Garden Railway Forum

Sadly my original, long-standing, trellis-derived bridge was on its last legs, getting a bit wobbly and has been replaced by this sturdy, if preposterously over-engineered, effort.

It’s cobbled together largely from leftover bits of wood I had in the shed (though I had to get some additional strip) so it wasn’t too much of an investment.

But, as always, I glanced at my drawing and measurements and launched into a frenzy of sawing, drilling, glueing and screwing without thinking it through - and found halfway through the first side that I couldn’t get the strip to bend and hold as I’d intended. Too late to soak it in the bath, or whatever you’re supposed to do, by then, of course.

So I didn’t quite get the curve* I was hoping for - but it’s not remotely to scale, clearly, so perhaps it doesn’t really matter. It’s all a bit ham-fisted but appears quite imposing, I like to think and is certainly ‘robust’.

I ought to have learnt not to be quite so impatient. But I haven’t. I make a mistake like this every time I make something: it’s a different mistake each time but it’s always because I get impatient, busk it or ignore the drawing I did six months previously.

Looking at the pictures, the screw heads seem disturbingly prominent too and demand to be disguised - in the flesh I don’t think they’re so noticeable. And I’ve used the same ‘Garden Shades’ Battleship Grey so it’s perfectly coordinated with the outdoor furniture.

*Battledown Flyover, obviously

Very nice. The curve looks just right to me.

Rik

For someone who claims to not think things through I think that you have done remarkably well. OK, you can see the screw heads but who cares, it's your railway and from a normal viewing distance I bet that you don't notice them. Don't forget in a few months time when it has begun to weather they will be even more indistinct.

You can see pop rivet heads on most metal bridges so it doesn't matter, I like it and that colour will weather well.

Thank you. A pleasing aspect of the previous wooden bridge, which I never painted, was how the colour faded and it grew a thin cover of lichen / moss / mould (or whatever it is). It was up for 15 years at least, however.

I remember reading years ago the suggestion to paint with yoghurt, the various large rocks that I distributed around the track, to encourage such growths - which I did and it certainly seems to have worked. I might experiment with a bit of that again.

I like how it's turned out. I wouldn't have noticed the screw heads if you hadn't mentioned it. They can always be disguised with some plasticine, then painted over.

I have a couple of wagons being built. No drawings or measurements to work from. Just comparing them to existing rolling stock to get the proportions about right! Your approach has worked for you.

Ian

That is a mighty fine bridge and I also think the screwheads aren't that obvious. It is easy to be self-critical, if they really upset you slap some filler over them as previously suggested.

bazzer42 wrote: ↑Wed Aug 08, 2018 1:06 pm ...if they really upset you slap some filler over them as previously suggested

Yeah. Of course.

I didn't think about it until I saw the photographs, then: "Blimey! Look at those naff screw heads!".
Have to say, it doesn't really bother me now.

Thank you (all) for encouraging me to keep some sort of perspective.

Nice bridge. If I'd built it I would be well pleased with meself!
Don't worry about screw heads. With any luck they'll rust and leave realistic rusty streaks on the bridge.