Post by dylanviey on Apr 26, 2010 10:18:51 GMT -5
I decided to build a log trestle out of just stuff i have laying around. I'm going to try to make it so it will cost me absolutely no money to make. This is not going to be based on any prototype it's only based on the knowledge that some logging company used untreated logs to build some of their trestle for their logging lines. I'm building this for my layout just because i like how it looks and the fact that it won't cost me anything to make.
I'm starting out with a box of scrap track and found 2 decent pieces of track in it.
I then cut out those struts between the railroad ties.
i then remove the ties from one being careful not to break the molded railroad spikes on them. You can see what I'm trying to do at the top of the photo.
i then crimp them on to the other piece of track. (but not glue them yet.) That causes the tabs that held the track to the ties to get squashed down in a way that you can easily remove it from the tie with a knife.
Now i glue them with a little CA between the railroad ties making sure they have a close fit.
I then painted all the ties "railroad tie brown" and shaved the molded railroad spikes on the inside rail of the track. (at this point the CA should be holding the track together.)
I then took the rails from the other piece of track and turned them in to check rails for the new bridge.
I then paint the rails and molded spikes "rail brown"
I then start tacking the track down the the sticks that i gathered from out side. The sticks are from a type of maple and i feel the bark looks pretty realistic to scale. Or at lease close enough.
Note that i shaved the top of the stick down a bit so the track will sit more flush with the stick. I used the straightest 2 sticks i could fine. But they still weren't perfect and had a slight bend in it. So i broke it then glued it back together to make it perfectly straight. The way i broke it the bark covers up the crack and you can't really tell that i finish putting it together.
From this point on I'm still experimenting on ways to build the trusses. Since I'm not using all uniform pieces a jig is out of the question. i have to hand build each piece and make sure the bridge is level. I've seen them laid in a sorta log cabin style and built in a more classic trestle strut style.
If it become to hard to make them in the classic trestle style I'm going to just do the log cabin style and lay them on their side building a column of logs supporting the track.
I'm starting out with a box of scrap track and found 2 decent pieces of track in it.
I then cut out those struts between the railroad ties.
i then remove the ties from one being careful not to break the molded railroad spikes on them. You can see what I'm trying to do at the top of the photo.
i then crimp them on to the other piece of track. (but not glue them yet.) That causes the tabs that held the track to the ties to get squashed down in a way that you can easily remove it from the tie with a knife.
Now i glue them with a little CA between the railroad ties making sure they have a close fit.
I then painted all the ties "railroad tie brown" and shaved the molded railroad spikes on the inside rail of the track. (at this point the CA should be holding the track together.)
I then took the rails from the other piece of track and turned them in to check rails for the new bridge.
I then paint the rails and molded spikes "rail brown"
I then start tacking the track down the the sticks that i gathered from out side. The sticks are from a type of maple and i feel the bark looks pretty realistic to scale. Or at lease close enough.
Note that i shaved the top of the stick down a bit so the track will sit more flush with the stick. I used the straightest 2 sticks i could fine. But they still weren't perfect and had a slight bend in it. So i broke it then glued it back together to make it perfectly straight. The way i broke it the bark covers up the crack and you can't really tell that i finish putting it together.
From this point on I'm still experimenting on ways to build the trusses. Since I'm not using all uniform pieces a jig is out of the question. i have to hand build each piece and make sure the bridge is level. I've seen them laid in a sorta log cabin style and built in a more classic trestle strut style.
If it become to hard to make them in the classic trestle style I'm going to just do the log cabin style and lay them on their side building a column of logs supporting the track.
....where do I see the pictures?
