Thin Branch Series: Build a river part 3B – Installing bridges

Comments MRR
1

Join the discussion on the following article:

Thin Branch Series: Build a river part 3B – Installing bridges

2

I’m really enjoying this series! Thanks guys and…Happy New Year!!!

3

Guardrails on DCC should have an electrical break cut or a non-electrical frog at one end. Why? Well, if a separate wheel is used for track pickup (Walthers Passenger), or the wheel sets do not have the insolators all on the same side (IM), and the trucks are derailed or should wobble, a short has been created between both buss tracks.–not a good idea.

4

Should this video be labeled as 3 A and not B since the work here is done BEFORE 3 A " pouring the river " ??

5

Joel Dethlefs if you have any trucks that wobble that much you should remove them from the layout and take them to your workbench for repairs.

If you would get a derailment and it shorts out that should trip your circuit breaker and stop the train. Perfect.

Also the guardrails are painted and paint is not an electrical conductor.

6

I usually hand spike rails onto wooden bridges. I use the smallest practical spikes, like “Micro-Spikes”. Using a pin vise, I pre-drill the spike holes. That way, the spikes slip into place without putting too much pressure on the wooden ties or trestle. With changes in seasons the rails move around, so I have had track gauge problems with glued rails on wooden ties.