What's New on the PRR Panhandle 2.0?

[G3750]

It's real easy these days. Buy an iphone 6 or higher. Film your video. hold your phone sideways as you film. When you are done filming hit the little arrow on the top of you screen. Then push that youtube icon. a little window will pop up saying send to youtube. Hit send.It's on youtube.

Dang!!!



George

[Rufus T. Firefly]

It's real easy these days. Buy an iphone 6 or higher. Film your video. hold your phone sideways as you film. When you are done filming hit the little arrow on the top of you screen. Then push that youtube icon. a little window will pop up saying send to youtube. Hit send.It's on youtube.

Dang!!!



George

One might also need to have a Youtube account, perhaps?

[G3750]

Updated 11/05/2018:

Today, I installed the bridge shoes and pedestals under the western end of the bridge. I also installed the shelf that will hold them all in place.
Pilot holes for screws in the “stone” arch (eastern abutment) were also drilled. Four #6 wood screws will hold the bridge to the arch. I painted and cut to length two pedestals to fit under the eastern end of the bridge as well. These will hold up the bridge shoes which will support the bottom of the truss.

BridgeWork_002_.JPG (127.12 KiB) Viewed 4249 times

Before all that was installed, I printed another sheet of stone paper, glued it to the wall of the abutment, and trimmed it to size. The sections outside the truss will eventually (possibly) be covered in Peel-N-Stick Chooch Large Cut Stone. I then attached the bridge to the eastern abutment (stone arch). The stone arch was then propped up to its approximate elevation with wood blocks.

BridgeWork_005_.JPG (154.91 KiB) Viewed 4249 times

Here are a couple of close-ups of the western abutment and the 15" truss.

BridgeWork_013_.JPG (159.01 KiB) Viewed 4249 times

BridgeWork_010_.JPG (135.29 KiB) Viewed 4249 times

Just for grins, I positioned the western abutment and all piers in place. Then I moved the stone arch to its approximate place on layout. The following photo shows the piers nearly ready to accept the bridge trusses.

BridgeWork_010_.JPG (135.29 KiB) Viewed 4249 times

Tomorrow, I will focus on weathering all the pedestals and bridge feet in preparation for test fitting the bridge.

George

[chuck]

Wow, really looks good.

[rogruth]

I'm really getting antsy waiting to see the bridge in place. Waiting.

[G3750]

Wow, really looks good.

Thank you!

George

[G3750]

I'm really getting antsy waiting to see the bridge in place. Waiting.

Me too! This seems to be taking forever.

If I do get the bridge in place tomorrow, it will just be a test fitting. I still need to get the angle right. I also anticipate some height issues with the pedestals; I might have to make 1-2 pedestals of differing heights to support the bridge correctly. We'll see.

After that, I will still need to build small tables for Pier 1 and the Stone Arch to sit upon. Then I will drill holes in the river module floor for wires, screw the piers to the floor, and then caulk the pier edges. And finally, I will be able to put the bridge in place permanently.

George

[healey36]

Looks good, mate. I was wondering how the bridge would be anchored in place, so this post answered a bunch of those questions. You want to be sure this thing is pretty well mounted in place so it doesn't get jostled too badly when overly exuberant visitors bang into the base of the layout.

The 305 bridge comprising the duck-under on my layout is only anchored in place by the track running over it. Haven't had any problems, but I suspect it weighs a hell of a lot less than this monster...

And again, I would like to complement the backdrop...worth every penny.

[G3750]

Looks good, mate. I was wondering how the bridge would be anchored in place, so this post answered a bunch of those questions. You want to be sure this thing is pretty well mounted in place so it doesn't get jostled too badly when overly exuberant visitors bang into the base of the layout.

The 305 bridge comprising the duck-under on my layout is only anchored in place by the track running over it. Haven't had any problems, but I suspect it weighs a hell of a lot less than this monster...

And again, I would like to complement the backdrop...worth every penny.

Thank you!

God, I hope no over exuberant visitors come to see my layout.

Yes, I agree. The backdrop is a huge contributor to the overall effect.

George

[G3750]

Updated 11/06/2018:

Today, I focused on the bridge pedestals and shoes. First, any missing full-size pedestals were identified and built. A full-size pedestal is ¼” high and consists of a very thin plastic sheet supported by ¼” I beams. I only needed to construct one.

Second, using ¼” Plastruct rectangular pieces as spacers, bridge shoes were positioned in the middle of the pedestals and glued into place.

Third, I used Doc O’Brien’s Weathering Powders (Rusty Brown) to age in between the flanges of the bridge shoes, the tops of the pedestals, and in between the I beams of the pedestals. I may also add some rust on the piers themselves.

Finally, I applied DullCote to all the full-size bridge shoe / pedestal assemblies.

George

[G3750]

Updated 11/10/2018:

While I wrestled with my photo posting issue, work did proceed on the bridge.

• All piers have been placed in their approximate positions.
• All sections of the bridge have been connected together.
• The location of the bridge relative to the backdrop has been approximated.
• I constructed a small table with glides to support the Stone Arch (eastern abutment). Those glides were adjusted to get a level span.
• I propped up Pier 1 to the correct elevation.

For the first time ever, the entire bridge has been connected!





I am very excited by this.

George

[rogruth]

OMG! You have done it! WOW!
Would you think I like it?
You have a lot of work to do on the surroundings just so they will look right with the unfinished scene above.
I have seen some photos of HO model railroads of Steubenville but I don't remember that they included the BRIDGE.
Nor did they included Weirton. Maybe some hints of the steel mills but not much.
much luck with the next stage. I know that it will be sometime before it is complete.
Notice I didn't say finished.

[G3750]

OMG! You have done it! WOW!
Would you think I like it?
You have a lot of work to do on the surroundings just so they will look right with the unfinished scene above.
I have seen some photos of HO model railroads of Steubenville but I don't remember that they included the BRIDGE.
Nor did they included Weirton. Maybe some hints of the steel mills but not much.
much luck with the next stage. I know that it will be sometime before it is complete.
Notice I didn't say finished.

Thanks Roger!!! Told you I would. It's amazing how much you can get done when you don't have work and kids getting in the way.

Yes, still plenty of work to do. In fact, I will soon mark the positions of the piers, remove the bridge, and drill holes for the wiring. Then I will fasten down the piers to river bed with screws, caulk around them (because of the Envirotex "water"), and reinstall the bridge permanently. At that point, I want to do something really exciting - run a train across the bridge!!!

I am aware of only 3 modelers of the Panhandle, all in HO - Bill Neale, Curt Larue, and Herb Biegel. I was fortunate enough to have lunch with all 3 of them at this year's PRR Technical & Historical Society annual meeting. We had a great time and I got some interesting information (and gave them some as well). Bill's and Curt's layouts are spectacular (from the photos) and they both have terrific versions of the bridge. Bill's has been photographed and published in a number of national magazines. Herb's is still under construction and I haven't seen any photos. Still, there are aspects of the mills and the town that they couldn't know and include. There are some things only a native would know. Regardless, they possess a skill level far beyond my own.

George

[chuck]

AWESOME, I really mean that. Even "roughed in" it looks fantastic. That second shot with the river and bank background is stunning. You've really captured the area.

I like the "mini" levelers on the temp supports. Most of us would just shim it up with whatever was handy. It shows the degree of craftsmanship you are putting into the project.

[G3750]

AWESOME, I really mean that. Even "roughed in" it looks fantastic. That second shot with the river and bank background is stunning. You've really captured the area.

I like the "mini" levelers on the temp supports. Most of us would just shim it up with whatever was handy. It shows the degree of craftsmanship you are putting into the project.

Thank you, Chuck! I appreciate that.

My first impulse was to shim up the stone arch with whatever was handy, but I am trying to be careful not to put too much pressure on the screws and the wooden plates joining the sections. And I really need to get that section absolutely level. I'm going to put some other legs or a wall there once I cut them to the correct size.

George