Weekend Photos - July 2021

[healey36]

Looks great. A timber-truss was an amazing bridging solution in the years before cast/wrought iron came into use. How long is that span in scale feet? Looks long.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Nicely done bridge!

[gregj410]

Thank you everyone for your nice comments. The bridge is 128 scale feet, so approx 32”.

[healey36]

Thanks, Greg; I've often wondered what was the maximum length for a wooden-truss. About ten miles up the road from me the Western Maryland built their first bridge over the Monocacy River in 1870. It was originally proposed as a wooden-truss with two spans, each of 150 feet. When they built it, the chief engineer changed it up to a triple-span wooden-truss of some 400 feet, this to accommodate the Monocacy's propensity to occasionally spill over its banks during periods of heavy rain. A little more than a decade later they replaced the bridge with one of iron. I suspect it was rebuilt a third time early in the 20th century to accommodate bigger/heavier trains following the extension to Connellsville.

It's not an easy bridge to get to, completely surrounded by private land, but I should take the time to drive up and see if the builder's plate is still there.

[gregj410]

I've often wondered what was the maximum length for a wooden-truss.

Can’t say I know for sure but Hunterline makes 170’ kit and I’m assuming they do the research as most of their kits appear to be based off of the prototype.

It's not an easy bridge to get to, completely surrounded by private land, but I should take the time to drive up and see if the builder's plate is still there.

Well don’t die or get arrested trying but I’d be interested in seeing whatever you come back with.

[rogruth]

Try to get permission to go in.
Sometimes easy, sometimes not.
Good luck and if possible let us see what you find.

[healey36]

Looking for a bit of a cool down before we go bridge-hunting. Supposed to hit 99 here today.

I have the brass dome for the 3018 tank car that I've polished up to something reasonably bright...what's the recommendation for an overspray to keep it from tarnishing? Clear lacquer? Poly-urethane? A quick look on the Google-machine seems to recommend clear lacquer.

[J. S. Bach]

You can just paddle down/up the river.

[healey36]

I have a couple of kayaks, so that’s a possibility. The other problem with the Monocacy is that stretches of it are infested with snakes, and to quote the great Indiana Jones, “I hate snakes.”

[Rufus T. Firefly]

I have a couple of kayaks, so that’s a possibility. The other problem with the Monocacy is that stretches of it are infested with snakes, and to quote the great Indiana Jones, “I hate snakes.”

Bring your mongoose along for the trip.

[healey36]

He ran off with a mongoosette named Turvi. I knew she was trouble the minute he laid eyes on her.

[healey36]

Finished the mount and the cut out bit of Parlor Flats; now starting to dry-fit the basic components:



Getting things square can be a challenge.

I made a few decisions along the way, one being to not cut out and glaze the windows, but just go with opaque printed on cardstock, cemented in behind the openings. I edited the scan to add window shades for a bit of interest, and changed up the doors slightly.

Before that, I chopped the platform apart, trimmed down the "concrete" bit, then glued everything back down, mitigating the earlier fit problem. In the process of doing that, I left a smudge of white glue. I decided to give it an overspray of Tamiya clear matte to blend everything back in. Bad idea - the lacquer and inkjet print didn't mesh and destroyed the finish, leaving a frosty glaze over the platform. So I printed a new platform on cardstock and applied it to the ruined one. The color is quite a bit browner now, but the fit looks even better. I'm guessing an acrylic matte might have worked better.

A generic set of decals are in for lettering the Flyer 3018. Might take a stab at that later this weekend.

[rogruth]

Looks pretty nice to me.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Finished the mount and the cut out bit of Parlor Flats; now starting to dry-fit the basic components:

Coming along nicely!

[healey36]

Thanks guys. I gotta remember to glue in the door sills when I start cementing it to the base!

I'm presuming that lower bit on the exterior walls is meant to be stucco-like. Panels of painted-sandpaper would have been nice if one wanted something a bit more realistic (a trick I learned from The Old Man in the last century).

These things are rather remarkable. Just a few bits of paper and cardboard, along with a scrap of masonite. They must have been popular with the readers, as every copy had one, some two.