1:24 SCALE THROUGH-ARCH BRIDGE AND ABUTMENTS
Manufacturer: Lone Star Bridge & Abutment, 1218 A-8 Colorado Lane, Arlington, TX 76015. Price: No.6 through-arch bridge $95.00 (includes shipping); No.6 cast-stone abutments, single end $25.00 each, double end $40.00 each (both include shipping).
EVERYTHING HE TOUCHES is terrific. The man is an artist. "He," "the man," is Mark Smith, the proprietor, designer, and chief craftsman of Lone Star Bridge & Abutment. No, I have no prejudice. If Mark built mediocre stuff, I would tell you. Unfortunately, if I am to add zing and color to this review, I will have to be creative. Mark has left nothing to criticize; his work is flawless.
Look at the wood-to-wood joints. If you can find them. The arch on the bridge has five, but the lamination is so tight and the finish so outstanding it looks as though it is a single piece of wood. Try to find a nail hole. You may find some wood filler, but no hole. And even the filler joins seamlessly with the hand finished, pressure treated mahogany. No bump. No depression. It's disgusting.
Yes, I even sighted down the guard rails to see whether the nut-bolt-washer castings lined up. They did. Perfectly. Nor do the little countersunk holes in the arch where the truss rods terminate have any evidence of chipping. And the paint on the metal parts is perfect. And Mark put a nut and washer everywhere one belonged. What's a reviewer to do?
Mark purposely cut the ties too wide to form a platform for sectional track. We might nitpick, but we also must recognize such a choice belongs to the artist. Besides, he now says scale cross-timbers will be available as an option.
Maybe the abutments will show evidence of imperfection.
Oh, well.
They even come in a more realistic color than before: slate gray. And they have a more realistic texture than Mark's previous abutments. Unfortunately it is too late to compare the two and criticize the earlier ones because the review is about the new ones. Rats.
Let's go to the dimensional stuff: The bridge measures 8 inches wide, 24 inches long, and the apex of the arches is 5 1/4 inches above the deck. Ignore that misleading measurement of 5 inches in Lone Star's ad; Mark measured from the top of the guard rail instead of the ties. Aha! A mistake!
The abutments are 4 1/16 inches high, 4 1/4 inches deep, and 14 3/4 inches wide. The dimensions in the ad are wrong again...by 1/16-inch, 1/4-inch, and 1/4-inch respectively. Another goof, Smith!
Unfortunately, none of those so-called errors is meaningful and none has anything to do with the quality, appearance, or durability of the product. But I'm trying.
The idea behind lower abutments is to offer a product more in keeping with the depth of streams, lakes, and ravines on most layouts. One reluctantly must admit, Smith succeeded there, too.
Nearly all the cast stones measure 1 inch by 1/2-inch by 1/2-inch. That equates to 2 feet by 1 foot by 1 foot in 1:24 scale, about 9-percent smaller in 1:22.5 scale, and almost 20-percent smaller in 1:20.3 scale. As the trains get bigger, then, the stones get smaller and more typical in size. Conversely, by the time you reach 1:32 scale, the stones grow to 2 feet 8 inches long. Pretty unwieldy, but possible.
Finally, as much as I hate to pull the rug out from under any further attempts at criticism, Lone Star has made no attempt precisely to duplicate any particular full-size bridge. The No.6 through-arch and its abutments are deliberate approximations, and about as accurate as most of the model trains that will cross them. As a consequence, their character melds beautifully with that of most outdoor layouts. Also, they are suitable for virtually every scale using 45mm Gauge One track.
Did I mention the wood and Ultra-Cal Mark uses are extremely durable and weather resistant? I should have.
So, once again, if you want a superb product, attractive in design, striking in coloration, unparalleled in craftsmanship, and reasonable in price, look to Lone Star's latest. But if you want a juicy, critical, biting review, look elsewhere.--RR
