Andrew’s girder bridge

“Hi Al. I been trying to weather this old locomotive. Im new at weathering and need lot’s to learn. So only way is try it and then ask other’s for there opinion .

I did a brown acrylic crafter’s paint along time ago and found it was t0o brown. This is my learning stage of weathering. I noticed how coffee get’s when you leave a little on the bottom of your cup and air evaporates the water. The coffee thicken’s to a nasty brown sludge. I painted coffee in different area’s of the locomotive . Place’s where rust or corrosion would take more of a hold. Then I let dry and added more cold coffee to the same spot’s.

The coffee started to sort of layer on it. Then I took crushed brown chalk and went over all the area’s . I will add moss and such to crack’s and corner’s dirt as well. I will paint the wheels black as pure iron doesn’t rust like the rest. The locomotive will be set in a diorama of a swamp and very wet scene and almost sunk in it.

So just wanted your opion and if you think other’s would like to see and give there’s as well. It be a learning thing from other’s who know how to do weathering. so go ahead and put on the net. Unless you think it’s to crappy a job wont hurt my feeling’s. thank’s Al.

Kim”

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“Hi Al

Do you remember the BIC razor Bridge some month ago? Well I though as I wanted to do an up and down rail I would redesign the Bridge, so I scratch built a new Bridge, as I was a Royal Engineer and put my skills to work.

It’s a fairly big Bridge, spanning 100mm width and Heigh with a massive 1 meter length.

So here are my pictures to show all. Can’t wait to redesign my layout now!

Andy”

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Excellent pics from Andrew – enjoyed that. Looking forward to seeing it on his layout too.

That’s all for today folks.

Please do keep ’em coming.

And if today is the day you get started on your layout, the Beginner’s Guide is here.

Best

Al

PS Latest ebay cheat sheet is here.

PPS More HO scale train layouts here if that’s your thing.





22 Responses to Andrew’s girder bridge

  1. Andre Scholtz says:

    This is the first time I respond to anything previously posted here but I MUST comment on the weathering of the loco by Kim. I think it is brilliant, especially in view of where he intends to place it. WELL DONE!

    Andre

  2. Brian Messenger says:

    Now there is a rust job to the ‘T’ Well done, a man after my own heart with an excellent weathering job. Brian

  3. Stephen Kurtz says:

    That bridge looks great! The intersecting joints look perfect. Keep up the great work. I look forward to seeing the bridge finding a home on your layout. SMK

  4. wow…weathering the Loco with coffee!!! and chalk….how koool is dat?and that looks absolutely great!!…Starbucks would be proud hahahah!!…
    good idea and now you’re not a ‘novice weatherer’ anymore….!!
    the wooden scratch-built bridge is priceless…it huge and I dint get to see the ‘bic razor’ bridge yet…..sooo
    keep ’em runnin’ fellas

  5. John Seale says:

    on the rust…i live in the Rust Belt…near Detroit…ur right, i just look at the real thing. no better teacher than our own eyes; as an artist (BFA) i like to add contrast, like u mentioned with moss…here we can just get “crud from the skies..” or pollution from cars, coal power plants…awful to breathe…can cause asthma. i really am astounded by your success with this Reading Railroad Mikado (?)…coffee stains never go away…brilliant ideas

  6. paul Otway says:

    That old locomotive looks like it belongs in the scrapyard, but it looks good.

    I never thought of using coffee.

    Excellent girder bridge.

    Regards Paul

  7. wayne says:

    Gidday Al
    Redesigning my ( new) layout, somewhere I saw preset plastic radii geometry for use with flexi-track, they are for all track geometry (Colour coded) and fit between rails, bur can’t rfemember what site it was on (UK/Continental/American?). They cover the actual (Std Radii) Curves and the ‘lead-in’ from a straight track.
    Just wondering if anybody has any ideas?
    Wayne McClelland – NZA Down under

  8. Ross Johnston says:

    Great bridge!!! Looks realistic and to scale. Can’t wait to see it on your layout. Cheers

  9. Paul says:

    I think the rusty hulk of the Loco is really superb, well done for that, Coffee eh!

  10. Chris Goodman says:

    Great bridge. I recently built a similar bridge 2 metres long in 1:24 scale. I suggest you could remove the last horizontal vertical members at each end of the bridge to be more prototypical. Look forward to weeing the bridge on your railway.

  11. builder Kim says:

    That’s a nice bridge . Very well done going to look fantastic on your layout. Love to see more pic’s of your layout. thanks

  12. Gene pinson says:

    wayne Mcclelland:
    It seems ur trying to find a radius for flex track ? u can use a string and a pencil to draw a radius of ur choosing.

  13. Gerald says:

    Great bridge but I really love the rusted locomotive. Will look great in a static display.

  14. Robert F. Brown says:

    I’m really liking that bridge! Very nicely done!

  15. Robert Brady says:

    Kim, Not a fan of weathering but considering where it will go to rest i applaud you!

    Now the bridge. Did you scale the tracks,Looks like they’re too close together.Can two loco’s pass one another without touching?Will you be painting or weathering? And is your intentions to make it look like iron girders or an old wooden truss bridge?
    The critic

  16. Clark Ward says:

    Nice rust work!! I would never have thought to try coffee!

    And that bridge! Most impressive.

  17. Colin Edinburgh says:

    Kim. A great first attempt at weathering. I would suggest that no matter how long locos have been standing outside no matter where they are going to be stored long term they do weather but always retain some of their original finish. It could be the cab sides the main frame etc. It looks like you have covered everything in a rust coat. I do not think this would happen in reality. Even locos left outside in the uk for 40 to 50 years in all weathers do not completely end up rust covered there is always some of the original finish remaining. Just a point you make like to consider on your next weathering project.
    Andy bridge looks good. Are you proposing for it to unsupported over its metre length. I only ask as I doubt that a full scale bridge of this design would be capable of being constructed. without intermediate supports. Even then irt would have massive steel beams or box girders underneath to support not just its weight but the weight of the trains passing over it.

  18. Robert D. Bouskill says:

    I am assuming your bridge is HO scale so in reality it would be three hundred and twenty feet long. The bending moments for a wood structure would be too great for a bridge this long. Some hobby shops sell structural shapes so i would buy them and make the bridge have some arch design. In high school in the sixties I took strength of materials. It is interesting to study properties of materials under stress. It will help your railroad look more realistic.

  19. John Floyd says:

    Your trestle bridge looks awesome!!

  20. Malcolm hodgson says:

    Wayne, check out Tracksetta on the Gaugemaster website. I think these are the sort of templates you are looking for.

    Mal.

  21. Mark T. Pianka says:

    Kim outstanding job!!! Will have to save this, and give it a try,, Again Well Done!!

  22. Mr Ron from So Mississippi says:

    What kind of wood did you use for your bridge?

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