrr.com/ .
Not a successful product or not widely supported.

This from MLS in 2013 Jack Thompson's

I know the live steam guys use them in Australia to take their locos to meets/shows.
 
Yes, a carrier for one loco, and normally made to straddle existing tracks. A different idea.

The idea of the cassette seems to be saving time by being able to introduce multiple cars or a train in one shot.

Also the cassette seems to be connecting to existing track, whlie the carriers have a slope to roll down to the track and can be problematic with long wheelbase locos or a short slope or ramp.

Similar but different.

Greg
 
I see the hinge issue is well covered in the above suggestions, but what about the danger of a train going over the edge on the non-hinge side?
A simple fix. Cut one rail about 2 feet before the precipice and feed power to that section over a contact, that is only closed when the bridge is down.
 
Paul M said:
Something like a sprung bollard which lifts as the bridge is raised
Click to expand...

Thinking of using a couple of sprung loaded bolts that are pushed down when the bridge is down and come up when it is raised.
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I've been planning to do something similar on the line I am building. Rather that use normal hinges you can buy "parliament" hinges which project the pivot outwards. These would raise the pivot above the rail and allow the rail to swing out smoothly if cut at a slight angle. You could do the same thing by fixing normal hinges on blocks of wood but the fixings would not be so strong and the the wood my move a little causing the rails to go out of alignment over time.
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We call these offset hinges, they come in various forms, but you see the pivot point is offset from one or more of the mounting points.

The offset lifts the bridge away right away to give clearance.

images
 
I went with a hinges under the bridge option using this suggestion.

Korms Bridge.jpg


I have started building the hinge area and it is working out well so far.
I am using gate hinges

P1050743.JPG

P1050744.JPG

The gap needed to allow opening is not really that wide it is slightly wider than the thickness of the board.
P1050745.JPG

The bridge will be made out of hardwood reinforced with steel angle.
To get a level, the hinges will be recessed into the mounting block.
The lower part of the hinges will be cut off to remove the piece protruding into the walkway.
P1050741.JPG
 
Rather than cutting the excess off.. How about bending it down, to give additional rigidity? :think:
 
PhilP said:
Rather than cutting the excess off.. How about bending it down, to give additional rigidity? :think:
Click to expand...

That is what I thought originally and is still an option.
The block it is sitting on will be secured by at least 3 bugle head TEK screws and they hold houses together.
Still a WIP at this stage mind you Mr Hur (Ben) the production manager does tend toward overkill.
 
The gap needed to allow opening is not really that wide it is slightly wider than the thickness of the board.

did you calculate the thickness of the board PLUS the height of track?
(plus a little additional, that the board can be turned up more than 90°, to stay open without any hook?)
(plus enough space, that your upturned track on the board does not push against the points of the fixed rails leading to the bridge?)
 
korm kormsen said:
The gap needed to allow opening is not really that wide it is slightly wider than the thickness of the board.

did you calculate the thickness of the board PLUS the height of track?
(plus a little additional, that the board can be turned up more than 90°, to stay open without any hook?)
(plus enough space, that your upturned track on the board does not push against the points of the fixed rails leading to the bridge?)
Click to expand...

The board will be level with the top of the baseboard that the approaching fixed track sits on, then the bridge track will be added to match.
The hinges allow the bridge to open past 90 degrees
The gap will be adjusted to allow the bridge to lift without fouling the fixed tracks.
The measurements are all rubbery at this point in time, I am concentrating on getting the opening action of one support on a hinge just right before doing the second then the main bridge structure will be built.
Slow and steady wins the race.
 
I'm a bit confused, if the bridge is level with the baseboard, won't the addition of the actual bridge be higher... but I'm happy to wait for pictures... still a bit skeptical of clearances, thinking you might have to play with location of hinge point, but again, happy to wait for progress pictures.

Greg
 
Greg Elmassian said:
I'm a bit confused, if the bridge is level with the baseboard, won't the addition of the actual bridge be higher... but I'm happy to wait for pictures... still a bit skeptical of clearances, thinking you might have to play with location of hinge point, but again, happy to wait for progress pictures.

Greg
Click to expand...

The hinges recess into the mounting block so that the bridge support arms that come of them are sitting level with the baseboard, they will form part of the bridge deck.
The whole top of bridge deck will be the same height as the approach base board.
The track sits on top of the base board and the bridge deck.
This bridge is less than 3 foot wide and the support arms will be in the centre of the bridge with cross pieces whose tops will be at the same level will extend sideways to hold the track.
This is all going to be reinforced by steel angle.

Bit hard to explain but as progress is made pictures will be forthcoming but the build will be slow.

Think some thing like this sans the handle and with added cross pieces
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