Bridge Improvements

After looking at a video that showed the bridge over the Potawatomi River, I decided that the model that I built and posted earlier needed some improvement. This is especially true since an operator can see the track in the bridge.

Originally I had just placed some flex track in the bridge and though it served its purpose quite well, it did not look complete.

I took the bridge out and replaced the track with full span stained railway ties which I glued in with Gorilla brand ACC. Next I laid in some rail and looked at it.

Because the bridge is plastic and the plate under the ties is brass, there was no way I could spike the ties down. I was simply going to glue the rails down then I remembered tie plates. A one point I had some of Simon Parent’s excellent etched phosphor bronze tie plates but of course I could not find them anywhere. I contacted Simon and he still had some so I ordered a number of sheets know that I would probably need them for the turntables. They come on a full sheet and need to be cut out. First however, you have to spray some 3M 77 glue on the back, let it dry, then cut them from the fret and bend the tabs which fit over the ties. The tie plates have fine spike heads etched into them. You slide them on the rail and the spike heads keep them on the rail. Position the tie plates so that when the rail is put in place over the ties that they slip over the ties. This is a bit finicky but eventually it gets done. Patience is a virtue here.

Then after the rails/ties are gauged and installed, you heat the top of the rails with a soldering iron tip that has the solder cleaned off. This melts the spray glue and fasten the tie plates to the tops of the ties and secure the track to the ties.

After the ballast is applied, I will add the guard rails. There were 3 of them for some reason. Next up doing the Owen Sound RCA building.