I bought some ME bridge sections and bridges for my 320 scale foot span.These are the most difficult to build because the cross braces and supports are warped.I have four kits,built 2, working on the 3rd with warped parts and the 4th kit is also warped.I bought these kits from two different suppliers. I built CVM and Walthers bridges with no problems. I have one more crossing that needs a bridge and it won’t be a ME bridge.
Interesting.
I wonder what to attribute the problem to, low quality plastic, faulty production, faulty packaging, improper storage and/or shipping?
Rich
Also find this a bit distrubing, I have worked w/ ME products for quite a number of years and have only had one issue. Heavy mold lines on a couple 30ft girder sections but workable. I called ME about the problem and recieved replacements for those parts in a week.
To have the bracing ( not sure which you refer), distorted lends me to believe that the packaged sprues for those towers/ etc were jambed or bent in the packaging or somehow during handling.
The molded parts and quality of the styrene appear to be some of the best of any other product I have ever worked with.
I would contact ME as to this problem, I know they will be of help.
I’ve built a number of ME girder bridges, and nearly all have had cross braces warped to some degree. Use of a fast-acting plastic cement like Ambroid ProWeld or Tenax 7-R makes the warp almost a non-issue, since in most cases you can still get the components assembled straight. If you encounter some that can’t be straightened, try cutting out the affected braces and replacing them with Plastruct or Evergreen styrene.
I built the combo 150’ through and deck girder seven years ago. It was not an easy build for me, but mostly because of my skills and know-how. If I were to do it again, I’d be a bit more patient, always a problem for me, and I would use the heavy points-filing blocks supplied by Fast Tracks with their turnout kits. I stand those suckers up on end on items needing some considerable pressure overnight, and they have never let me down. So, learn to use weights…improvise, and as mentioned, do trust the better glues.
Lastly, I do recall contacting ME by phone, no email/website that I could find at the time, and asking for something that was missing. It came right away. It might have been some plates or bridge shoes.
Crandell