Bridge shoes

[eTraxx]

Ok.

QUESTION TIME!!

The instructions that came with the Central Valley Plate Girder bridge are basically useless when getting to where you want to attach the bridge shoes.



I'm sorry. I could draw a better image with a pencil held between my toes.

Sheesh.

Here is a close-up of a couple of the shoes still on the sprue ..



My guess is that I have them oriented correctly in the photo with the longer 'bits' up top pointing in toward the center of the bridge.

Could use some help here!

[Ray Dunakin]

Ed, I think they go the other way around. Here's an example from another manufacturer:

http://www.sceneryexpress.com/prodinfo.asp?number=FL6039

It's surprisingly difficult to find good prototype pics of bridge shoes.

[finescalerr]

I find it far more surprising that a manufacturer includes such dismal instructions and illustrations with an otherwise decent product. Ever get the idea that a lot of the people in the model railroad industry aren't playing with a full deck? (Including me.) -- Russ

[JohnP]

Ed,

Turn the photo upside-down. The longer bits likely represent the fixed or moveable base plates that mount to the abutment. The shoes go on top. Generally the bridge shoe part fits into the abutment part as it is molded. See the attached drawing.

John

[eTraxx]

John. Since I posted that I have been doing more research .. mostly via Google Books and I'm a bit less 'dumb' ..

Thing is .. I might have reason to be 'scarrit' .. not only did I run across that same bridge shoe .. but I was so enamored with it that I modeled it in Sketchup ..


I even converted it to a .stl file and uploaded it to Shapeways .. after which I realized that it was way too big a shoe for my little bridge .. and then for some reason they don't allow it to be made in their new 'ultra detail' material. Oh well .. it was fun playing with the program ..

http://www.shapeways.com/model/238168/bridge_shoe.html?gid=ug

[eTraxx]

anyhoo .. I ended up with a simple shoe for my bridge. Which I'm getting printed .. want to see if Shapeways 'Ultra Detail' material will work or not.

http://www.shapeways.com/model/245589/boller_and_hodge_bridge_shoe.html?gid=ug

I messed up with my abutment and made the bridge seat to fit the bridge no. 454 shoe. Ooops. Fine. I just made some I-Beam steel bents (Evergreen) for the 'new and improved' shoes to sit on. I'll probably add another plate on the sides of the I-Beam to support the shoe but I will wait until I have the prints in my grubby hands first.

[JohnP]

Oh you found my source- I searched Google for truss bridge shoe and found the guy's thread.

I could go into more shoe detail by scanning an old book I have if I hooked up the scanner. One side should have a roller nest to account for expansion. The pin in each shoe is to allow bending of the bridge structure so secondary stresses don't build up in the beams.

Lemme know if you need more obsessive detail!

John