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3D printing to the rescue… General discussion
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Super User 1,007 posts rrfaniowa Super User 1,007 posts
rrfaniowa

 

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I've been invaded by bridge shoes! A great way to get a needed part for my Rock River crossing – more true-to-scale bridge shoes – was easy with Thingiverse, Tinkercad, and a good friend with a 3D printer. I found a free bridge shoe design in Thingiverse and imported into Tinkercad to modify the size and design to fit my purposes; then output an .stl file and sent to my friend, Michael Petersen, who printed the final parts for me. I just need to add styrene top plates, paint, and install. We live in a great time to be a modeler!

Here is a photo showing the bridge shoe parts and a Micro Engineering shoe for comparison. The ME shoes were too small to use with the bridge spans. 

I hope this inspires you to give 3D printing a try. If I can do it, anyone can!

Scott Thornton
http://www.milanbranch.com

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Scott Thornton

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BNSFFAN Active Member 70 posts
BNSFFAN

Nice

Those look really good. Will be neat to see how they look once installed.
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rrfaniowa Super User 1,007 posts
rrfaniowa

Magnets used, too

To go along with the new bridge shoes, I also decided to use cheap ceramic magnets in combo with some .008 tin adhered to the abutments and pier to position the two bridge girder spans. This allows me to accurately position both spans plus allows me to remove them if necessary for any scenery work. 

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Scott Thornton

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AlanR Regular poster 236 posts
AlanR

An interesting idea!  I'm

An interesting idea!  I'm curious, though, how the magnet helps with accurate position of the span.  Are you just relying on the ability to slide the span to align the rails?

Alan Rice

Amherst Belt Lines / Amherst Railway Society, Inc.
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Eugene Griffin EGRX Frequent poster 533 posts
Eugene Griffin EGRX

Really Like the magnets!!

And the 3D printed shoes.

Will you be adding a guide to ensure the bridge lines with the track or eyeing the alignment.

Eugene

MRH Blog Index

Blog:  https://therustyboxcar.blogspot.com
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rrfaniowa Super User 1,007 posts
rrfaniowa

@Alan and Eugene

Quote:

I'm curious, though, how the magnet helps with accurate position of the span.  Are you just relying on the ability to slide the span to align the rails?

Quote:

Will you be adding a guide to ensure the bridge lines with the track or eyeing the alignment.

The tin strips that are glued to the abutments and piers are the exact footprint of the magnets and were glued in precise position. All I need to do is line up the magnets on top of the tin and everything is perfectly aligned. 

Scott Thornton

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mdlafond Regular poster 104 posts
mdlafond

3D Printing

It’s really fun for me to see people beginning to explore the capabilities of home (less expensive) 3D printers and printing.  I’ve been using a Makrbot Play for 4 years now and have been doing everything from details to small building, and that’s just for model railroading.  I’m a photographer and have found a bunch of designs on Thingiverse for that hobby also.  Thingiverse is your friend!  
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rrfaniowa Super User 1,007 posts
rrfaniowa

Train across the Rock River – finally

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Scott Thornton

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