My first attempt at weathering the bridge piers and structure.

Adding a maintenance walkway to the railroad bridge on my layout gate can not only increase the visual interest of the railroad bridge, but also narrow the space between the bridge and the plexiglass walls on the sides of the gate. While I wait for the plexiglass to be cut, I have been looking for a reference for the width of such a maintenance walkway and height of an outside fence on the walkway. I have yet to find such a reference and don’t know of a real bridge with a walkway that could be measured. References are welcome.

I have painfully learned that the first time you use an unfamiliar new skill to build a new product you may not produce the best or final result you want, and that’s OK. Who knew that the horse should go in front of the buggy? Who wants to look at that horse’s behind all day?

Since I recently started thinking about ballasting track I have visited Model Railroader Video Plus and YouTube to learn more about ballast. Also Chris Jacobs, a friend from SWWMR club, gave me a suggestion of using “Play Sand” for ballast. A 50 lb bag of play sand from Lowe’s cost me less than $5 while Woodland Scenic’s ballast is ten times more expensive. As previously illustrated I just have to sift the Play Sand into three sizes. The attached photo shows two test strips with various sizes of ballast.

After buying a 50 lb bag of Play Sand I have started sifting it into three different sizes fine, medium, and course using two different size screens. I will try using the fine on the mainline tracks, the medium in yards and the course on my fill areas at the ends of the gate-bridge.