Ox Mountain Railway

Beautiful bridge, reminds me of the Victoria Bridge at Arley on the SVR. 

Agree with Mel, top marks. Love the colour scheme.

Thanks for your comments.
Tony; the railings are soffit ventilator strips (see "Building Bridges on the cheap").
 
Yes Mel, it was the inspiration! Its what you might say "reminiscent of" in a much simpler form
 
Giles; its red oxide primer (and I like it too) so I'll probably just satin varnish it when I've tidied it up!

Well after three weeks of bad weather, its actually dry today (although rather dull). Had to clean the track and remove many clumps of moss pulled up by the birds before I could run anything. Ran a short freight before trying out the Keystone circus loco....
 

 

 

 

 

 
 

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Well, after bodging around most of yesterday with the bridges, I was able to make the first powered run across and back (but no further:rolf. Just managed before having to shift everything for the night!
 

 

 
 

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I decided to use concrete blocks to support the track decking on my new extention so I shifted them from their previous location (now requisitioned for storing the bridges), and dumped them in semi-convenient clumps along the course of the intended extention. Trouble is, I have run out of ply completely so things are held up.
 
I tried different radius curves off the bridge and will go for the largest I can fit in. As it is, there will be no R1s on the extention!
 

 

 

 
Need to build a new garden shed to release some plywood from elsewhere.
Waste not, want not
 
 

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Looking good but I fear a problem may be lurking. Sometimes a straight is needed on the approach to a bridge like yours to prevent the overhang of a long loco fouling the girders. It may mean a tighter radius curve followed by a straight on the approach.

You are right there Neil, I'll have to do some clearance testing! I could get away with 750mm Rad on the inner curve (which is pictured above) with a short straight, but I was hoping that a larger radius might alleviate the problem - although I haven't tested it. At least, now, I only need to place the last bridge on the ground and try the curves! More haste, less speed?

Could you not put a couple of half curves at the start of the bridge thereby moving the new end down the drive a tad and lessening the angle.... The bridge would be a tad futher away from the fence so a short straight could be fitted and the curves you have would just about line up with the fence.....OK hat, coat,  i know  at least im taking notice.... dam nice bridge though
 
Tony

Hi Tony.  On Monday I thought of putting a slight curve between the two truss bidges, yesterday I shortened one of them so I could get larger radius cuves in, but ....
 
The thing is, it comes across at quite an angle already and I've had to make a fourth removable pier to accommodate the shortening of the bridge. I'll embark on a little testing tomorrow and see what is feasible. I had thought (maybe not enough!) that large radius curves would solve the problem. Everything I make or buy has to be able to run round R1's (trailer layout) and I'm gradually eliminating them from the garden line.
 
Going back to the piers - the drive slopes - each one is tailor-made to suit its' specific location (pain in the posterior) so I don't really want to alter the line of the bridges!
 
We'll see what tomorrow brings

Nice progress Mick , will you have to put the driveway section away after each running section?

Not if I put the car where I can drive it straight out of the gate!
 
To be honest, I did have a different idea on how to bridge the gap and I still might go down that route! No bridges will be harmed if I do.
 
Prevented from turning the car round the other day came in handy when a near (3.5 mile away) neighbour rang up to ask would I give his car a jump start. I couldn't I said, can't get the car out without moving everything. I am not that mean really, but he keeps flattening the (new) battery with monotonous regularity!

Well I tested clearances with different curved sections, the first being (inner) 5' Dia and (outer) 6' Dia. ...
 

 
and the clearances....
 

 

 
Although there was no problem on to, or off, the bridge there was a little bit of a squeeze between passing locos. It might be acceptable there was 10mm clearance as they passed (well manually contrived passing!).
 
The second evaluation involved making the 6ft dia curves the inner ones and I used some 8ft ones (pulled round a little) for the outer.....
 

 

 

 

 
So there was better clearance on the curve and there is just enough room between the bridge and the fence (if I tweek the 8fts into 7fts) to do this. No problems on or off the bridge
 
 

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u doin a great work! wow..u ave a massive layout! cor....loves yr work on it.keep in posted mate as it fully done...same as me doing bits of work on my layouts aslo some new stuffs for me to play with it...if too much building on my layout as it givin me eye sore so i did remove them to another site! oo better...
 

Excellent work Mick. It will look mighty fine when two trains are passing on the bridge.
 
Your Keystone train is....er....um....quite bright isn't it !!!

Hi Mike - thanks for your (and others) kind comments.
 
Yes the loco does look is bright I got it off a forum member with the intention of creating a circus scene for the trailer layout for younger audiences. This was going to be an additional baseboard - even bought the material to create a big top - as an alternative to running Thomas & Co. To run the latter meant pulling off the "normal" trains as the T.T stuff just gallops along (even at 12volt).
 
The Buddy L version, with its copper coloured boiler, was made to look (and operate!) more normally but this Keystone one (same stable) hasn't many redeeming features (like sound or smoke).
 
Its another case of Round Tu-it
 

 

 

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steven large


u doin a great work! wow..u ave a massive layout! cor....loves yr work on it.keep in posted mate as it fully done...same as me doing bits of work on my layouts aslo some new stuffs for me to play with it...if too much building on my layout as it givin me eye sore so i did remove them to another site! oo better...

 
Hi Steven. Thanks! It gives me something to do (that I like) rather than the loads of work I HAVE to do

Following the completition of my bridge project, I need to sort out electrical connections and power distribution to the extension. A picture of the bridge first (needed to find this thread in the archives:rolf and, if the weather holds good, I'll be out there today and making progress
 

 
 
 
 

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I've managed to bash four rail joiners into shape and soldered them to the rail ends coming off the arched bridge. Its simple and crude but it works.
 

 
Open
 

 
Bridge in position.
 

 
As I am an analogue man, I gave some thouight as to how I would test the electrical continuity. A loco might end up running off the end of the bridge so, in the end (no pun) I decided to use my latest acquisition. Its a LGB Drover's Caboose with track powered lights.
 

 
Pics show it on the outbound track....
 

 

 
and on the inbound - and lights work. QED.
 

 
 

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Made a start on the other end of the bridge - dug out 3 metres of weeds (creeping buttercup mostly), put dow a membrane and chucked some sand down for now. A lot more to do, but this will give me a chance to create a connection from the bridges to allow the start of the extention.
 

 
Also trying out curves (which will have to clear the fence when the bridge is swung round) and think 8ft dia for the outside will do the job. As I do not have the correct radius for the inner curve, a bit messing about will be required.
 

 
 

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