i am looking for the most accurate kit in ho to model a reading style steel viaduct bridge. i model cr in 96’ an i am starting a project in making a bridge of this nature, after the reading rr. i was wondering if the new micro-engineering kits they just brought back with the sizeable towers would be the right ones? this bridge is going to be an abandoned model about 36in in length. i am also going to put reading speed lettering on the bridge flanks and weathering it up. i want the bridge dace to be all one straight piece, and not in small pieces like the atlas kits.
Are you looking for a plate girder bridge? Or a truss bridge? Or a viaduct?
Do you have any prototype bridges in mind?
Normally they put the speed lettering on a plate girder bridge, either through or deck type. Central Valley makes a larger plate girder bridge. ME makes viaducts and shorter deck girder bridges/viaduct (the prototype wasfor their bridge was the MP/TRRA viaduct along the Mississippi in St Louis, MO, where the Arch is now.)
Dave H.
Don’t forget the Athearn plate girders - an oldie but goodie, rather large – and don’t forget their N scale version as well, which I have kitbashed (spliced) into a pretty decent HO girder bridge.
Dave Nelson
i am looking at the bridge from the ad in the new M.R., from ME. the deck and sides are what i see around here in southeastern pa. on the former reading/cr lines. i have two in mind. one that spans the schuykill river along kelly drive in philadelphia, and another similar one that spans the same river in norristown, from the harrisburg line to the morrisville connection. this is actually a pair of identical plate bridges. i want to model one, and put it over my mainlines by placing the masts on a set of plaster cast hills. what i want to know is, did the reading have any “steel cage” towers on any of the plate bridges like the ME kit? i think there may be one on new england somewhere? not sure. thanks for you help, guys!! if anyone has any other info, let me know.
I pass think that I pass under this bridge every morning on my way to work…If your bridge is my bridge, then the term “plate girder” does not apply…it is a viaduct with a fence that separates the two tracks on the bridge and it is slightly curved…there are actually two viaducts, one curving south and one curving north…does that sound like your bridge??
yes, that is the the bridge, jim! would the ME kits do, or no? i would also have to trim the towers on the one part of the hill almost in half to glue it on the side of my hill, to keep the height even all the way across. it will also curve out too. but, i haven’t decided which way i wanted it to curve. it will not host any trains though. so you are from the area, from philly, or up here in wonderful norristown? heh, yeah. thanks jim!