Lionel's Extended Truss Bridge

As far as I know it has not arrived stateside. I ordered one with that very intention.

If anyone has other information, please post it. Thanks

Mike

You mean the BRIDGE I have an open hole in my layout for... for over 6 months. 

Yes I have about given up... 

J Daddy posted:

You mean the BRIDGE I have an open hole in my layout for... for over 6 months. 

Yes I have about given up... 

Yep, that's the one. 

Mike

Oh, you guys are right...I checked Charles Ro site and its scheduled for June 2016. I'll probably have to build something myself.

Now due in October.

At York I talked to Mike R. after I noted the bridges were displayed on a working layout there.

He said there was a problem with the electrical contacts not being robust enough. So there was a change to the tool that will delay these again... But the the good news is they will be right.

So the bridge track will  pick up the track power without having to wire it? I was wondering about that. Don't know if I should wait for delivery or order an MTH double track arched bridge. I guess Lionel will not be making a double track extended truss bridge. Sigh, it is such a nice looking design.

I waited and waited... finally bought 4  MTH single track truss bridges and offset  them...

Very nice! I like it!

I finally cancelled my preorder and made my own. I'll post photos soon. 

Mike

Paul, I am interested in this bridge because it would be used as a lift out section on my new layout. I use Gar Graves and would rather stay with that then mix and match. So until I can found out if Gar Graves will work on the bridge itself my project is on hold...........Paul

I really like the look of the whole thing, especially the abutments. Does anyone know the product number?

Rod

The bridge number is 6-82110...........Paul

Paul Kallus posted:

 I'll probably have to build something myself.

....which is exactly what I did.....but not because of the delays in this new truss bridge.  I built my layout a few years ago and had two tracks to 'leap' across a doorway to a storeroom.  I used the Lionel Bascule Bridge for one, the Lift Bridge for the other.  But since they were not long enough to do the job themselves, they were built into lift-out sections including short track pieces at either end.  Actually, the storeroom has bi-fold louvered doors that open inward, presenting no interference to the bridges.  So, if we (wife and/or I) are feeling flexible enough on a given day, and MUST access the seasonal items in the storeroom, we'll do the 'layout limbo' rather than remove the bridges. 

All in all, it's worked well...and exercise and an excellent chiropractor have maintained our flexibility adequately! (Besides, there's too much under-the-table electrical work to be done as things change/progress to yield to age!!!)

FWIW, always...

KD

Hey everyone,

I ended up making a lift-out bridge from scratch. It is fully operational and works great. I just have to paint the girders - which are strictly cosmetic.

Hey Paul....how does the bridge track connect to the other track?  It looks good.

I am also waiting for that Lionel bridge.  Hopefully it is no later than October.

Rick

Really nice job Paul!! Where did you get the girders??

Sorry to ask again, but does anyone know if the new Lionel extended truss bridge picks picks up electrical contact directly from rail to rail contact or is wiring required from the layout track to the bridge track? I don't think the catalog mentions this.

luvtrains posted:

Sorry to ask again, but does anyone know if the new Lionel extended truss bridge picks picks up electrical contact directly from rail to rail contact or is wiring required from the layout track to the bridge track? I don't think the catalog mentions this.

The end of the rails sit on the piers where there are electrical contacts for power pickup. This is how it was done the last time they used this bridge tooling.

Just for another option; here are two 50" long 2 track drop-in bridges I recently made for our train show layout, to interconnect adjoining sets of members modules. They utilize the upper sections of MTH 30" 2 track arch truss bridges and 10" girder truss bridges, fastened to made up boxes consisting of 1/2" plywood upper and 2 x 2 side runners, all painted satin black. The lower portions of al bridges (which would normally support the track) is not used.

These are designed to quickly drop in and connect modules that are 48" apart nominally. They overhang 1" on either end. You could adjust them to suit most any spacing from 30" up, and they could also be made single track width. As is, they will accommodate any track spacing up to 4-1/2" C-C.

Rod

Anyone know if the Lionel bridge is longer than the Atlas? Don

I think the Lionel one is 30" long and the Atlas is 40".

The clearance between the abutments with the bridge out would be a little less; maybe 27" or 28".

Rod

Hey guys,

The bridge I made lifts up and out - thus it doesn't connect to the "mainland" track - there's about a 1/16" gap. Electrical connection to the bridge tracks is made via plugs underneath the bridge - wired up thru and soldered to bridge tracks. 

The girders are from Lionel's Right of Way bridge kit, available on secondary markets.

BTW: My bridge is just over 36" long ~ the Lionel bride is only around 30" which would have necessitated me narrowing the walkway. My bridge is very strong - double layers of 3/4" plywood.

Paul Kallus posted:

Hey everyone,

I ended up making a lift-out bridge from scratch. It is fully operational and works great. I just have to paint the girders - which are strictly cosmetic.

I've always envisioned something like that being controlled by a horizontal bar across the door to prevent people from opening and walking in through the tracks.  to enter you need to rotate the bar, which would rotate the bridge up and out of the way.