Mark,
Pretty clever how you raise both bridges via the lift. Job well done!
Charlie
@Mark Boyce posted:I finally got both my lift up bridges working.
WOW!!! I'll say you did!!!!! Nice Work Mark! Very, Very NICE!
Awesome!
Now, how ya gonna handle the scenery? 
BTW, despite Atlas' advertising, the bridge is a Warren Truss. Here is a link to the Bridgehunter page on the actual prototype:
Impressive! Looking forward to the video of trains crossing the bridges, followed by the bridges lifting!
Very nice work, Mark, and I'll bet you aren't even from Georgia Tech!
Thank you Charlie, Dennis, Steve, Bob, John.
Mike gets credit for the plan. I'll bet he got his done in a whole less time than I did mine.
I think I may go back to calling both bridges simply truss bridges as I was before purchasing the Atlas truss bridge. Play it safe again. 
I am defiantly looking forward to seeing trains run through the bridges. .
John, the Ramblin Wreck from Georgia Tech? You are right, I am not.
Wow!!!! Aren't you the clever cleaver!!! Very nicely done bit of engineering, Mark!
Seriously - congratulations!!!
George
Thank you George!!
I forgot to address the comment about scenicing. I have ideas for part of it that will be very plausible. There still is some scenery ideas to work out
@Mark Boyce posted:John, the Ramblin Wreck from Georgia Tech? You are right, I am not.
Actually, I was referring to the Helluvan Engineer part
Mark, now that you have the bridges functioning I would suggest that you might employ a maintenance crew working in the vicinity. With some metal materials you could have a welder(s) and inspectors on the scene.
Like I said Mark, looks great! As for my bridge it took me quite a while to get everything figured out. Fires I tried weights and cables and that was a fail. Then I seen a actuator for a driveway gate and thought I can make that work! But it still took me a while!
Mark
If we had honorary rewards, I'd nominate you for Civil Engineering.
Thank you, John, Bob, Jay, Mike, Keith, Dave!
John, now I get it. I forgot Georgia Tech was known for engineering. If you had referred to Penn State, I may have gotten it.
Bob, I had looked at the bridge online and discounted it as a candidate since it was so long, but when I saw it at the show in Canfield, I changed my mind. Yes, it is impressive. It may overwhelm the small layout, but I just need to put in a lot of good scenes to give some balance.
Jay, I could have a maintenance crew installing the parts I got from Palallin to fix the top of the shorter bridge. That would be interesting.
Mike, I assumed you had to do some trial and error too. On the Eric Siegel video, his is a manual lift up, but he uses fishing line and weights under the layout to balance the 48-inch Atlas bridge when in the up position, though he did not show the weights under the layout. Here is the link to the video if anyone cares to look. Eric Siegel Lift Up
Keith, Now lets see if I can come up with all the wiring and contacts since my background is in electronics and network engineering. My whole 43-years of working was implementing ideas other more innovative engineers came up with, so it is a bit intimidating. I may have an Excedrin headache before it is all over.
That's awesome! And those bridges look so good together.
Mark if you still think you might need to purchase a set of high quality narrow profile hinges, I found these about a year ago for my swing up gate. These are Heavy Duty 316 Stainless Steel and mount with #10 screws. I chose them for both the narrow and compact dimension 1" wide by 4 " long total, so I could scenic around them without too much trouble.... plus they are serious heavy duty hinges with virtually no "slop".... Chris... Here's a link their web page for the marine grade strap hinges.
https://www.unicornstainless.c...vy-duty-strap-hinge/
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Thank you Bill and Chris.
Chris, those are nice hinges. Thank you for the link!!
Wonderful work Mark! I’m still lurking around, had some life stuff come up so train room has been on pause. I’m gonna look into your bridge some more, I want a lift up instead of lift out myself now haha.
@chris a posted:Mark if you still think you might need to purchase a set of high quality narrow profile hinges, I found these about a year ago for my swing up gate. These are Heavy Duty 316 Stainless Steel and mount with #10 screws. I chose them for both the narrow and compact dimension 1" wide by 4 " long total, so I could scenic around them without too much trouble.... plus they are serious heavy duty hinges with virtually no "slop".... Chris... Here's a link their web page for the marine grade strap hinges.
https://www.unicornstainless.c...vy-duty-strap-hinge/
Chris, great looking hinges but I am a little confused. I see the gap between the hinge blocks, the gaps between the bench top, but I do not see any gaps in any of the rails! You have to be best at hiding thing in plain sight! LOL
@Mark Boyce posted:I finally got both my lift up bridges working. I am following Mike g.'s design. I'm very thankful he shared drawings and photographs with me. I have not done any wiring yet. The linear actuator is powered by my old Lionel DC Type 0100 variable DC power supply I bought to run my HO train back in the late '60s. In the video I am holding the smart phone camera and controlling the supply so I don't crash into the ceiling. I have not turned the track power on since I started this project, so don't worry about crashing trains into the gorge.
I mounted the Atlas Pratt Truss bridge following a video by Eric Siegel from 2008. His was not motorized, but I used the same setup for the hinges and the alignment on the other end. I would have liked the piers for the Atlas Pratt Truss bridge to be not so hefty, but thought I should make them that way to give good support and make a logical base for the hinge mounts.
Next up will be wiring power, limit switches, and track power.
OMG Mark ! this is absolutely amazing !! Top notch excellent craftsmanship !!
Thanks, Alex
Mike G: Eagle Eye !!! No I haven't cut through the rails yet, so nothing is hiding. Just didn't want to deal with the control and wiring issues as I had been waiting year's to finish the main line and connect the upper and lower levels. Then before I got back to that "lift gate", project, other projects moved ahead on the priority list, Kadee coupler conversions, Union Station etc. etc. Fortunately I can still do the crawl under so it's not super urgent and it's not somewhere I need to get to unless something derails for now.
Checking in every now and then. Making great progress Mark.
Thank you Lance, Alex, Kevin.
Thank you Mike for the question and Chris for the answer. I had noticed the track also, but guessed it was to be cut later. I wasn't expecting it to be cut so much later, Chris.
Yesterday I worked some on the track approaching the bridges. I thought I had better do that before I put in the final alignments and contacts for track power. I still have some fitting and leveling to do, then I'll post some photographs.
Mark, I am so glad things are coming right along for you! Things sure are looking great! Sorry if I put you on the hot seat Chris!
Thank you very much, Mike!!
Here are some photographs of the track approaches to the two bridges. I'll keep an eye on them to see if I need to tweak any of them further. I wish I could get Superman to lend a hand with this construction, but all he does is stand in front of that British phone booth showing off!
This is the lower bridge that has the end pivot down into the layout. I think I did a halfway decent job getting the plywood and track cut at an angle. If I had known how I was going to do the bridges when I laid the tabletop, I would have cut it out all at once instead of trying to fit it all together later. This looks like a good place for some hefty bushes to hide the joint when the bridge is down.
Here is an overall view through the bridges. I am going to cover the two piers for the big Atlas bridge with a cut stone veneer of some sort. I think they will turn out pretty good.
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Yeah you guys are Brutal !! Just Kidding. 
@Mark Boyce posted:Thank you very much, Mike!!
Here are some photographs of the track approaches to the two bridges. I'll keep an eye on them to see if I need to tweak any of them further. I wish I could get Superman to lend a hand with this construction, but all he does is stand in front of that British phone booth showing off!
This is the lower bridge that has the end pivot down into the layout. I think I did a halfway decent job getting the plywood and track cut at an angle. If I had known how I was going to do the bridges when I laid the tabletop, I would have cut it out all at once instead of trying to fit it all together later. This looks like a good place for some hefty bushes to hide the joint when the bridge is down.
Here is an overall view through the bridges. I am going to cover the two piers for the big Atlas bridge with a cut stone veneer of some sort. I think they will turn out pretty good.
Well done, Mark!
Peter
Hey Chris, I am just trying to help Mark keep you on your toes! You know he has been a little busy! LOL
Mark, I think things are going to be just wonderful! As long as your happy with your layout then everyone should be happy for you!
@Putnam Division posted:Well done, Mark!
Peter
Thank you, Peter! It is my variation of the Geezer Gorge!!
@mike g. posted:Hey Chris, I am just trying to help Mark keep you on your toes! You know he has been a little busy! LOL
Mark, I think things are going to be just wonderful! As long as your happy with your layout then everyone should be happy for you!
Thank you, Mike!
Chris, you aren't the only one! Kevin had to whip me into shape today, and Bob had to yesterday! I think I am losing it!! All in friendly dialog! Thank you. 
Mark, as long as the knives are out - kind if curious as to why you are not using black pan head track screws to secure your track. I was using the silver flat head wood screws until I decided track screws work way better and are really hard to see. Sometimes I can't find them when I am trying to move track. Otherwise - nice work on the bridges. Any plans for detail on the rest of the layout? Jeff
Jeff, good question. I take it you are referring to the four screws near the two ends of the Atlas bridge. I had to drill down into the metal frame of the bridge, and the black screws didn't want to bite into the metal. I used these silver screws because I had them on hand, and I was able to get them to bite into the metal and hold the track. I'll paint them black when I go over and touch up some ties I nicked up. All the other track screws are black.
Thank you for asking. I don't have time now, but this is a great time to go over the scenic details. A lot of folks like you have joined in, and I have had some changes in my ideas since I last addressed that. I'll leave this up on the computer and get back to that in a day or so.
Extremely Impressive bridges!!! You have been doing some great work and it shows in all the detail and care taken.
Thank you, John! You are invited down to see it whenever you feel comfortable.
In answer to Jeff's request for more detail on how I plan to detail the rest of the layout, I'll post some photographs and write a few plans for each area.
Here is where I left off. The lower track has one siding off the bridge to the right and a passing siding to the left. Right now I have a freight station on the right siding, but I would like to put in a business to drop off my lumber loads. On the passing siding, I placed a station and originally had the switch tower by the switches where the Atlas bridge pier now is. I just set it up on the rerouted upper level for now. More on that for the next photograph. I also have an Atlas switch tower kit like the HO version I built when in my early teens. Time will tell where they will go.
Turning to the left, here is a before photograph of the view of the high line over the town. I never really liked this because the town was split, with some room for buildings between the trestle line and the asile and some between high line and low line.
Here is what it looks like right now. I would have to move the trestles back a little to accommodate the longer than planned Atlas bridge, and even though I proved to myself I could start my 054 curve right after the bridge like Palallin showed he did, the tracks would be right over the Woodland Scenics station with the lift off roof. I decided to try moving the trestle line over top of the passing siding for a few feet. I turned two trestles 90 degrees and made a platform between them to support the track. I will have room between lower tracks to do that until I curve the track towards the upper track in the background.
Placing the track over the passing siding allows for much more room for the town. The buildings or the street alignment isn't set by any means. I just moved them around this morning when I pulled out the trestles from their old positions. You can see beyond the tracks I have room for narrow buildings on the windowsill beyond the tracks. I like the placement of the new Menards church. You can see on the right the track hanging in space which is the other side of the raised trestle track. I thin the alignment will work out great, since I already have experience installing the piers and matching up the two curves.
The track to the rear is the beginning of the grade up Blackwater Canyon. I will be putting in a stream representing the Black Fork of the Cheat River. I will need to put in a girder bridge like on the prototype for the stream to go under. I may do it on both the high line in the foreground and the rear line. I still have to fasten the backdrop sections to the supports. I didn't do that earlier because I wanted to see how the scenery would match up.
The high line in the foreground is descending fast. The climb up the canyon is in the rear. I will have no buildings here, just trees, stream, and rocks.
Here is near the top of the canyon climb in the rear. The other line is near table height. The scenery treatment will be similar to the previous scene. The stream will duck under the high line between two of the supports. The passing siding starts on the higher line. In the foreground is a passing siding that was going to be for coal loads. I have to rework that, because the switch from the main line to it had to be removed fore placement of the lower bridge.
On the upper line, there is the wye to the two stall engine house by Carolina Craftsman Kits. I can store some engines there so I don't have to keep lifting them on and off the track. On the lower line there is a switch that ducks under the upper level to the short yard under the engine house. It is just for putting cars on and off the layout. Some Forum members suggested it. I had planned to have a town on the side of a hill like Thomas, West Virginia, but when I had the chance to get the Thomas engine house, that took some of the space. The HO house represents some houses. The power station backdrop needs positioned. I wanted a power station since I worked at the Mount Storm Power Station that is a few miles from Thomas on the same mountain. In the left foreground I will build up a place beside the upper tracks for the Carolina Craftsman Kits model of the Thomas West Virginia station that I bought and haven't started building.
Here we are outside the operating area for a better view of the engine house and yard. Also, the approaches to the bridges are off to the left. You can see on the lower level where I had to remove the switch to that siding to make room for the lower bridge. It was an 042 switch. I do not know if a sharper diverging curved switch would clear the supports for the upper level or not. I haven't put much effort into that. I just know there wasn't room to move the switch further along the track.
Well, there you have it. Any comments or questions are always welcome. Thank you for looking at the photo tour.
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Mark, that is an amazing amount of planning and work. It’s an intimidating effort. Thank you for sharing the details.
Mark, thanks for sharing the vision. Fun moving tracks after the fact, isn't it. Just a thought, would it make any sense to raise your town to the level of the trestle track? or maybe part way? Kind of hard to tell - with the piece of track ending where I think you had the Atlas bridge which you say will be connected to a rear track. (starting left of the window?)
Chicago has a bunch of places where a raised rail runs through city neighborhoods. Solid wall of material until you get to a major street where there was a viaduct. Talk about living on the other side of the tracks. This design effectively sealed off neighborhoods. To me trestles are for subways/ELs. In a couple of parts of the city, these former rights of way are now elevated strip parks.
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Mark, I think the layout is coming right along! Remember awhile back I said Slow and Easy. Well it still stands just take your time and enjoy the ride! One day you might think your done and all you will have is just time to sit back and run trains. Now how boring could that get! LOL
Great work Mark. Really enjoyed the most recent photos showing a wider view of your layout with the bridges and other work you have done. Hope to see videos of your trains traveling on your layout and especially throught he bridges soon.
Mark,
Really great job on the lift bridges. Definately a lot of thought and craftsmanship went into that setup! Very well executed! It was nice to see your layout overview and scenery plans as well. Everytime I see your layout it reminds me of driving on Interstate 68 through western Maryland from Cumberland to Morgantown, WV. I spent a lot of time looking at that scenery as that was my route to and from college. Keep up the great work!
Michael
Looks great!! Have you taken a victory lap?
@Tranquil Hollow RR posted:Mark, that is an amazing amount of planning and work. It’s an intimidating effort. Thank you for sharing the details.
"Ditto" (what jay Said) My new minimalist approach
Great work, Super planning Mark. thanks for taking the time for a tour. It's nice to go out for a bit- get some fresh air and view the Blackwater Canyon Line World. (POWERPLANT! WHOOP)
Thank you Jay, Jeff, Mike, Pennsynut, Michael, Bill, Scott.
Jeff, The idea was to have the track open underneath to see the scenes behind including the tracks. I did however mock up a raised foreground town to see how it might look. I used a bunch of Styrofoam from a former Christmas layout to give a rough idea. I also connected the last two pieces of track for the upper level balancing them on some temporary supports to show how that would look.
My personal opinion is that parts of the town could be raised a little, especially near the bridge pier, but I think it would make it harder to see the lower tracks in the background. I agree with your comment that raised track in towns make it seem like Chicago. Though I have never been to Chicago or any other cities that have that arrangement, I have seen enough on television and movies. I can think of one very small town near us that has a wooden trestle running right through the lower section of town. The Buffalo and Pittsburgh has tracks through Chicora, Pennsylvania that are on a hefty wooden trestle. Thank you for the ideas, they are always appreciated and worth further investigation.
Mike, thank you for the encouragement that there is no hurry on this. Have fun.
Pennsynut, once I get the short section of raised track supported and some power to the bridges, I will take a video.
Michael, I am very familiar with I-68 from Cumberland to Morgantown. We drove it a lot when we lived in Keyser, West Virginia, though we moved back to Pennsylvania in 1996. It sure doesn't seem even close to 25 years! Wow!
Bill, no victory lap yet, as I mentioned to Pennsynut.
Scott, Minimalist or Maximalist, either way your comments are always appreciated. I agree, I like a layout that has nice rural scenes better than big city scenes.
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@Mark Boyce posted:
My personal opinion is that parts of the town could be raised a little, especially near the bridge pier, but I think it would make it harder to see the lower tracks in the background. I agree with your comment that raised track in towns make it seem like Chicago. Though I have never been to Chicago or any other cities that have that arrangement, I have seen enough on television and movies. I can think of one very small town near us that has a wooden trestle running right through the lower section of town. The Buffalo and Pittsburgh has tracks through Chicora, Pennsylvania that are on a hefty wooden trestle. Thank you for the ideas, they are always appreciated and worth further investigation.
Mike, thank you for the encouragement that there is no hurry on this. Have fun.
Pennsynut, once I get the short section of raised track supported and some power to the bridges, I will take a video.
Michael, I am very familiar with I-68 from Cumberland to Morgantown. We drove it a lot when we lived in Keyser, West Virginia, though we moved back to Pennsylvania in 1996. It sure doesn't seem even close to 25 years! Wow!
Bill, no victory lap yet, as I mentioned to Pennsynut.
Scott, Minimalist or Maximalist, either way your comments are always appreciated. I agree, I like a layout that has nice rural scenes better than big city scenes.
Mark:
Your layout is really progressing wonderfully! Bravo!
Awesome! I made the mistake of showing this to my wife and son. My son loved it, of course. My wife just shook her head. LOL.
@Mark Boyce Very Nice !
I like this flat buildings (I don't know the name) so Where did you buy it from?
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Thank you Randy, Neophyte, Leandro!!
Neophyte, Yes if you haven't been in the hobby long, I would expect your wife would shake her head. I've been married for going on 37 years, and been in the hobby for over 50 years. My wife knew what she was getting when she married me. LOL I can imagine your son would think it is cool. I never tried making lift up bridges before. In my mid 60's I don't want to be ducking under a layout much longer.
Leandro, The two building flats came together in a package. I couldn't remember who made them, but I found them on line. They are Atlas O. Here is a link from the Walthers website. https://www.walthers.com/city-...-buildings-assembled I purchased them about 5 years ago from a Western Pennsylvania hobby shop that closed at the end of last year. There are a lot of more detailed building flats out there, but for background these are nice.
FABULOUS MARK! JUST, FABULOUS!@!
You are leaving me in the dust... pulling away faster than I can type!
Looks fantastic @Mark Boyce! Where did you find that holster for the DCS remote? Apologies if the question has been asked but there is so much to read here!
Thank you, Dennis, Chris!!
Dennis, I have noticed from following other modelers including you that we tend to see saw back and forth, like athletes or drivers in a long race one passing another as the marathon continues.
Chris, The question has not come up here before. In fact, you are the first to comment on them, though I only got them in January. The holsters are made by Forum member Ray (profile name sidehack). He 3D prints them for DCS, Legacy, and TMCC remotes, I don't know if he has ones for LionChief yet or not. His email address is in his profile. They are really sturdy, about 1/4" thick with countersunk mounting holes. I have one TMCC remote and two DCS remotes, so I got a holder for each remote from him. Very handy!!!
Well, I am going to pull out the buildings and foam from my town area, so I can finish getting that elevated track back in its new position. I'll post more photographs when I have something worth showing.
Absolutely epic. Especially the lead up to the lift bridge that tucks down into the table. Brilliant. I’m getting better at the construction part but I hit a brick wall when it comes to scenery so I really appreciate all the photos and ideas. Gives me hope. Your layout looks easily twice the size of mine which proves how important good scenery and use of space is.
Mark, excellent work with the bridges, and in general. Interesting to follow along and see what solutions you come up with for various issues. As always, well done and look forward to more progress.
Andy
Mark, I’m proud of the progress you’ve made with the cool lift bridges, very interesting, also they make a great focal point as well as an entrance to get into your layout. The motor sounds are neat and when you do the scenery, it’s gonna be awesome. Your layout is an educational process giving us great ideas for our home layouts. You have come so far and it just gets more interesting. One thing I’ve noticed is you can reach almost every area easily. Your buildings, flats next to the wall, backdrop pictures, are all making a statement, it’s coming together in grand fashion. Great work. To me building the layout is the fun part, getting to run trains is our reward. Keep the pictures coming. Happy Railroading Everyone
Thank you David, Andy, Larry!!
David, I would not have thought of making the bridge pivoting so one end goes down below the table top until I saw Mike g.'s lift up bridge. I do remember seeing others done that way in the past, but had forgotten until I saw Mike's video. As far as scenery goes, I think a backdrop does wonders before other scenery is added and ever after. Also placing some buildings on the layout works for scenic interest until more scenery is added. I also recall just adding foam landforms really adds a lot even if they are still pink or blue. All of that does make a layout look larger for sure.
Andy, you are so right, solutions for various issues are needed all through construction.
Larry, every part of the layout is within arm's reach except for about one square foot at the back leg of the wye where the peninsula leading to the bridges blocks access. I have a folding 3-foot long metal platform that has two steps up on either end that I pulled out of my dad's shop when we were getting ready to sell the place that allows me enough height to bend a bit and access that area. It is great for accessing my Ceiling Central Railroad as well. I got so much out of other modeler's topics about layout building that I wanted to do the same. Others learn from what I do, and I learn from others suggestions to what I post. Everyone wins!!
I have built all the supports for the realigned overhead track that I moved back towards the wall to accommodate the length of the Atlas bridge. It made the most sense to extend it overtop of the lower passing siding. That made for some interesting supports. I do not like the looks of a lot of these supports, but I have to keep in mind the who trestle system has only been intended to be temporary until I find something I really like. The 5 supports at the lowest end of the grade are just like the trestles are intended to be used. I did include the Western Maryland girder bridge on the extra straight section I was able to include. I like that part. The rest have the track just resting on top of the supports instead of being screwed down for now until I am satisfied with the alignment. Notice some of the supports use two trestles straddling the track with boards supporting the track. I tried cutting the 1/4" plywood like Bob did with his to support lengthwise, but it flexed too much for me. It is not lauan like Bob used, but I don't know what it is. It is really old stuff. I don't like the 3/4" thick boards, but when I cut pieces of the 1/4" plywood I have on hand, it really flexed with a heavy engine on top. I did cantilevered one board so I could put the station in place. I also cantilevered one other place because I ran out of trestles that are tall enough. I did push a passenger car through to check clearance, and we have plenty.
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Mark,
Good work here! You have completed the first step in elevation. Sometimes the practical has to come before the creative. I can't remember how many times I used a piece of plywood or a 2X4 as a bridge until I could decide what I actually wanted. As you see your trains passing over the elevated section you will be able to envision the possibilities. It could be a different type of pier, embankment, or a combination of both. I'm sure whatever you decide it will be great.
Dave
Holy Cow Mark - nice progress. Now all you need to do is raise the lower track and lower the upper track so you can see all the buildings. ; )
So I know the big silver Atlas bridge is in your lift our section. I thought I saw another black truss (I assume Atlas) in the background by the windows and now its gone.
Thank you Dave, Jeff!
Dave, you are so right. I will be looking at wood instead of scenery for years, but what fun is it to build it in a hurry?
Jeff, You take the high road, and I’ll take the low road, and I’ll be in Scotland before you. The black bridge ‘was’ a Menards. I set it in the corner to keep it safe from being damaged until I used it. I picked it up to move it and dropped it. With the metal base, it probably wouldn’t have had much damage, but it hit my light stand on the way down and flipped like buttered bread. The wood split into kindling. 😱
Mark, things are really looking good, I am with Dave. Get the trains running and then the light bulb will come on with your great idea of what you would really like to see there! Either way wonderful work!
Thank you, Mike!! That is what I am expecting will happen.
I still need to do all the wiring for the bridges. That is the next project.
@Mark Boyce Looks great !
Thank you, Leandro!!
Mark- looking good. I'm surprised the 1/4" ply flexed with an engine on it. I don't think I could bend a short piece of plywood if I tried. Mine are rock solid.
Bob
PS- happy 50 pages!
Bob, this stuff is weird. It real old. It has a thin layer of wood on each side, but the middle is some fibrous material. I think that’s the weak link. I need to find some new 1/4” stuff. I‘be had s pretty good run with old stuff, but Poor man’s layout materials don’t always work out! 😉
@Mark Boyce posted:Bob, this stuff is weird. It real old. It has a thin layer of wood on each side, but the middle is some fibrous material. I think that’s the weak link. I need to find some new 1/4” stuff. I‘be had s pretty good run with old stuff, but Poor man’s layout materials don’t always work out! 😉
post a picture of the stuff. I'm curious now. Home Depot sells 2X2 pieces of various ply's. Pretty cheap and easier than dealing with a full sheet.
Thank you, Bob. I’ll get a photograph later. Tomorrow we are driving halfway across the state to pick up our new rescue dog, since Annie died right before Christmas.
@Mark Boyce posted:Thank you, Bob. I’ll get a photograph later. Tomorrow we are driving halfway across the state to pick up our new rescue dog, since Annie died right before Christmas.
Wow, Mark. (This is your layout topic. I hope you find this post is appropriate.)
We feel for ya my friend. Losing Annie has to have been hard. We lost our lab, Bumper. of 15 years, the fall before COVID. She was a rescue and filled out lives with fun. Part Lab, part Boxer, All Heart. We have not found another to adopt into our family yet .
BUT, we get visits from Jade the "Therapy For the Soul Labrador". The kids got her 3 years ago and is always a welcome visitor. Makes for a LARGER Layout than "Norma-Bates-Kitteh or Sia-Ames-Kitteh", Jade makes a LARGER FOOTPRINT. <smile>
Safe Travels Mark. Please post a photo of your new family member! It will be great to have a helper for your layout. A great compliment to your bridges!
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Mark Boyce, driving hours to adopt a rescue, you are my hero !
Mark I hope you and Miss B. had a safe trip to get your new family member. I too would like to see a photo and agree with Keith your the man! But then again your always there to help out where you can!
@Mark Boyce posted:Thank you, Bob. I’ll get a photograph later. Tomorrow we are driving halfway across the state to pick up our new rescue dog, since Annie died right before Christmas.
Mark - post a picture!
Joe
I firmly believe rescues are the best. We have a lab that was shipped up from the floods in Houston a few years ago. Best dog ever.
Great job, Mark.......I just got caught up!
Peter
Thank you everyone! It is incredible how few little dogs are available from rescues in Western Pennsylvania. We drove to Carlisle to pick up Bentley. He is 5. His owner died and when her family went to clean out the house, they found him not knowing she had a dog. They don’t know how long he was by himself. The vet-rescue gave him the works vet care wise before they listed him. The rescue woman and her boyfriend drove from South Jersey to meat us. I am so thankful they offered to do that. As it was, We left home at 7:30 and got home at 6. He seems to like his new home.
it is incredible how much he looks like Annie who had cancer when this photograph was taken.
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@Mark Boyce posted:Thank you everyone! It is incredible how few little dogs are available from rescues in Western Pennsylvania. We drove to Carlisle to pick up Bentley. He is 5. His owner died and when her family went to clean out the house, they found him not knowing she had a dog. They don’t know how long he was by himself. The vet-rescue gave him the works vet care wise before they listed him. The rescue woman and her boyfriend drove from South Jersey to meat us. I am so thankful they offered to do that. As it was, We left home at 7:30 and got home at 6. He seems to like his new home.
Mark...why wouldn’t he...looks like you stopped at Pets-R-Us on the way home and filled your trunk with toys! Cute little guy...and worth the trip...🚂😉😺
Adopting an animal from a shelter may not change the world, but for that one animal their world will have changed forever. Thanks Mark, people like you and your wonderful wife renew my faith in mankind.
Mark, I am glad to see you and Miss. B made it home safe! Weather report says you guys are going to get cold again! Great looking little guy I am sure he is so excited to be with your family!
Mark, glad you had a safe, succesful trip today! What a cute pup! Bently will have a very good home and now you have another train buddy 😁. Congrats!
Michael
Paul, Keith, Mike, Michael, thank you!
Paul, Bentley came with a large tote bag full of food and toys. He also dug into the bin of Annie's toys that she didn't beat up before she passed on.
Keith, the rescue vet told my wife a lot of rescues would have put Bentley down after finding him afraid and malnourished. They nursed him back to health. They did a good thorough job of vetting us. We had email questionnaire, phone conversations, our references (vet and two vet techs who knew how we kept Annie going for 2 1/2 years with a form of cancer, and also a Facetime tour of our home and yard. They gave us a lot of information about Bentley, and thought we were a good fit since I am retired and my wife only works 2 days, we don't go away, we don't have any small children or other pets, we live in a quiet neighborhood. They did their best to get Bentley ready to have new owners and that they would be the best fit for him.
Mike, we had the Facetime home tour and discussion with the vet Saturday afternoon. The rescue woman who met us halfway said she had Sunday and next Saturday open. I was sunny but very windy so early morning glare and the wind was moving everyone's vehicles, but I thought it best to go Sunday than to risk bad weather next weekend. He fit right in. I couldn't sleep with my sciatic nerve, but I left him and Mrs. B asleep to try to shake off the pain. IT held out for the trip, and that is all that matters.
Michael, I introduced Bentley to the train room, but didn't start up a train. We want him to slowly get used to his new surroundings.
Congrats Mark. He looks right at home already. Sad how he was found but fortunately there are good people in the world to save our furry friends.
Bob
Thank you, Bob! He seems to be feeling at home already. Actually our last dog was a drop off along the road. We have no idea what her past was. We contacted the humane society and no one claimed her, so we had 11 good years with her. The dog before her was from an advertisement in the paper of a family who bought a dog, but their 2-year old wasn't responding well, so they wanted to find a good home for him. That was the most gentle dog I have ever seen. We had 14 good years with him.
Wow! I just noticed we are on page 50!! Thank you everyone who has contributed.
Bob, here is the 1/4” plywood. It is old and brittle on the outside layers. The inside layer shows up here.
Maybe it needs more layers to stiffen it or it lost something with age.
Friday evening I screwed down all the track except the straight section that I have the metal base from the destroyed Menards bridge as a base. I need to cut it to length and am thinking of using the sides of the two through girder bridges over the street running away from the viewer. Another option I thought of is using the two girder bridges as is with a pier in the middle and have one traffic lane on either side of the pier. I either need another pier or use the long piece of metal to span the gap.
Here are a couple shots of a train on the upper level with a different building arrangement. That is the heaviest engine I have, and the track didn't give at all.
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Mark,
May I suggest that you cut the track on an angle so that the gaps are staggered so that the wheels will not hit the gaps all at the same time. May make for a smoother transition.
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Fun to watch the progress and adjustments! I also saw your very neat wiring on one of the March 8th posted pics. Very nicely done!
Looking good Mark! Have you been able to run the trains over your lift bridge sections yet? If so how did that go?
@Mark Boyce posted:Wow! I just noticed we are on page 50!! Thank you everyone who has contributed.
Bob, here is the 1/4” plywood. It is old and brittle on the outside layers. The inside layer shows up here.
Maybe it needs more layers to stiffen it or it lost something with age.
Mark- it's possible that what you have is supposed to bend. Flexible laminates and veneers have been around for a long time. Cabinet makers use it all the time for rounded case work.
https://www.columbiaforestprod...ius-bending-plywood/
Looks like you solved the problem and things are looking good.
Bob
@mike g. posted:Looking good Mark! Have you been able to run the trains over your lift bridge sections yet? If so how did that go?
Mark, Mark, Mark, What day is it... What DAY is it!? You have leaped (lept? ) Light years and you share your time with so many as well.
I think we could start a board ( MARCH MADNESS ) call it "MARK BRIDGE MADNESS".
I, for one, am one of those carpet-layout-guys that puts little TIMEX on the rails to test out the track. Sooooo, If you wish to have a "Little Engine that Could" test the bridge, Ill box 'er up and mail her EXPRESS!
BUT, you are a great modeller and builder, and my simple goals and guidelines might seem flippant and childish.. So, We await, with baited breath, to view the operation and running-of-the-trains-over your bridges. and I will pick, hmmmm, April First, on the board. (All $ will be donated to good cause...) <grin>
Mark, we are all pulling for you, and Timex, is at the ready. <salute>
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Thank you Cape Cod Northern, Dan, Mike, Bob, Scott!!!
Wow, I never thought of staggering the rail joints like that. That would make a smoother transition!
Dan, Thank you. I learned neat wiring working for the power company on the controls in substations. Believe it or not, this wiring on the layout is not nearly as neat as they required. Then the second half of my working days, I went to the telecom. In the central offices the wiring was pretty neat, but what was out at business customers was sloppy.
Mike, I have not run any trains across the bridges yet. I haven't gotten a lot of time for the layout this last week, and when I did, I was working on realigning the raised tracks. I still have to put in the power connections for the bridges and isolate the tracks leading up to an open bridge. I forgot about that when I was doing initial wiring. I find myself getting ahead of my self more as I get older. 
Bob, I'll bet you are right that this material was meant to be flexible. I salvaged it from my mother-in-law's basement, and she has only been there 5 years. It's hard to saw what the previous owner had in mind.
Scott, You are correct. I replied to Mike that I have been slow, but in reality I have made a lot of progress even though sometimes it is one step forward, two steps back. LOL Do you call that little engine TIMEX because it just keeps on ticking? I actually have a couple engines that I run when testing something out in case there is a major snafu that I didn't notice. Thank you for the offer. Don't sell yourself short. I was running O gauge trains on the floor when I first got them. Our daughters were both at home, or at least their stuff was at home, because they were both in college. I had already sold all my HO after deciding I couldn't see it as well as I once had and had given up on building a layout since we are in a small house. I felt like when I first got my first HO set in the late '60s and my Mum would make me pick up the track so she could sweep, although my wife is much easier to get along with than Mum.
"MARK BRIDGE MADNESS" Madness is the word! LOL April first. That sounds like a reasonable date. My late father-in-law's birthday! If we can do it, I'll make it in honor of Rex; a great guy who the Lord saw fit to take home earlier than we mortals would have wished.
I am working with Jeff (Scouting Dad) with some good ideas he has on scenicing the town around this raised track area. I report in on that when I think it's time.
Great Work and fabulous progress. You are doing such a good job of meeting obstacles and turning them into features. Love it!
Mark, looking good and I have a suggestion about the plywood. Baltic birch is very stiff as well as pre finished plywood. I have some 1/4” and it is very rigid. Another alternative is MDF. Easy to shape and cut. Sorry to hear about your dog passing, but glad you’re new addition is settling in.
Andy
Thank you, John and Andy!
Yes there are obstacles at every turn it seems. I don’t know how anyone could plan for all of them ahead of time. One way or another they need addressed.
Baltic birch seems to be the answer for layouts whether thin or thick. Thank you!
Thank you about the dogs Andy. Here is Bentley. He comes to investigate every time he hears a noise from the train room. At 5, he still has a lot of spunk and energy.
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Hey Mark, nice dog. Yeah, dog almost always investigate noises unless they already know exactly what it is. Good to see progress coming along, been gone way to long(me I mean). See what's cooking soon I guess.
Glad to see you back, Dave! Yes he is investigating everything. It is interesting to watch after many years with the same dog. I’m hoping he will like the train room.
Bentley looks like a great dog Mark. He seems happy in his new home.
Andy
Morning Mark, sure looks like you might just have a building inspector on your hands there! This time its a good thing cause he will keep you company! I hope you and Bentley along with Mrs B have a great Sunday!
Thank you Andy and Mike! Bentley has made himself at home from the start! We are learning his quirks from being a rescue dog. He is certainly a Mama's boy, but is very inquisitive about everything either of us do. Yes Mike, he certainly acts like a building inspector. He was very interested in seeing me operate the linear actuator and seeing the bridges go up and down as I was adjusting the tracks that meet the high bridge. He also likes to look out the sliding glass door in the train room, and then I have to stop and let him out to investigator the back yard and it's residents. Yesterday it was squirrels. This morning it was a rabbit. I picked him up to show him the layout too. It is amazing he looks like a thin Annie with a longer tail and slightly longer legs.
That is so great Mark! Lucky all 3 of you! You and your wife have a great new friend!
Here it is! May we have a drum roll please! First two runs over the lift up bridges. Yes I got the contacts in to power the bridges when down. There is still more to do, but...I had to post these tonight-check that, this morning.
One of three Premier H9 Consolidations that I have pulling a short coal train.
Congratulations, Mark..........a great moment and a tribute to your skill and perseverance!
It looks great and runs smooth!
I also loved the glance at the wall where your York badge is hanging "ready for October". (mine's in my car in the pocket behind the driver's seat )
Congrats and good luck for future success in this great layout!
Peter
Thank you, Peter. I think perseverance more than skill. LOL Yes the York badge has been hanging there waiting, waiting, waiting 😀
Looks Great Mark!!! Fantastic progress on your layout.
Bob
That’s an impressive accomplishment Mark. So, now onto the next project!
