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Model train lift bridge

Paul’s been back in touch with his model train lift bridge:

Not long he sent in pics of his Chickadee Hollow railroad. You can see it here if you want to get up to speed.

This time, Paul walks us through his clever removable bridge:

“Al,

This concept shown can be adapted to any type of bridge that you want to be removable, yet adjustable, while providing access to your layout.

The first photo is the bridge shown on my layout that is the subject.

The second photo shows the mechanical items that make it work.

I used 1/4 -20 flat head bolts that I cut a slot in the end for a screwdriver.

Also shown is a 1/4-20 T-nut and one of the bolts shows a 10 mm super magnet which was superglued onto the head. This is typical to all the bolts in the system.

The 2nd photo is #2779. Various photos show the slot cut in the end of the bolts. Before gluing the magnets onto the bolts file the top of the heads so that they are very flat.

Various photos showing the underside of the bridge and the relationship of the mechanical & electrical components.

The photos below show the electrical contacts with a 10mm super magnet glued to the flexible copper strip which automatically adjusts to provide a good electrical connection.

This also shows the wires which go to the tracks and to the power source. Obviously you need one for positive and one for negative.

The stationary contact is a steel angle with the copper wrapped around it. This provides the stable contact and also the steel to which the magnet is attracted.

These photos show the underside of the bridge with a thin washer glued to the wood to provide something for the magnet to grab. You can use any steel or iron that you have but it must be flat. This has to be located wherever a magnet must attach.

Also note the structure of the vertical lift mechanism. I chose to use 2 screws so that I could a adjust tilt if necessary. The lateral adjusting screws are attached to the movable structure, in this case the bridge itself. Use T nuts for the internal threads where needed. I also glued the T nuts in place.

These photos show the stationary contact which is a steel angle with the copper contact bent around and glued to it.

Also shown is the Atlas rerailer track used to assure that the train wheels align properly. These rerailers are used at both the entry and exit from the bridge and also on the stable layout entry and exit points.

If you decide to use this method on your layout you should design it so that the adjustment points, both laterally and vertically allow both positive and negative adjustments. What I mean by this is that the adjustment screw placement should allow the track to go beyond the ideal position both vertically and horizontally.

Also I used the magnets instead of just bare screws to provide control of the positions by keeping everything pulled together.

A big thanks to Paul for taking the time to send in his model train lift bridge. Clever stuff.

Now on to Gary who has come up with an interesting effect:

“Tunnels made from roofing foam and pillow stuffing.

Gary”

That’s all for today folks.

Please do keep ’em coming.

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

Best

PS Latest ebay cheat sheet is here.

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

Model trains Carson City -Steve’s

Model train Carson City – what? Well that’s the great thing about this hobby. You can pick any theme you like.

And you can base it loosely on that theme, or copy every detail.

And that’s exactly what Steve has done:

“Hi Al.

Thanks for all your posts and suggestions. It has helped tremendously as I knew very little about modeling and have a long was to go still.

I started this train project just over three years ago knowing my only grandson was on his way. He’s now an excellent “three year old railroader”.

It’s loosely modeled after Nevada’s Carson City-Virginia City trains during the booming 1800’s Comstock area.

I grew up in that area in the 1960’s. A tourist train still runs between the two communities.

Steve”

“Alastair,

Thanks for all you do for the model railroad community. When I decided to try my hand at doing a video of my layout, I bought a GoPro Hero. I cut the sides of a low gondola to fit the camera and it worked well, first picture.

I then bought a Mobius camera that had a flat bottom and no means of mounting on a tripod, so I cut a piece of wood to fit the gondola. I painted the wood and put Velcro on the wood and on the flat bottom of the camera, second picture.

As soon as I finish painting my background, I will make a video using both cameras to see how they compare.

Bob, Newport News, Virginia”

A big thanks to Steve – course, I’m biased, but there are no better retirement projects, and remember, they can be on any theme you like. If that turns out to be Model trains Carson City, they that’s absolutely fine.

And thanks to Bob too, I’m looking forward to seeing that first cab ride video.

That’s all for today.

Please keep ’em coming.

And don’t forget the Beginner’s Guide is here if you want to stop dreaming and start doing.

Remember, it’s the start that stops most people.

Best

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

N scale EZ track layout

John’s been in touch with his N scale EZ track layout:

“Right now my life is in transition.

Like many, I’m forced me to reassess my priorities.

In the reassessment, I purchased a new home in Nevada where I am building my minimum gauge outdoor railroad.

I am still working in Southern California 400 miles from my Nevada home. That commute is a killer!

To keep myself occupied, I decided to build my last Southern California layout.

The layout had to be small as my relocation and retirement are about three months away.

At first I was going to build a copy of a layout I built for my son some 25 years ago. That ship was scuttled by a multitude of misfortunes. In my frustrations I remembered a saying I learned some 40 years ago “Blessed are they that go in circles for one day they shall be called wheels.”

Quickly I grabbed my Bible to see if this could be found in the Beatitudes. No Luck.

After much research I found these words of wisdom came from Rodney Roundbottom.

Rodney was well named, he was born early in the 12th century on an morning in March, March 14th. As a bit of a Dionysian Epicure, Rodney was nearly as large at the equator as he was at the the poles.

For his size, Rodney fought well and became one of the lesser known knights of the round table, Sir Compherance of Pye.

It was shortly after joining the Knights that he uttered what proved to be a fate filled phrase “Blessed are they that go in circles…”. It seems that a couple of his better known compatriots took stock of his words (rumor has it they took a fence or two as well).

It was concluded that his observation was a slight against them and their endless discussions. They had Sir Compherance thrown in a punitentury, pilloried, and removed from the lists.

In honor of Rodney Roundbottom, my new layout is “Pizza Pye”

As one looks at my little layout one should notice that when it came to track, I took the EZ way out.

This track design was called a “Pizza” by the late Carl Arndt. It is a true micro-layout by his definition in that it fits in a four square foot space. The term “pizza” refers to the fact it is round like a pie and looks like it could fit in a pizza box.