What's New on the PRR Panhandle Division?

[Roy]

...Hydrocal would certainly lend heft to the pier and I believe it would be strong enough to support the weight of the bridge and trains passing over it...

For actually bearing the bridge loads, I'd recommend a wood, plywood, or fiberboard core inside the pier castings. For the hollow pier casting material, besides Hydrocal or Polystone, you might also consider paper mache, expanding foam, or fiberglass.

[G3750]

Updated 11/15/2014:

Busy day.

• Attended the O Scale Train Show in Strasburg, PA today. Picked up some detail parts (acetylene tank cluster, room interior parts, gas meters, etc.). This is always an interesting show. Saw a nice Weaver 3-rail L1s for $200, but I have all the motive power I need. And met Rufus T. Firefly (Martin)!
• On the way home, stopped at Cool Trains in Salunga, PA to pick up my Plastruct order - ladder & cage and handrails for the bridge piers.
• Received an in-progress photo of a bridge pier.
  

  

  IMG_0925.JPG (827.96 KiB) Viewed 3663 times

Things are starting to come together.

George

[rogruth]

George,

JSBach Dave was also at that meet.

Understand it was a good one.

The pier looks great.

[jlong]

The piers look great George! Was Rufus sober?

[G3750]

The piers look great George! Was Rufus sober?

Rufus was sober, but I'd had a few too many (NOT).

George

[G3750]

Roger, John:

Yes, the pier does look pretty awesome from that angle. I am planning to inspect it in person today and see how it looks from another perspective. If that is OK, then I will decide if I want to create a mold and cast copies or just have another one made (or maybe both). So far I have been very impressed with the outcome.

George

[G3750]

Updated 11/16/2014:

Check this out!!! I picked up the pier today and have ordered a second. It's awesome. Compare it to the prototype - it's a homerun!

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Bridge_Piers_04_.JPG (31.19 KiB) Viewed 3625 times

It has the correct proportions, is made of wood (poplar), is very strong, and looks fantastic (IMO). Yeah, I'm ecstatic!

George

[rogruth]

Looks good.

[G3750]

Looks good.

Thanks! Roger, I'm absolutely ecstatic with how well this turned out. It's way beyond what I expected.

George

[Rufus T. Firefly]

That's outstanding! Poplar is nice to work with too!

[G3750]

That's outstanding! Poplar is nice to work with too!

Thank you! Yes, I specified poplar. I wanted a nice dense hardwood with minimal tendency to warp.

And the great thing about these wooden piers is that there is no worrying about castings cracking or crumbling under repeated vibration and load. It was more expensive up front, but there will be no screwing around with molds. I think by the time I made the molds and cast the piers, I would have spent more $$$ than just getting 2 piers made.

George

[Steamfan77]

Piers look great George. Poplar takes paint well too.

Andy

[Rufus T. Firefly]

The piers look great George! Was Rufus sober?

Sober as a Judge..........and busy trying selling off my pre-estate items and my Father in Law's estate items.

It was a pretty good day on sales and a good day there to talk to Roger, George, JS Bach, AngRetired, Sarge, etc........

Poplar takes paint well too.

Give it a light coat of sanding sealer to seal up the end grain before painting.

[G3750]

Updated 11/23/2014:

Roughed out a floor for the top of the bridge pier out of .125 Plastruct. I decided to play with the red, blinking LED. Here are a few stills. I might raise the floor a bit, it looks low. Likewise, I think the bridge pedestals are going to get some minor elevation as well. I want them to look right. Alternative, I may be searching for some G scale bridge feet.

Lit_Bridge_Piers_06_.JPG (30.43 KiB) Viewed 3561 times

Lit_Bridge_Piers_07_.JPG (25.37 KiB) Viewed 3562 times

George

[G3750]

Updated 11/24/2014:

OK guys, check this out!!!

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Bridge_Piers_09_.JPG (42.34 KiB) Viewed 3542 times

George