My First Bridge

Very nice bridge! 

Great work.

Really nice bridge!

Good bridge.  Great set of photos showing how you made it.  Thank you!

Very nice bridge; looking forward to future updates.

Also, thanks for taking the time to photograph, describe, and post your project.

I really like the way you thought out the design and implemented the construction.  What did you use for the supports that extend from the bottom of the deck to the arches?  It looks like metal fence.  Very creative.

Well done arch bridge & photos to show us this project. Like your clamping process.

Very nice work!

Here's the prototype: Washington Bridge.

---PCJ, still in 'Da Bronx.

Very nice looking.

Great looking bridge...............paul

I Like it!

-Pete

PJB:

Great job on your bridge! You've captured the essence of your prototype in grand fashion. I'll have to check out more about the cast resin foam you used for the stonework.

Neil

NOW! That's some bridge... Great job

Thanks for posting

Really coming along nicely. Can't wait to see the final result. 

Great work. Love the bridge.

That looks really good. Thank you for taking the time to share the photos and write up on how you did it. I really get motivated by seeing other people's creativity. 

There is a big difference between "great" and "perfect". Nothing in the real world is perfect, so perfection in modeling shouldn't (IMO) be a goal. The imperfections in a well-done scratch build project are exactly what makes it better than a "perfect" store-bought alternative. Your project may not be "perfect", but it is certainly great!

You have done a great service in showing what can be accomplished with a little effort and care. Awesome project.  Congratulations!

Great looking bridge!  Thanks for all the super step by step pictures, it really helps us understand and appreciate it.  Also the prototype picture shows how well you have recreated it.  Very nice job!

Art

Looks great!!! Thanks for sharing!

I think it can handle two big boys and maybe Six more BB's on top of it,  that is a well built bridge!

Excellent work - I really like the bridge. 

That came out nicely, looks like quite a layout you are working on too. Great project for you and the 2 boys. I hope they continue their interest as it looks like they have a lot to be interested in there.

Nice bridge. Great project to have your sons involved in. Experiences for life. My son is studying engineering in college now and he recently told me that all the projects we did in his youth (many of which he was disinterested in at the time) have really paid off in an understanding of how things work. 

Great work, the bridge looks spectacular!  It's a great project for you and your boys to work on together....

Well done Paul. There's a future in bridge construction for you. 

Don

i thought i recognized that bridge...  there is such an abundance of amazing infrastructure in this nyc metro area. unless one pays attention to it, most people just pass it and dont take notice. you should attempt the high bridge viaduct next !

Impressive!  Nice job PJB. 

Thanks for sharing.

Great work!!! Very impressed! 
Love the detail!

Looks better with more cables, IMO.

Very well done. No one would know it was your first bridge project if you didn't mention it.

Don

Explain again, please how you constructed the arches. I need to get more quick clamps looking at the number you used. Really nice bridge!

As an update:

I decided to add more vertical steel cables (need to fix that one rogue steel cable that unglued itself - you can see it in the close up shot) Not a lot more work and I think it gives the bridge more of the feel of the prototype. Actually only did the front 2 rows of cable because, visually, that's about as far as I needed to go to create the illusion that the whole bridge has all that cable work. Especially because the bridge will be at the rear corner of the layout.

And I've now dry-run fit it where it will go once completed. It fits perfectly in terms of connection points to roadbed on both sides and height (phew!). And I dry-run assembled the Bridgeboss El train structure in that area too to see how it looks all together. Overall I think it's really starting to have that large architertural structure "cluttered" NYC look and feel to it, so I'm pleased so far. Just got in the gooseneck lampposts so looking forward to installing them next.

i dont mean to steer away from the bridge, but can you tell me something about those subway el trestles? are they all scratchbuilt?

thanks

Wish I had more photos of how I built the arches. Probably TMI, but here is the basic step-by-step of start-to-finish on the arches getting built and added:

• I measured the distance I needed between the stone uprights and also the height from the stone outcroppings on the uprights (on which the arch framework sits) up to the underside of the road. 
• I used these dimensions to draw a rectangular shape on masonite. 
• I free-hand drew the arch shape on a piece of paper and then folded it in half to ensure it was sort of accurate - and then cut it out.   
• I taped together 4 pieces of masonite, with the hand-drawn paper diagram of the arch taped on top. 
• I used my jigsaw to free-hand cut the 4 taped together masonite sheets so that I had 4 identical masonite arches.  
• I measured the distance of the top and bottom of one of the arches to determine actual length of the inner and outer curve.
• I did the math to determine the right interval for equal spacing of each little vertical beam on the front of the arch. I also did the math to determine the point on the top and bottom of the arch so that each little vertical beams would be perfectly vertical respective to its placement.  I marked these spots with a pencil.
• I cut freakishly thin pieces or cardboard for the vertical beams.  I glued (Loctite) them onto the arch front.
• I gessoed the entire front to ensure a uniform finish across cardboard and masonite (and to fill in any minor gaps).
• I cut 2 thin strips of masonite and glued (Elmer's) them to the top and bottom of one of the arches, with the strips being flush with the back side of the arch (strip overhangs only on front side of the arch). 
• I clamped the whole thing together for several hours.
• I spray painted the whole thing (and the other 3 arches) repeatedly - till the color seemed right.  First, lightly with metallic silver and then with light blue.
• I cut 3 strips of 1/4" luan plywood to the width of the towers and then measured 4 equidistant points on the luan strips so all arches would be identically spaced from each other.    
• I glued the four arches to those three pieces of luan (one piece of luan at the bottom of each side of the arches, the other at dead-center top of the 4 arches).    
• I glued the arch structure to the uprights, and clamped the bottom of each side of to the uprights.

Hope this helps!

Peter

Originally Posted by PJB:

As an update:

I decided to add more vertical steel cables (need to fix that one rogue steel cable that unglued itself - you can see it in the close up shot) Not a lot more work and I think it gives the bridge more of the feel of the prototype. Actually only did the front 2 rows of cable because, visually, that's about as far as I needed to go to create the illusion that the whole bridge has all that cable work. Especially because the bridge will be at the rear corner of the layout.

And I've now dry-run fit it where it will go once completed. It fits perfectly in terms of connection points to roadbed on both sides and height (phew!). And I dry-run assembled the Bridgeboss El train structure in that area too to see how it looks all together. Overall I think it's really starting to have that large architertural structure "cluttered" NYC look and feel to it, so I'm pleased so far. Just got in the gooseneck lampposts so looking forward to installing them next.

i dont mean to steer away from the bridge, but can you tell me something about those subway el trestles? are they all scratchbuilt?

thanks

No prob.  I thought I mentioned that the EL structure is from Bridgeboss.  Jim is a great guy to work with and I highly recommend his EL structures.