I measured a nice 1x3 here and it measures almost exactly the size needed. Cross your fingers as I clamp it on tomorrow, if not, hopefully some other lumber will fit if the first board doesn't.
Built a new module for a friend, and now I’m working on the center pier support. I made a quick 3D model of one, but the nozzle of the printer got clogged so it didn’t finish the print. Hopefully there will be a pier on the printer in the morning. Double with the 2 bridges. Failed print of the test pier. Not sure what the final pier will look like, I need my friend’s input to create that.
Are those standard Unitrack sections on the bridges, like they use on viaducts? If so, you may be able to replace the bridge's 186mm Unitrack piece, plus the plus the 62mm Unitrack piece just off the end of the bridge, with a single 248mm Unitrack piece, to tie it all together "more better." I plan to do this in a spot on my "Spaghetti & Western" layout-waiting-to-be-built, but with a single-track viaduct section.
I thought the same thing when I was planning on the track, but the mounting holes for the rails do not line up in any way or form, and I didn't want to trust glue on a traveling module. This will work. I got the abutments printed and they line up good, so those will be used, but the center pier didn't quite come out right, I need to enlarge the top to hold the entire bridge. Pics to come a bit later.
For my 2000th post I am here to deliver an update to the T-Trak bridge module I am helping a friend build. So the last post had a failure of the pier support for the center span, but the next one wasn’t a complete success. It was torpedo snapped all the way to the top but the bridge didn’t sit completely on it so I had to redesign it. The module’s owner was watching me build the model in TinkerCad and liked how it was shaping up and had me stop before my idea was finished, but his idea looks pretty good so we printed it. We also got the abutments finished. Today when he comes over we are going to secure the abutments, center pier and screw the track down. Here is the first pier design. It was just supposed to be a temporary design to get us by but the modules owner really liked the design so we are keeping it. Here is the revised pier with better supports for the bridge. I was going to add bevels all around but the module’s owner liked it at this stage so here it stayed. And a simple concrete abutment as ordered.
Our neighbors came over to watch the Eclipse with us and while here I asked him if he had a table saw. He did, so I went to get some wood to run through to the 5/8" width I needed. Out of habit, I went and measured once again...I don't know how I mis-measured the other night [it was late for me, I admit], but it is far larger than I thought. No cutting needed. So I came in and started playing with the module and have some plans for it. If you remember John Allen's famous Enginehouse on the Gorre & Daphetid, I am going to go for that flavor on the module. It will get Regular flextrack to the Enginehouse [the Unitrack was pulled up a while ago] and possibly a turnout, since it is a inactive bit of scenery, I will look for a used/dead one to go in there.
Okay waiting on the power feeds to arrive so I can anchor the mains down, but I did get the decorative tracks to the enginehouse tacked down. They will get a brown ballast to make a visual separation between the lines. My goal is to capture the feeling of the Gorre & Daphetid's original enginehouse [yes the one with the #13 dinosaur switcher ].
Got some paint on the module today and will drill for the power feeds tomorrow [yup remembering BWWB]. I have a Woddland Scenics Gas Station on the way https://woodlandscenics.woodlandscenics.com/show/item/PF5203 and planning on using it in the Inner curve part using the trackage as a guide for the street. Going to go with solidly built buildings as this will see travel to and from shows.
Very nice! For the less capable modelers among us (myself included,) WS offers a built-up version of the same gas station base model (decorated a little differently.) Have you thought about building an adjacent (equally non-standard) straight module that provides mainline access to the engine house tracks? Also, are the front/side feet for this module located at their standard positions, relative to the standard tracks, such that the module could sit on a table with the extended side overhanging the edge/end of the table?
Yes, I am considering building a matching module for the forward scenery area, which would not only give access to the engine house, but also the road on the inner section of scenery for a town. The feet will NOT fit on the standard table as is. I am waiting til the new Unitrack is finished drying [latex caulk under it] and will then measure for wiring clearance. Then I will add a cross board under it and glue some 2x2 pieces for the new feet locations. A minor annoyance, but not disastrous.
Oh, and BWWB wiring installed, holes drilled under the roadbed and some latex caulk to hold the trackage in place.
That's kind of a confusing photo... both rail ends of the same track end don't have unijoiners, powered or not. And typically module-end unijoiners are NOT powered, because they are most likely to become damaged or worn out, and need replacement. Best to supply power to internal track joints on a module, or directly to the rails themselves, away from the end pieces. A unijoiner is also installed on only one rail of each track end, with the other rail's unijoiner provided by the mating track piece. The complementary color wired unijoiner is usually on the other end of the track piece, and/or on the mating track piece end. That said, the pic shown is a good way to verify the rail polarity of the track wiring for each track, simply by plugging both track's wiring connector into a Y cable (unpowered) and verifying the white and blue wires are not shorted together. Why BWWB was chosen for using a line of track that includes crossovers is beyond me, but another windmill to tilt at, on a differ
Andy, my apologies for the very confusing photo. It is actually a picture of the center of the sections, not the end! It was taken just to show the BWWB wiring and is now quite happily ensconced in the center of the curve.
Took the heavy book off the module today and the adhesive held perfectly. Unfortunately I mounted the curve the wrong direction! At least the secondary [engine house] trackage was just held down by wire brads, so they were quickly pulled up and switched. Yeesh, Murphy was an optimist...
Yeah, the visual differences between left and right-hand double-track transition curves are very subtle! Note: Some corner modules are designed to potentially be used with an adjacent corner module, to make a 180 degree end-cap. In those cases, the two modules' adjacent transition curves are often replaced with a fully super-elevated 45 degree curved piece (which bridges the boundary between the modules.) In that case, it is best to not permanently mount the transition curves to the corner module bases. Your mileage may vary Closed course, professional driver Objects in mirror are closer than they appear Don't feed the bears Don't pet the bison Don't look into the laser with your other eye Yadda, yadda, yadda.
Well, my Gas station arrived today and it should look just right for this module. The road will run in front of the station and between the car dealer, following the basic curve and then creating an older town vibe on the planned connecting module, where the town faced the tracks of the local railroad.
