Barmouth Bridge
Richard Roberts
My layout is 2 rail finescale based on the area around Dolgellau and Barmouth. It is housed in a shed 6 metres long by 4 metres wide. I am extending with an outside loop of 5 metres by 4 metres at one end that will give me a total layout size of 11 metres by 4 metres. I thought that a representation of Barmouth Bridge would be a nice feature on the garden part of the layout. I call this a representation because it was built from a photograph, but I have tried to keep as near as possible to the real thing. Out here in New Zealand it is quite difficult to obtain scale drawings of any kind.
I thought that I would have to build it from something substantial as it would have to stand up to the rigours of the weather, so I plumbed for steel. I should explain that I am very fortunate that I have access to a mate’s engineering workshop and equipment.
First of all I obtained two lengths of steel plate 1650mm long by 130mm wide and 5mm thick. These were cleaned up, the rust removed, and clamped together then drilled with fourteen 3/16 in. clear countersunk holes. For the piers I used 30mm steel bar cut to 200mm lengths. These were faced off in the lathe and then each end was drilled and tapped 3/16 in. BSW as I had a box of countersunk 3/16 in. screws handy. The two steel plates were then bolted together as can be seen from the photos.
The bridge in position looking from the shed side.
Bridge deck on workbench.
The cross bracing and diagonals were made from 3/16 in. square and 3/16 in. angle brass. I tried to solder these to the steel plate but could not get enough heat, so I ended up using epoxy which seems to have done the trick. I had purchased the bridge sides from the UK and these were duly bolted to the base plate with self-tapping screws. I then fitted 8mm square steel stretchers across the tops of the sides.
The track was then laid and bolted to the base of the bridge with brass 3mm bolts and nuts. This means that at any time in the future the bridge can be dismantled. The whole structure was then given an undercoat, followed by a stone coloured top coat which has since been weathered.
The pictures should give some idea of how I went about constructing the bridge and I am quite pleased with the outcome. It will be installed on the outside section within the next couple of weeks. But I think if I was to build it again I would use aluminium as this steel version is extremely heavy.
