February 19, 2009

It took me several weeks of spare time to build the deck plate girder bridge shown in the next photo (see my construction article). It was holding up progress in this section of the layout. I still need to glue it down, but it will be permanently placed approximately where it is shown in the photo. I will then be able to continue by placing ties on the bridge.

February 24, 2009

Now that the bridge has been glued into its spot using 5-minute epoxy, I used that same glue to attach 10-foot long ties to the top of the bridge. These were spaced much closer than the regular ties, to better distribute the weight. I arrived at 10-foot long ties by estimating where the track will be and leaving enough clearance to accommodate the bridge guards. This bridge happens to be at a very tight curve, so the ties are probably a bit longer than the prototype would have them be. Also, the ties were attached perpendicular to the bridge, and they do not curve. The track, however, of course, will curve. This is how the real world deals with curved track on a bridge.

Here's a top-down view of the bridge.

As is obvious from these pictures, the ties for this half of the Shingiss area have been sanded and stained. Despite careful measuring, the bridge wound up being a bit too tall still. I sanded down the tops of the ties on the bridge to make up for that and still wind up with an even top for the rail to lay on.

For track outside my two towns, I want to slope the roadbed to mimic the prototype. I used a sharp blade in an X-acto knife and cut the ceiling tile subroadbed at as shallow of an angle as I could without damaging the ties. I finished the front edge, and, in the photo, I am doing the back edge. I will re-apply latex paint to the exposed ceiling tile next.

March 5, 2009

I completed the painting, ballasted the area, and laid the rail. The NW2 is testing the new bridge to see if it will hold the weight. Considering I spiked the rail (which exerted a lot of force on the bridge), I think the engineer has nothing to worry about.

The track work continues...

March 14, 2009

The trackwork on half of the Shingiss area has been completed.

March 22, 2009

It is now time to work on the second half of the Shingiss area. The next photo shows the ties down and the area ballasted.

March 27, 2009

This interesting shot shows why I designed the mainline track to make this S-curve; it makes for dramatic photos (especially later on when the scenery is in and the trains are running). The track work installed very quickly in this area. I have now completed all the easy trackwork on this layout. This gave me a chance to get up to speed on how to handlay code 83 track. From now on it is nothing but turnouts.

March 30, 2009

The Shingiss area is also home to the second of two bridges on the layout. After much debate (with myself), I decided to build another deck plate girder bridge. The prototype has a 100-foot straight truss bridge in this area, but that seemed out of place in my layout. I only have about a 40-foot span and the truss bridge would be overkill. Anyway, the first step was to cast another set of bridge abutments, paint them, and glue them down. Both abutments needed to be trimmed in the back because they are quite close to the back of the layout. The one on the left had to have a notch cut out to allow for the feeder wires that run from there to the right side of the module.

April 14, 2009

The second bridge has been installed in the Shingiss area. This is where the branch line crosses the Chartiers Creek again, right before entering Canonsburg, PA. Ties have been cut and installed. As a matter of fact, you can see ties down in the Canonsburg area as well.

April 27, 2009

The second bridge has had its ties stained and weathered. Also, the approaches have been ballasted.