Looking For a Design For a Bridge With A Wye.

Take a look at Keddie Wye.

https://www.google.com/search?...biw=1280&bih=657

Keddie would be my choice as well.

Thanks Bob, pretty cool design.

If I keep the section as a drop-down, I think I may need a "Truss" bridge of some kind.  At least that's what I just saw on Google.  Here's an old Seaboard bridge:

but I need one that'll serve the Wye trackage.

you have a drop down so how wide is the aisle when drop down is in down position? 

reason I ask you will have to allow for height of bridge to see if it hinders easy access past it as all it will take is one wrong move and you will have a gomez adams incident.

personally I would make the drop down a fashioned girder bridge that way area is still open fully to access layout and girder bridge is protected.

$oo

I doubt you'll find a bridge like the above Seaboard bridge that will serve a wye. They are not designed to support a wide span on one end like you have.

Funny you should ask (and a good reminder).

The present drop down is longer than it is to the floor, so it sits at an angle when resting on the floor (I've stubbed my toe a couple of times already).

If I build a truss with the ends angled like the Seaboard bridge, it may not interfere anymore than it does now.  What I mean is the structure (sitting at an angle) might not stick out into the walkway any farther than it does now.  I could build a mockup and see, it would be better to tear up a cardboard mockup than a nice, finished model.

I'll post a photo of the present area shortly.

Here's what it looks like:

If you look closely, you can see a black line on the surface where I'm considering cutting to make it more narrow.  That will give me the 18" on the hinged "Wye" end and 6" on the single track end.

There's enough floor space for me to get by, if I watch where I'm going and I'm awake

Have you considered hinging it so it lifts up instead?

+1 to Tr18's reply. Hinge UP instead of down. Then even if you use/ build bridges, they will be out of the aisle.

This is the Panhandle Wye bridge outside of Pittsburgh.  It shows a non-level entry and exit.  This is a steel plate girder bridge which you could strengthen with cut plywood and have a base for simulating the girder network. 

Have you considered hinging it so it lifts up instead?

 

John,  I just went up and measured it and if I hinge it upward it'll still stick out, but only about half as much (the pitch of the roof is in the way of it going up any higher).

Of course it I hinge it upward, the bridge will be on the back side, away from the aisle.  Something to consider!

I want to build a bridge to replace it and want something a bit more pleasing to the eye.  I'm sure there's prototypical bridges that were built to incorporate a similar track arrangement, just can't find one to look at.

 

Any ideas???

here is the wye in tyrone, Pa just off the PRR 4 track main line!

so you just have to decide which is better; trip or hit your head

You have an interesting design challenge. The first thing that came to mind after seeing the Keddie Wye was a Drop Valley Lift Out.

A Tom Tee design: 

Doesn't that stone bridge across the Susquehanna on the old Pennsy out of Harrisburg

wye on the south/west side?  There must be a zillion photos of that.

On the south/west side of the Rockville bridge separate tracks enter the bridge from the Pittsburgh division (2) and Enola yard (1).  On the north/east side separate tracks enter from Harrisburg (2) and the Buffalo line (1).  Crossovers on the bridge allow movement across the tracks.  There are no actual wyes, although the approach track configurations might give the impression that there are wyes.

Poppyl

Hi Bob,

If you dont mind a suggestion.  I would trace  out a piece of good ply wood the exact template of the track , then add an 1 1/4 to both sides (or whatever anticipated overhang for engines) before cutting. Then use girders to hide the plywood and support from the side view and have it drop right in.

girder plates.

 Girders on 4 sides

 you could attach fake supports from underneath an maybe even a piece of foam to the bottom of the fake supports to make it look like its being supported  depending on the look you want or hassle.

Patrick,

Thanks for the suggestion   that idea sounds great.

With the opening 38" wide, that would make the bridge 152' long, not quite the length of 4 40' boxcars.  The longest engine I have is a 2-8-2 which is just under 24" with tender.  A 1/2"-3/4" piece of plywood with side bracing would certainly handle the job and with 4 girder side plates it should look airy enough yet strong enough to look normal.  The present drop down is made from 1/4" plywood and 1x3 pine and uses 2 door hinges.  I could move the hinges so that each one would be directly under each piece of track.

I wouldn't even use any hinges, just have it drop straight down into place , notch the bench at the 3 landing areas so it drops in  like a piece of a jig saw puzzle. Each of the three ends should run 3-4 inches longer than the width of the opening.

I think the girders scenic express has are 2 ft long.

If you have room to store it, this solution takes care of the swing down/swing up clearance issues. (Swing up usually protects the scenery better from the non graceful large humans)

How will you power the track?

And does it carry power to the other side?

As for support, 1" x 1" x .125" aluminum angle underneath should take care of any load flex or potential warp in the wood.

Don't forget Harpers Ferry:

I know there's probably better photos out there, but this is what I've got.

We have a bridge that may suit your requirements, I call it my "Sleek" model. It is very heavy duty using 1/2 Baltic Birch plywood throughout. It can basically be made as wide as required and of course any colors of your choice.

tks.

jim r

Thanks again folks!

My old drop-down had a liftout, about 7 feet long and shaped like a "T", where this new one is now:

When I re-designed the layout and added the Wye, the span got shorter because it's more straight across the opening than it used to be.

The old liftout was powered with a female/male plug so I could unplug it and lift, the new drop-down has 2 wires going from it to the mainline and a loop at the end so there's no strain on the wire.

That Harper Ferry's bridge is a nice one with the Truss bridge structure, which was what I was thinking about.

Jim, your Bridgeboss looks great!  Can the length be varied as well?

I'm pretty good with my hands (dad was a carpenter) so I'm leaning toward building my own, just don't know if I want wood, structural steel, or concrete finish yet.

This will probably be my winter project, the present drop-down works very well, jsut doesn't look like it should.

Look at the photos in this post for a straight lift-out bridge, the locking pins and the landing structure.
https://ogrforum.com/t...76#21280719139741876

Should help with some ideas.

I was looking for that thread and you beat me to it.

I just returned from the McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park over in Scottsdale and they have an iron version of this type of bridge that can be raised/lowered quite easily. I believe it was made by Eaglewings Iron Craft of Phoenix and it really works well. It's all wired to cut power to stop trains approaching the bridge when raised, etc.