Bascule Bridge Between Tables

My favorite, and only surviving accessory from my layout 20 years ago is a bascule bridge.  Bought it at Goodwill and restored it (rust off, paint on).  It still works great!  But, yes, every time I've put it on a layout (3 times now), had to do some aligning.  Screwing the base down is a must first step.  You need to make sure it and the track on the other end are well aligned and leave about a 1/16th inch or a little less gap between the end of the bridge rails and the receiving track rail ends.  The bridge will rest on the pins, and needs just a bit of clearance from the track so it doesn't bind.  Then, gently spread the rails on the end of the bridge so that they aren't catching on the pins.  Not too much though, or you'll have clearance issues with the wheels on the outer rails.  Lastly, I put a little grease on the pins and bottom of the bridge rails.  That gets mine working smooth!

I also suggest adjusting the spring tension (there's a screw going up from beneath the base for this) such that the motor has as little work to do as possible.  It should just barely lay down on the track pins.  If you tighten too much, the spring will actually keep the bridge partially raised.  This not only helps save the motor and gears, it also helps the motor overcome any little friction between the bridge rail ends and the pins they rest on.

Hope this helps!

Sorry, I just realized your bridge is not the Postwar version.  I am not familiar with the newer one, but I expect some of what I mentioned may still apply.

Hi if you don't know what you're doing and take the motor and gear mechanism apart which could need grease or is binding you might make it to stop working I know someone that try to repair his bascule bridge apart and was never able to get it working again!

Alan

@Burl posted:

My favorite, and only surviving accessory from my layout 20 years ago is a bascule bridge.  Bought it at Goodwill and restored it (rust off, paint on).  It still works great!  But, yes, every time I've put it on a layout (3 times now), had to do some aligning.  Screwing the base down is a must first step.  You need to make sure it and the track on the other end are well aligned and leave about a 1/16th inch or a little less gap between the end of the bridge rails and the receiving track rail ends.  The bridge will rest on the pins, and needs just a bit of clearance from the track so it doesn't bind.  Then, gently spread the rails on the end of the bridge so that they aren't catching on the pins.  Not too much though, or you'll have clearance issues with the wheels on the outer rails.  Lastly, I put a little grease on the pins and bottom of the bridge rails.  That gets mine working smooth!

I also suggest adjusting the spring tension (there's a screw going up from beneath the base for this) such that the motor has as little work to do as possible.  It should just barely lay down on the track pins.  If you tighten too much, the spring will actually keep the bridge partially raised.  This not only helps save the motor and gears, it also helps the motor overcome any little friction between the bridge rail ends and the pins they rest on.

Hope this helps!

Good morning Burl and fellow Forum friends,

Burl, your advice worked. Greasing the track pins and slightly spreading a tiny bit more the rail ends (which come a bit spread apart) on the bridge arm, worked. I also put a dab of grease on those rail ends.

I have not yet screwed down the main part of the bridge (where the motor is) and the adjoining track onto the train tables, but will probably do that later. Sometimes I like to leave a little bit of wiggle room for my track.

IMO, the kind of practical advice Burl provided is one of the best things about the Forum. Such tips and tricks are not typically included in the instructions and owner's manuals the we get from the manufacturers. These tips and and tricks come from fellow hobbyists who have experience with the item, had a similar problem and very cleverly solved it.

Thanks again, Burl!

Arnold

Now the bascule bridge works flawlessly with no binding. I put in one scew to hold down the adjoining track with the pins that the bridge arm lands on. That, coupled with greasing of those track pins and slightly widening the sides of the rails that land on the track pins when the bridge descends, did the trick.

Arnold

How ‘bout some footage of this working bascule bridge?
we all really  enjoy your cinematography!

Here you go Leroof:

Arnold

Arnold:

I once had two Lionel Bascule Bridges, and my plan was to place them across a gap between two adjacent platforms on a modular layout of a then-emerging local train club. I envisioned a jackknife pattern with the two bridges facing each other and spanning a 22-inch gap that separated two adjacent platforms. The bridge ends would rest on a center pier arising from a faux riverbed below. It looked good on paper, but ...

There were alignment problems, just like your situation. During a mock-up installation, the bridge ends always needed some nudging to engage the track pins on the center pier when closing.  The BIG problem -- the bases of the Bascule Bridges were screwed to two adjacent platforms, and getting them STABLE, LEVEL, and ALIGNED to each other was a geometry challenge  that would stymie MIT grads.  Further, since the two platforms rested on their own legs, we had to level-up the bolts on four legs. Any movement of the platforms (a small nudge, even the passing of trains) required yet another adjustment -- ad infinitum.

If the train club occupied its own building, we could have bolted the modular platform legs to the floor for stability. However, the club  was "homeless;" we set up the O-gauge modular layout in community venues.  We gave up on the idea and set the jackknife Bascule Bridge project aside. Subsequently the club dissolved, so that project  was a dream that died a quiet death.

Mike Mottler     LCCA 12394

Mike, when building a pair of abutments I make a sub assembly out of a two side panels of 3/4" plywood.

This is the best example of guaranteeing a solid connection between both ends IME.

This can also be accomplished in a curve:

Arnold, that’s cool man! Thx!

only thing better is a in person demonstration!
happy you are expanding. Very exciting!

One of the issues A bridge to span unconnected tables is the slight settlement in your floor, expansion and contraction of wood supports due to temperature and humidity in your room.

That is why I keep all my movable bridges in a closed position and try to connect the tables  in some way as TOM shows above.

And provide as big a gap as the trains can tolerate.

Arnold, I do not have a bascule bridge so forgive me if this question is obvious to those that do have one.  In your video I see a black rail on either side of the bridge spans the gap and remains in place when the bridge goes up.  In the video it looks as if these ails move vertically as the bridge starts rising and finishes lowering.  I even believe there is an audible sound when the bridge settles.  Do these black rails serve as a limit switch to stop the bridge motor when closed?

Coach Joe, the bascule bridge is very new to me and my knowledge about it is limited to the instructions that came with it and the very helpful advice I got on this thread.

I don't believe the 2 black rails are supposed to move. I looked at the above video that I posted on this thread showing the bridge rise and lower, and it doesn't appear to me that the black rails move.

I have loosely screwed down the black rails into the plywood boards, which helped stabilize the accessory, keep it level and get it to run better.

I'm not sure, but I don't think the black rails serve as a limit switch.

It would be interesting to hear from others, who have greater experience with the bridge than me, give their input regarding the issues you raise. Arnold

I had one of these long time ago.  The black frame holds a short piece of track which aligns/secures the bridge when it is down.

If you want to negatively affect the resale of the bridge you can cobble the assembly so as to not use the black frame but you will need to have an absolutely  secure abutment on both ends.

The Lionel bascule bridges look much better when the frame is removed.  When the frame  is left in place it looks total hokie in my mind.

I partly agree with Tom, only because a boat or other object would hit the black frame when passing through the gap when the bridge arm is up.

But, IMO, in the make believe world of toys, we can use our imaginations and pretend the black frame is not there. Its black color makes it less obvious that it is there. Arnold