Here are a few more period pics (but I don't want to derail your original thread )





I guess the pictured truck is a Büssing-Nag Type 500 A:


You'll find more German bridging equipment pics (only if you need them ) in this thread :

https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=168276&hilit=bruckengerat#p1489677

H.P.

Frenchy, derail all you want!

(We'll just bring out the "Big Hook" and get things right back on track!)

For the moment you certainly have my attention focused on the question whether (regardless of scale) any available model railroad bridge truss comes close to approximating the individual K-Bridge equipment? Today I purchased some used N scale model railroad bridges to pursue this very question.

So no danger of a derail!

As such I think we are very much "on topic" for this thread.

Mike

According to the German book, the "end" section (the one with a slope) of the K-Gerät bridge should be 480cm long and 220cm wide. The middle section is 480cm long, 220cm wide and 100cm high.

H.P.

Not my first Rodeo! -- I have been repurposing bridges since the late seventies.

As you can probably tell, this HO scale bridge approach is made up from a number of repurposed O gauge 2-track signal bridges which then became the trestles and piers that formed the approach to what was to be a much longer bridge. This structure was intended to cross an aisle and connect to the rest of my logging railroad empire on the opposite side of the room.

Built around 1978, I dug this one out of the warehouse to illustrate this thread. Both tower bents originally sat on carved balsa wood "stone" piers anchored to my benchwork. The track level height was 62" off the floor. (I like to view my models at almost eye level, I feel that makes them look more real and also forces me to do a better job on detailing.)



Below are shown the separate parts to the O gauge signal bridge used:


Seen also in the photo is my kit-bashed HO 70 ton 2-truck Shay locomotive built from a former PFM brass 3-truck Shay. (I just never cared for the proportions of that B3 loco anyway, AND besides, I had always wanted a really nice heavy 2-truck Shay.)

As you can also tell I have been running my model "chop-shop" since the seventies as well.

This photo shows the four HO Warren deck truss bridges that I spliced together to form the main span of that future aisle way crossing bridge.

Unfortunately the layout lasted just slightly longer than the marriage so the portion of my empire on the other side of the valley (aisle way) never got built. The silver approach bridge however was installed and was operational throughout most of that time.


There was originally one more silver trestle section to the left before reaching the primary support pier for the main span. However that appears to have been broken off and lost somewhere in my warehouse.

Color test: Status on my 1/35th scale railroad bridge:

The plan is to use a textured buff tan for the abutments (Home Depot textured paint) and sage green for the steel bridge. Both colors will be weathered before completion.

I'm using my favorite Woodland Scenics "cinder" shade of ballast there.




The rails will be painted rust with a silver top.

Well I am up to my old tricks again but this time on a new bridging project:

A Sixty foot K-Gerät German Pioneer Bridge

Let me say at the outset, trying to use existing model railroad bridges to create something totally different and in an entirely different scale is, at best, a comprise. I don't contend this model to be an exact reproduction of the real thing but I do think it will carry the "spirit" of the prototype I am trying to create.


Of course here is what I am shooting to recreate as a final result: a four section, (three trusses per section,) K-Gerät German engineer's bridge 62.5 scale feet long.


After checking out a number of model railroad bridges in various scales I settled on the N scale Warren Truss Bridge (either deck or thru truss) by Atlas as a starting point.
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Next we break down the bridges (literally) to get to the basic truss members.
(I suggest using only the deck truss bridge as the disassembly is literally a quick "snap"!
The thru truss is all one massive solid molding and requires a lot of sawing and sanding.)

Here is where the cutting begins - and the compromise! The basic truss was far too short, so that meant splicing but the spliced truss was then too long!

What I ended up with is a truss section that has five bents instead of the desired four and works out to a scale 17 feet in length instead of the desired 15.6 feet of the real thing.


So if I have not lost you with all that compromising - we will continue!

Quite a comprise here but I think this approach certainly captures the "spirit" of the German Engineer's bridge.

Each truss section is actually two bridge trusses put together with .100" x .100" styrene stock as a spacer in-between. (Evergreen #175)


The thick strip across the top of each truss is what I am calling the "nailing strip". It appears to be a heavy wooden beam put there to facilitate the nailing down of the roadway planks to it.

You may have noted that cutting and splicing the trusses gives you one very nice left over bent which can then serve as the "bridging spacer" that runs periodically, cross-ways, to "bridge" between the trusses. This keeps the trusses properly spaced, side to side, and also keeps them from falling over under load.

So this brings us to my current status; having hardware for one bridge section complete and a lot more work ahead.

The photo seen above is part real and part photoshopped.

An original K-Gerät German Pioneer bridge under construction/assembly.

I can take a photo and cut it up like making paper dolls but the question is; can I do the same with the plastic trusses - and can I do it repeatedly twelve times??? (Some Photoshop work here!)

The start of my little drawing that then got carried away.

Some more of my Photoshop doodles:

Might have gotten a little carried away here with this artwork.
One thing just seemed to lead to another.






The bridge units that I have been able to make from the N scale bridge pieces.

If you check the period reference photos shown above on these pioneer bridges it seems every bridge makes use of multiple Sturmbrucke. These small bridging planks were used to transition the vehicles from the dirt roadway up onto the larger K-Gerät bridge. So I thought I had better order a few. I now have these and six more on order and on the way.



Use of these Sturmbrucke keeps the vehicles from damaging the bridge approach ramps. Also it keeps the vehicles crossing the bridge from inadvertently moving the bridge structure around and possibly pushing it off its' temporary foundations as they "bump up" onto the bridge.

Sooooo much work yet to do!



The tapered end trusses are still not fully completed and I need to build TWO MORE complete assemblies just like this one!

Nice work Michael.

Kind regards,

Robert Jan

Thank you Robert.

________________________________________

First fully assembled bridge truss section: REAL - (No Photoshop)

Center to center spacing of the outside trusses was 2.5 meters. (Approximately the tread width of the Panzer III and IV.) Overall width of the finished roadway was 3.5 meters which also included a heavy wooden curbing running along each side.

More progress, this time on the approach trusses - half a bridge is better than none!

I like how that is turning out. Great use of other materials. I sent you a PM.

Thanks Ryan

I am succeeding (I think) in doing a more or less clean build here but there are just so many compromises popping up as departures from the original I am starting to have my reservations.

I'm no good at molding resin but the real solution here would have been to make one straight truss, one left and one right handed tapered truss as masters and then cast all the needed parts in resin.

And of course 3D printed parts would have been even better and more highly detailed!

Hi Michael,

How is your bridge progressing? This has been such a great thread, I look forward to more posts.

Sorry Fred no progress on either the railroad truss bridge or the German K bridge. However I have a fairly good excuse; been working on a 1/35th scale steam locomotive and also have now just completed painting and relettering three On30 freight cars.





(Too soon for the locomotive.)