Today I got one step closer to the swing bridge I’ve been working on for the last month. Still lots of work to do, but the time away from everything outside is giving me a mental boost and the project is keeping me busy.
All the ties are now down, the wood side rails glued on and it’s ready for the gauntlet rails. I’m gluing all this together with CA as the ties are thin and the bridge under structure is plastic, not good for spikes. I used a strip of tape to hold the ties down while i glued the side rails on. I’m just hoping I can pull the tape and paper away from the ties.
I spent the afternoon making and laying 10.5′ ties for the bridge that will ride atop my swing gate into the layout. Next comes gluing of wood side rails and metal gauntlet rails.
The entrance to my “U” shaped layout will have a swing gate with a railroad bridge and gauntlet track which completes the inside double loop of track meeting at the bridge. I am currently working with three Atlas deck truss kits #84 and bridge piers #81 to make the bridge. The problem is the Atlas kit’s plastic deck above the truss is not wide enough for the gauntlet rails and the plastic guard rails and rail cleats get in the way of two sets of track. I am considering constructing the entire deck from wood which will require a lot of work.
Just completed installing two new MP1 switch motors, from www.modelrailroadcontrolsystems.com, under the almost impossible to reach lower back mainline turnouts. I was able then to run the switch motors from the fascia with indicator LEDs and toggle SPDT switches. Since I have now figured out how I want the turnouts wired, I can move on to easier to reach other main line turnouts.