Cat Demolishes Bridge on the FBGR

FBGR · Post by **FBGR** » Thu Dec 15, 2011 7:44 pm

Last week a neighbour’s cat broke a bridge on the FBGR.

: Bridge Cat Damage.jpg (230.86 KiB) Viewed 4153 times

The Cat had been observed for some time using the bridge deck as a jumping-off-point to climb over the back fence, but no damage had been noticed previously.

The Bridge girders were made of Plasticard which were mounted on abutments constructed of small pieces of slate cemented together to form the walls. The track is a dead-end at this point, and I was hoping to be able one day to either paint or clad the fence in order to give the impression that the line went off into a wooded valley.

The Bridge has been in position for about four years without any maintenance, and I was using it as a bit of an experiment to see how well the painted Plasticard would last – rain, snow, frost and sunlight were the perils that I thought would be it’s demise – but not a local moggie.

The damage does not look repairable, and anyway a simple like-for-like replacement is unlikely to be ‘cat-proof’.

JOhn

SLRmidge · Post by **SLRmidge** » Thu Dec 15, 2011 11:25 pm

Its a catastrophe!

METHSSNIFFER · Post by **METHSSNIFFER** » Fri Dec 16, 2011 12:25 am

How about placing a mirror on the fence and use the undamaged bridge side to replace the damaged one and the mirror would distract the cat as well as increasing the depth of field

Mrs F Controller · Post by **Mrs F Controller** » Fri Dec 16, 2011 10:20 pm

Well, this is obviously the catalyst you need to do something else with it!

Sir Clothem Cap · Post by **Sir Clothem Cap** » Sat Dec 17, 2011 10:18 am

Get the fleecy bunnys to patrol more it keeps cats off the line but they can do damage too.
I wish I had video when my bunnys attacked the passengers but it would be too devastating for people to watch.

I think most railways suffer from prowling moggies but I don't know of a cure.

Pretoria · Post by **Pretoria** » Sat Dec 17, 2011 10:23 am

Sir Clothem Cap:63286 wrote:I think most railways suffer from prowling moggies but I don't know of a cure.

Connect the track to the National Grid ! (But don't try running locos on it at the same time, otherwise they'll speed like Britomart !!)

FBGR · Post by **FBGR** » Sat Dec 17, 2011 10:53 am

We have seen a cat (not sure if it is the same one) sleeping on the roof of the Engine Shed - one of the little green vent pipes has been broken off but no other damage noticed yet - but we are a little conserned.

: Engine Shed.jpg (215.44 KiB) Viewed 4153 times

My wife Erika suggest that the answer to cats is mothballs, but first you have to catch the cat in order that a mothball can be applied.

JOhn

MDLR · Post by **MDLR** » Sat Dec 17, 2011 11:46 am

Why not put one on each of the vents on the engine shed? I'm fairly sure that the mothballs have to be applied to the things you want protecting, rather than the thing that you want to protect it from...............

Steven.T · Post by **Steven.T** » Sat Dec 17, 2011 12:03 pm

Remove the vents and replace with something a little more pointed? Not sharp but enough to keep them away if they step on them!

Pretoria · Post by **Pretoria** » Sat Dec 17, 2011 3:10 pm

ste234:63301 wrote:Remove the vents and replace with something a little more pointed? Not sharp but enough to keep them away if they step on them!

And connected to the National Grid.

pauly · Post by **pauly** » Sun Dec 18, 2011 1:38 am

where does the track that goes under that bridge actually go?

It looks like it either termiates immediatly or goes through the fence...

FBGR · Post by **FBGR** » Sun Dec 18, 2011 9:45 am

Dear pauly

... The track is a dead-end at this point, and I was hoping to be able one day to either paint or clad the fence in order to give the impression that the line went off into a wooded valley.

The slatework abutments took a lot of time to construct, and share a single concrete block foundation, so I am loathed to do away with this feature at this location.

I await suitable inspiration, perhaps fuelled by some New Year Spirit (our next planned running day). Having spent the past year mostly doing mostly scenery, I was hoping to complete that railcar and make some other items of rolling stock over the next few months, so as it does not interfere with train operation it may have to wait.

JOhn

Narrow Minded · Post by **Narrow Minded** » Sun Dec 18, 2011 11:49 am

At first glance the bridge "metalwork" looks a lot like a storage tray with the sides removed leaving the ends of the tray as the bridge sides - I think I'll experiment!

The plastic storage trays are the semi-flexible "poly" type plastic, so paint will be a problem (automotive bumper paint?), but "Feline Frolics" shouldn't cause any problems

IrishPeter · Post by **IrishPeter** » Wed Dec 21, 2011 3:26 am

Three Westies tend to make the local feline population think twice. The damage done by the Westies is far less than that done by cats simply because they leave it around to be picked-up/stepped in rather than bury it. Also, being dogs, they use the "sun beds" my wife assigned to them in the yard.

Peter in AZ

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