G scale removable bridges for easy maintenance and repair, pond maintenance feature скачать в хорошем качестве

G scale removable bridges for easy maintenance and repair, pond maintenance feature

Bridges and water features add character to a garden railroad but they require maintenance. To clean the pond filter I need to remove the bridge spanning the pond to gain access to the submerged equipment. I am bringing up my work train but the only tool I need is the Allen wrench which fits split jaw connectors. Split jaw clamps hold the bridge in place. This allows the jaws on the bridge side to be opened while leaving the jaws on the main line secured. So only 4 screws need to be loosened to remove the bridge and the clamps will stay in place and be ready when it is time to reinstall the bridge. With the clamps on this end released the same thing can be done at the other end of the bridge. It can be seen how the jaw opens and releases the rail as the screw is loosened. Now the bridge is simply lifted off the 2 abutments and the 3 piers which support the span. Two of the 3 piers are cemented into the ground, but the center pier rests on the bottom of the pond and can be lifted out of place to provide unobstructed access to the pump and filter. This bridge is made from two, five foot sections of track which were disassembled. The spacers were removed from between the ties and they were reattached to the rails close spaced, typical of tie spacing on full size railroad bridges. The remaining 2 rails became guard rails, They were drilled and tapped from the bottom and attached to the track with screws passing through holes in the ties. Pieces taken from 3 LGB pony bridges were attached for appearance. The wooden trestle did not need to be removed to access the pond, but it demonstrates that the same simple process for installation and removal can be used for different types of bridges. Once again the jaws on this end of the bridge are released while the jaws on the main line remain secured. This is also done on the other end of the trestle. With the 4 jaws open, the trestle is lifted off its foundation. Each of the wooden trestle bents rest on a cement pad. This prevents wood rot by keeping the wood out of the dirt. There trestle consists of two pieces, a 5 foot track section with guard rails and a wood deck, and the trestle bent assembly. To reinstall the trestle, the bent assembly is placed back on its foundations and the top of the frame is aligned with the abutments. With the bents in place, the deck is positioned over the bents and aligned with the rail clamps. Then the deck is seated back onto the frame and the 4 rail clamps secured to the bridge rails. The other bridge is reinstalled as a single piece. The bridge is positioned and realigned with the abutments and it will drop down into place onto the piers. The bridge rails can them be aligned with the main line rails and the rail clamps secured.