It's frustrating-----

[XavierJ123]

I am reading the book "Model Railroading with John Allen"and want to learn how he built the stone and timber viaduct on the first G & D. I have found a book on how to build the timber bridge but nothing on the stone viaduct which has four graceful arches. It's frustrating because I have searched high and low on the web. Any help or links would be appreciated. If John wrote any articles on how he built his structures, I can't find them.

 

[neilmunck]

I can't tell you how HE built it but the book "Scenery for Model Railroads" by Bill McClanahan has a section on donig it.

Much of the masonry in John's later work was done by carving plaster (e.g. the photo on the front cover). That bridge was done quite early so he might have used a different method.

I would do it by making a core from hardbord or thin plywood (with, say, cardboard on the inside of the arches) then coat in plaster or Polyfiller and carve when dry but not totally solid. I have heard that hydrocal is a lot tougher to carve.

If you look at the photo on page 50 it looks like the arch at hte right is made of cardboard that has had card "stones" glued on but i don't think it is as nice as the other end.

Actually looking at more photos i think you caould make it from contoured plastic or card (you can get sheets of plastic formed like faced stone like that). You would have to carve some of the stones (keystones etc) from plastic but the bulk of the tedious work would be done for you.

Just my thoughts.
Neil

 

[XavierJ123]

Scenery for Model Railroads by Bill McClanahan

I have the Bill McClanahan book and on page 48 he shows how he placed the arch bridge; fig 5-19, it appears to be one piece like a tunnel portal. Then right inside the front cover is a beautiful full page shot of the finished scene. It appears to be a three dimensional stone viaduct. It must be a plastic kit as the author said that the bridge was made as a separate project.

 

[neilmunck]

It might be but at that time (1967) there weren't many kits of anything other than rolling stock so it wouldn't surprise me if it were carved linoleum instead. That bridge is by Linn Westcott by the way.