I have a Walther’s double track warren truss bridge I’m about to install and I have a couple of questions about it.
First, since I’ve never seen the real thing I’m assuming the track does NOT have a roadbed under it but is laid right on the bridge itself. Is this right?
Second, it would seem a lot easier to me to cut one side, lets say side A
and glue it down and leave side B ramp unglued to the foam supports underneath. I’ll cut Side B’s length to come as close as I can to fitting the bridge, but with it unglued I can shift it an 1/8th inch or so either way to make it fit. I can do this without causing harm to anything on the other end of ramp B. Also, if the track isn’t setting on roadbed (across the bridge), then I have to take that into account on how high to set the bridge on it’s abuttments, allowing 3/16ths inch for the cork roadbed.
The drawing above is not even to scale, just something to aid you.
Is my plan ok or do you have a better idea.
Thanks,
Jarrell
I am not an expert at this by any stretch of the imagination, so take this advice knowing this upfront. Build the bridge (no roadbed, just wood ties and rails) as is as a unit in itself. Leave both ramps A and B as they are. Then, use the bridge abutments as the “levelers”, to gauge and match up the bridge rails on side A with the ramp rails A. Do the same on side B. Seems like this might work, and fill in whatever voids you might have under the bridge abutments with scenic materials. Just a thought.
Jarrell, in order to get a smooth, not necessarily planar, approach, feel free to fudge all sorts of things. For example, you could begin to shave (taper down) the cork several inches back from the leading edges of the bride deck on each end if that will make a smoother approach. Slide under the tracks near the bridge whatever will add some support. You can cover it al later with ballast, dirt, “cement”, riprap, etc. The main thing is to get your bridge level (transversely) and fixed into place with latex caulk or some other fixative. Once it meets track on both sides, and is nicely held in place, you can add stuff to the ramps and abuttments as your l’il ol’ heart sees fit.
Thanks for the advice fellas. One thing I’m starting to learn in this layout building business is it ain’t necessarily rocket science. I mean, you have to get things as ‘right’ as you can, but there’s some fudgin’ and covering and hiding and shimming going on behind the scene. In other words, do whatever it takes to make it work.
Anyway, I guess the answer to the first part of the question is, there is NO roadbed under bridge track, this type bridge anyway. What had me was there is a small bridge close to home that goes over a swampy area that has road bed, ballast and all right across the bridge. But it’s not a truss bridge. I do now remember a truss bridge in the little town I grew up in. It went across the river and I remember you could see through the ties to the water below, not that I EVER walked out on that bridge as a kid. Not smart, ya know…
Jarrell
Here’s my Walthers double track truss with Walthers code 83 bridge track:
Ties are not glued down over the bridge but I may change that:
Here you can see the unballasted cork approach tracks:
The girders under the track:
Choose abutments:
The 50’ deck girder is from Micro Engrg. Track is not glued down - it “floats” just enough to be noticeable (the way real track moves when trains go over):
If I could do it again I would put thin rubber strips maybe 1/8" wide under the rails over the bridge. It is noisy. Also note that Walthers specifies a maximum distance between the tracks (2-1/4"?). I don’t remember; check the catalog.
Oops! Should be “Chooch” abutments (Chooce Enterprises). Chooch may offer a double track pier now; I had to cut and splice 2 single piers together for the pier in the last photo.
It is difficult to clean the tracks. I think my weathered guardrails won’t be weathered much longer…
If the guard rails were of one rail size less (say code 70 for using 83), you will not remove the rust/ weathering when track cleaning.
By the way, nice job on scenery and bridge installation TBat55.
Bob K.
TBat55, that’s just what I wanted to know. Thanks for the pictures. I hadn’t thought about the tracks are going to be a little/a lot more difficult to clean, but I see your point. Did you use one section of ME track and cut it to fit or just how did you do it?
That is some great scenery you have there!
Thanks for the answer.
Jarrell
All my track is code 83 Atlas flex, some sectional, and Walthers(Shinohara) turnouts and guardrail piece. Bridge track fits their bridge precisely. I ordered the wrong item at first - Walthers makes 1-piece bridge track for the truss and a 3-piece item for custom bridge lengths.
Ok, thanks. This is some fine weathering on the bridge and I haven’t gotten to that yet. What method did you use to do yours, it really looks good with the rust and all.
I’ve tried to find the Walther’s bridge track, but it seems as though it is on backorder from them and I haven’t yet run across a dealer that has it in stock.
Jarrell
jacon12,
I sprayed once lightly with Instant Weathering, dabbed some mud & rust from a multi-bottle weathering kit, then scraped some chalk on it. Probably also cleaned a brush on it here and thee (whenever I finish painting something I “dry brush” somewhere on my layout before I wa***he brush).
Firstly, those are ALL great looking bridges. I use a couple of things to apply my weathering, but when using chalks, I have found that my most useful tools are a very soft bristled toothbrush and those foam tipped makeup application wands available in the makeup section of your local Wal-Mart (everyone has a local Wal-Mart. I know, I work for them. If you DON’T have one, you must be accessing the Internet via satellite from Mars). The soft bristled toothbrush works great for getting into those edges of girdle material. As for bridge track, I bought the Micro Engineering code 83 kit. It comes with the guardrail, foot bridge, little barrels that always seem to be present on a lot of layouts. I haven’t put it down yet, but I like the Pliobond idea. Would rubber cement work, as well?
Pliobond is basically just a heavy duty rubber cement. Find it works an controls easier than other rubber or contact cements. Dries a dark amber color- excess is not too noticable compared to to other adhesives.
