I’m looking for information about pontoon-type apron for my carfloat. I went thought a lot of documentation about that type of structure, however, I can’t find picture of the pontoon itself (the floating part under the deck). Was it made in steel or in wood? I guess it was in steel, like a floating compartment.
My prototype is the Erie’s Harlem Station. What was the use for the gantry style overhead structure located each side of the apron. I can’t see cable or a lifting system on it. Older pictures shows that the original apron was made of pony trusses. The structure was then modified. When redesign at some point in history, could this overhead structure became obsolete and was keep there?
This is called a float bridge and its use requires something to keep it connected to the car float. That is usually provided by a gantry with a lifting system. You won’t necessarily see the cable or lifting system beacuse they can be concealed from view to due to the lighting underwhich your photos may heve been taken or because its within the strucure of the gantry.
I made one for my port area. I researched them on the Internet and did find some info. There is supposed to be a couple of hydraulic jacks from the pontoon to the bridge structure for minor adjustments between barges. These pontoon aprons were used in tidal areas mostly.
What did you use for the surface of your pier? I am trying to decide how I want to surface that area. I was contemplating trying to use plaster to sink my rails in “concrete”, but i really like the look of yours right on the surface. Do you plan to do something else in that area?
Hi Bob, I’ve often seen people using styrene sheet to mimick asphalt and concontre around trackage. Plaster works too, but with much effort on large surfaces. 4’x8’ styrene sheets can be bought for 5-10$ in various thickness from plastic suppliers.
Thanks Gandydancer, it’s what I thought. The poonton is floating and self ajusting with the tide. If the carfloat is higher of lower, the hydraulic jacks are used. Looks like it worked this way at the Harlem Station. The overhead crane was nothing more than a set of bridge’s plate girders cut to lenght.and fitted on wooden support… Very archaic, but worked well. A prototypical kitbashing!
The pier is actually the Walthers Cornerstone pier kit with the crane. There were groves cast in the plastic pier surface to glue the rails into. The foundation of the pier area to the left of the pier kit is one inch builders foam topped with Luan. There will be a pier warehouse there. However, that area needs to be raised up about 1/8th inch. I am going to use foam-core for that and glue it down to the Luan. The foam-core will make up the concrete pad area wherever needed.
I have seen just the rails (no ties) glued or spiked down (in gauge of course) and cut plastic sheet sections glued in between and beside them to make up the top surface.
Well, i just painted my surface with a gray latex paint. My top surface is 3" blue extruded foam board. also, sealed any seams/joints in the foam with drywall compound. i will then smooth the joints out and apply another coat of paint.
My last year in the US Coast Guard was spent working out of Yerba Buena Island on . After my discharge I worked for The Pacific Telephone & Telegraph in the same area and had occasion to visit many port services including the ten car float facilities around the Bay operated by the WP, State Railroad, Alameda Belt Line and NWP (SP subsidiary).
The Bay Area standard car float used a three track “apron” a bridge anchored to land at one end and raised or lowered by gantry crane at other end. The three tracks on the apron were laid almost against each other and fanned out to minimum clearance on the float. The apron acted as an interface between land and “car float” (barge or ferry). When docking the apron was lowered into a notch in the bow of the car float and locked in place by hinged steel handles on the float being slipped through hinged steel loops on the apron. The tug or ferry maintained a low rpm forward the hold everything together. If not being worked the car float or ferry was moored at the dock; the locking mechanism was not strong enough to act as a mooring.
Many of the aprons looked like deck truss bridges with the bottom of the tr
