Model Train Journal

Don't really have room for much more than a 10-12' x 36" layout/diorama and have always been intrigued by the St. Louis TRRA elevated tracks down by the Mississippi river front. Before I start figuring out how to fabricate these columns and girders, does anyone mfg. the different components in plastic for O scale?

up148 wrote:........ the different components in plastic for O scale?

Like what? All sorts of structural shapes are available from Plastruct

I am unfamiliar with this. Is this what we are talking about?

R.K. Maroon wrote:I am unfamiliar with this. Is this what we are talking about?

Very definitely! It runs for miles along the river front, before crossing over into Illinois. As a very young child it was one of my favorite parts of riding on the Admiral excursion boat in the mid 50's. Talked my parents into boarding early so I could watch trains crossing the Eads bridge and the Hi-Rail system.

Rufus T. Firefly wrote:

up148 wrote:........ the different components in plastic for O scale?

Like what? All sorts of structural shapes are available from Plastruct

Thanks Rufus. Forgot about Plastruct.

Butch, Google O scale columns and girders and you will get a LOT of hits.

Rich

Thanks Rich. Plastruct has way more products than I realized, but still not the right lattice and really it is HO size and was hoping to avoid installing this lattice a single strip at a time.

up148 wrote:Thanks Rich. Plastruct has way more products than I realized, but still not the right lattice and really it is HO size and was hoping to avoid installing this lattice a single strip at a time.

Maybe find a 3D printer guru?

Found a company who makes crafts and doll house items. They also have structural ABS and Styrene parts. The have the open trusses (lattice look) I need in several widths so that is good news. I think I can build the rest of what I need.

up148 wrote:Found a company who makes crafts and doll house items. They also have structural ABS and Styrene parts. The have the open trusses (lattice look) I need in several widths so that is good news. I think I can build the rest of what I need.

Share, please? Alternate sources are good to know for the structural ABS and Styrene parts.

I'm looking for some small OD/ID brass tubing. Not sure but I think it was Structural Shapes sourced when I last needed some.

This is the "Truss" page and saw other items, but really didn't check it out. kitkraft.com.

https://kitkraft.com/products/3-4-truss?taxon_id=501

You might take a look at Micro Engineering products. While all of their bridge parts are designed for HO and N scales, you may be able to re-purpose a lot of the elements for you elevated structure.

For whatever reason, the actual ME website seems to be crap. So you might look at the Walthers site instead, or ebay, or just a google search for Micro Engineering bridges. The viaduct kits or parts might be most useful.

Another potential option would be Central Valley. They offer truss bridge parts, and in particular box girders, for separate sale. It appears that they have two sizes of box girder, one at ~6" x 6", and the other at ~12" x 12".

https://www.shop.cvmw.com/BoxGirders-5-19025.htm

Beyond that, depending on quantity and just how determined you are to adhere to prototype fidelity,having etches done would make a lot of sense. Or you could create a fixture and build your own parts from styrene strip. It would be tedious, but I bet it would look fantastic. Build one and cast it in resin.

Martin - "Special Shapes", Napierville Ill.

I thought I had posted my request along these lines but maybe I forgot to hit the button?
Looking for about 40 feet of stone wall applique. Aware of Micro Mark, but looking for a slightly more inexpensive solution. Just to make my test loops look slightly better.

I don't think Special Shapes is around any longer, at least in it's old format. They were a subsidiary of K&S, they shared the same address, and there was a link to the Special Shapes site from the K&S site. But a short while back, the Special Shapes site seems to have disappeared. I thought that the SS part of the business had been folded back into K&S, and I do see some shapes listed in the price list and the OEM spec sheet, but nowhere else that I can find. And I don't feel like they offer as many shapes as before. I don't see H or I beams, or zee profiles, which I thought they used to offer.

If somebody has another lead on Special Shapes, I'd love to hear about it.

Jim