Bill Hayes wthayes

Thanks for the Image help everyone.  My first direct post, and I am on a LINUX machine.  Anyway, I wanted to share the highway overpass I'm scratch building.  The paint to still a bit wet, but I'm pretty happy with the overall results.

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peter-f

Please include some construction details

Looks very convincing - like a  1930s era WPA project or a later derivative thereof...   (I remember similar highways in Camden, NJ that lasted into the '90s).

If I am correct, your road and railings are the same color... Were this mine,  I'd use a portland-cement color on the railings... unless it's not cement.   As the Camden-area highway aged, the stone aggregate became more exposed... eventually showing pebbles at the surface. 

As you describe your work, please include mention of materials and tools used...  if you have new-fangled methods, add a step-by-step... I love the look. 

(My layout's 1930s era overpass can use some help in the plausibility department... just too simple in appearance.)

- regards

Peter

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Virginian and Lake Erie

Nice look, where is this rt

Nice look, where is this rt 88 overpass on the real world. I have seen many of these types of bridges and actually traveled a rt 88, I am wondering if it might be the same one you are modeling.

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Bill Hayes wthayes

Responding to Rob

Hi Rob.

While Rt88 exists in the South Hills of Pittsburgh where I grew up, the overpass is part of the creative license I take with my RR. 

 

Bill

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Bill Hayes wthayes

Rt 88 Overpass construction nears completion.

Not real happy with the tire marks and grime on the road surface.  I think I may redo that bit.

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Bill Hayes wthayes

Responding to Peter

Thanks Peter, I appreciate the kind words. One interesting method I'll share involves the double yellow lines down the center of the road.  I tried several ways to get lines that looked even somewhat realistic, and nothing really worked well at all.

I have discovered a site that provides 3D images of various textures, brickwork, road surfaces, and the like, that one can download free of charge (https://www.sketchuptextureclub.com/textures). They have a number of straight sections of asphalt roadway with different line configurations.  I considered printing these to glue to the bridge road surface, but immediately before and after the bridge are curves. I knew I couldn't use the printed surface on the bridge and then paint the rest of the roadway and have everything match.  So I printed a couple of sections of the straight roadway texture images and cut on either side of the double yellow line.  I'm then left with a thin strip of heavy paper that I glue down the middle of the painted styrene roadway.  For the curves I plan to use the same method, but to gradually glue the strip to the painted styrene as I guide it into the curve.  Haven't tried it yet, but I'm pretty sure it will work.  That way my road surface matches throughout.

To control the wiring under the bridge I used coffee stirrer straws glued to the underside of the bridge.  I just threaded the wiring through those between the bridge lights.  I painted the straws flat black to match the underside of the bridge, and the piping on either side under the sidewalks covers the straws from direct view.

I'm pretty much a lone home railroad modeler so it's nice to be able to share a few tricks I've come up with.

Regards

Bill

 

 

Reply 0
Rick Sutton

@wthayes

 Bill,

 That bridge looks fantastic. Looks like you'll be building a beautiful layout!

I'm curious if you used EVA foam for the road surface.

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Bill Hayes wthayes

Reply to Rick

Hi Rick.

Thanks, the bridge is really my first large scratch build.  I appreciate the compliments.

For the road surface I used Evergreen Scale Models .040 plain polystyrene sheet.  It's painted Tamiya Color XF-54 Dark Sea Grey with the yellow stripes applied as I described in one of my previous posts.

Regards

 

Bill

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Bill Hayes wthayes

EVA Foam

Rick,

I haven't used EVA foam but I'm intrigued by the possibilities.  I may be heading to the craft store this weekend!

 

Bill

Reply 0
peter-f

Fantastic result... even if your standards are higher!

And the yellow stripes dates the bridge to late 1960s at the earliest...

Alternates to double yellow are single yellow (mid 1950s - 1960s) and single white - (years prior) 

All 'standards' prior to (Was it '65, '67?) are variable in different localities.

And I also admire the tubes (stirrers) as wire conduits.  Had that problem for another project, until You solved it!  Thanks!

- regards

Peter

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Bill Hayes wthayes

Line striping

HI Peter and thank you.  Glad I could help. 

I'm afraid I made an assumption about the center lines.  I'm dating my layout to the very very early transition era, so I should have gone with single white.  Fortunately, I think I can reengineer the striping on the bridge and then carry on with white single lines for the rest of the roadway.  Now I know for sure which line to use.

To be honest I run all kinds of power on the layout.  From old Varney diesels to a Honrby OO Intercity 125 from the UK.  I actually had the opportunity to ride that train a number of times in the 80s while stationed in England.

Thanks again though for the info on rode stripes.  Very much appreciated.

Regards

Bill

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Virginian and Lake Erie

Bill there was also a RT 88

Bill there was also a RT 88 in the northern panhandle of WV where I grew up, not far from the South Hills. Your bridge looks great, and I was wondering if you patterned it after some place as it reminds me of many bridges on that road.

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Bill Hayes wthayes

Same Rt 88?

Rob,

Near as I can tell, my Rt 88 ends in Point Marion PA, where the Monogahela and Cheat rivers meet just north of the PA/WV state line.  Places where I remember from my younger days tend to come out in my modelling so I'm not surprised that it looks familiar to someone from our neck of the woods.

Regards

Bill

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