New Bridge

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ScaleCraft
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Joined: Thu Jan 26, 2012 10:15 pm
Location: Floe Ice, Auntarctica

Re: New Bridge

Postby ScaleCraft » Wed May 17, 2017 11:11 am

Yup. Originally the only access to the basement, until we moved the hot water heater into the basement and used that old space to drop a set of stairs down from inside the house.
So, lift-out or flip-up bridges are a necessity, unless you mount them far enough away from the door to allow it to swing...and you lose a whole lotta real estate.
Removable/lift outs allow furnace repair/replacement, hot water tank, and big items in and out without having to rip the layout apart.
Dave....collector, restorer, and operator of the finest doorstops

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ScaleCraft
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Joined: Thu Jan 26, 2012 10:15 pm
Location: Floe Ice, Auntarctica

Re: New Bridge

Postby ScaleCraft » Wed May 17, 2017 1:48 pm

This is an old shot of the original double track exiting the east portal, showing the arch support in place I have now removed.Image
Dave....collector, restorer, and operator of the finest doorstops

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ScaleCraft
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Joined: Thu Jan 26, 2012 10:15 pm
Location: Floe Ice, Auntarctica

Re: New Bridge

Postby ScaleCraft » Wed May 17, 2017 7:41 pm

Yarded the track loose and pulled it over. Not done, still have to unsolder feeders, pull sections clean out, remove all ballast and relay after getting curvature better.
Image
Image

Just threw some short scraps of track down to visualize where it will be.

Image

While I was taking photos, figured I'd do the mine from track level. That is the only original GarGraves with factory Kemtron/Tenshodo machine mounted. On concrete foundation, hard to do under bench type.
Dave....collector, restorer, and operator of the finest doorstops

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rogruth
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Location: pembroke,ga

Re: New Bridge

Postby rogruth » Wed May 17, 2017 9:31 pm

Dave,
How long has the trackwork you are changing been in place?
Or when did you first start to build this layout?
It appears to have held up well.
roger

I support thread drift.
If God didn't want women to be looked at, He would have made 'em ugly. RAH

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ScaleCraft
Posts: 6458
Joined: Thu Jan 26, 2012 10:15 pm
Location: Floe Ice, Auntarctica

Re: New Bridge

Postby ScaleCraft » Wed May 17, 2017 10:39 pm

Oh, Lord. Sherman, to the Wayback Machine.

We had a house fire 30+ years ago. The layout was upstairs, after the fire, finished the smaller portion of the basement off...bought a layout from a guy fairly local...12X6? Had to cut it in half (6X6) to get it down the stairs and into the basement. The section I am working on is that original benchwork..heavily modified and strengthened...and lengthened to 15 feetX7. He had a second level on the end where my mountain is now (removed upon arrival here) because it was so steep a sidewinder with power off would run away.
Started modifying...adding...put the stairs in from inside the house...ran the track between steps on one side. There were two pieces of track left on the railroad that were where they were when I got it, one is out, the other shortly.
Tight curves, everything I did away from this section were broader..and now this is getting broad curves. Was my first batch of GarGraves track and switches.
We bought a spaghetti bowl out of a garage north of us. It was like a roller coaster. Crazy. But all GarGraves. Cheap.
Stripped the track, switches and Tenshodo/Kemtron machines, built under bench mounts and throws. Found a deal on Acme Switch Controllers, still have a bunch new in their boxes...so very old school, but they work flawlessly.
Ran it, built it, modified it, added to it, ballasted it, signaled it, for 10 years or so...then started the outdoor railroad...took a wall of the basement out and excavated, formed and poured...dirt was all used to build the outdoor railroad, the Lionel sat for 20 years until I decided to get it running again.
Here I am, been running, but that single bridge was a PITA.
I looked for two years for another Flyer double track truss bridge..no luck. I have one, was going to splice them on a board for the liftout at the door way.
Now I'll figure something out to do with the one I have..have a good idea...that will come into play in a bit, as next week we start tearing down that big NP 3-rail layout. That will keep me busy.
This is what I was faced with after 20 years...and the chunks of concrete from breaking the wall out:
Image
Dave....collector, restorer, and operator of the finest doorstops

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rogruth
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Re: New Bridge

Postby rogruth » Thu May 18, 2017 5:22 pm

Thanks Dave.
But it still worked. Some of those old switch machines were great and would work forever.
IMHO if you are still having FUN with this layout nothing is more important.
Keep us informed.
roger

I support thread drift.
If God didn't want women to be looked at, He would have made 'em ugly. RAH


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