Hello Everybody
Well it has been 2 weeks since I last posted (it feels much longer) and I have had very little time to work on the viaduct until the last few days. The kids are all playing sports and other projects besides my railroad have held my interest (is that possible?). All in all I think it was good to take a break from this layout and turn my attention to other things. It cleared my mind and allowed me to re-focus on the fun!
Decisions....decisions....decisions:
My 210' kit will not fit on the 20" curve without shortening the three 50' sections (I guess we all kinda knew that).
Problem 1...I want to span my river completely without having to land a support tower in the middle of it.
Problem 2...cutting the longer girder sections means either significantly shortening the length of the entire viaduct or buying more tower pieces (I have no modeling scraps to pilfer). I refuse to spend any more money on this bridge and I don't want to shorten it.
So in the end, I decided to go against prototype and curve the girders (please don't hurt me)sign1
I think the finished product will, at the very least, be aesthetically pleasing, if not "structurally sound". What I did do, was use the lateral and x-bracing that came with the kit, so from the bottom the viaduct would not loose it's intended substantial look. That of course meant a lot of cutting and fitting.:cry: I have assembled the girder sections and the tower sections..I just need to attach them to each other and of course glue the track down later and paint.
So here's some pics:
I made a simple jig to help me keep the correct curve:
I want it known that we did not paint that back wall! It was like that when we moved in!
Well, there you have it...I think it will be all right.
I'll keep workin' on it!:thumb: :thumb: