I’ve always wanted to have a big, curved timber trestle on a layout and finally have the space for one. I don’t think I’m up for scratch building one so I bought an Advanced Rail Systems wood kit. What advice or pointers can you guys give me in regards to getting a level trestle that trains can actually run on?
I don’t have any pointers to offer persay, But I am curious about the terrain the trestle will be placed in. could you show us a picture?
I haven’t actually built the terrain yet. However it will be an 8" deep valley with a river running through. The trestle will also be on a 21.25" radius curve.
hmmmmmm, will it be foam base? if it is you could drill holes in the foam, adjusting it as you’d need. I’d even go as far as supporting it on the scenery on both sides.
GP-9,
Just a thought,but as long as you don’t have the terrain built yet,enjoy building your bridge,then add the scenery around it,as long as you don’t have steep grades,I don’t see any reason why you can’t have some fun and gain experience,when building it… You can always,cut the piers shorter if you have to…
Cheers,
Frank
Well, I got the kit in the mail yesterday. It’s my first craftsman style kit but it seems straight forward enough. However the instructions say to stain the would before assembly. I’ve done this with laser cut wood structures but, I always theft the surfaces to be glued unpainted. If I stain the wood with this trestle first, won’t that make it difficult to glue together?
You won’t have a problem with gluing,if you just use a stain,nothing else in it…The rub on with a rag,or brush,wipe off excess and let dry,drying times vary,on some types…
Cheers,
Frank
As Frank says, you should have no problem gluing stained wood. Stain is not like paint, as it doesn’t seal the surface. If you didn’t stain it first, where you glue it, stain will not take, the glue will seal it out. It would leave you with all your glue joints looking like new wood, the rest stained.
Good luck,
Richard
I’ve built a lot of trestles and found it easiest to measure it carefully ahead of time and build the trestle upside down on a workbench. Since you are using a kit and fitting the scenery to match it should be pretty straightforward.
I agree with using a base coat of transparent stain before assembling. Wood glue works well, but I liked Duco cement better as it set up faster. I would pin the beams to a piece of wood with a pre drawn curve. Build the bents as sub assemblies and add the bracing between bents as you assemble the trestle. I built a simple jig to hold the upright legs at the right angle while gluing the bents together. Don’t rush it and give the glue plenty of time to dry and you should get a very nice wooden trestle that will be a keynote on your layout.