Creating a Curved Trestle Bridge out of Balsa Wood
Mr. Meteor
Date Joined:
Nov 9, 2009
Posts: 105
Using a flat sheet of balsa cut ends on an angle to match curve radius
Join 2 like flat sheets with 1/2 inch balsa and some white glue
Glue a series of ties along the span of the bridge; space evenly using a spare tie as a guide.
Cut long vertical posts and glue in between ties for support.
Make sure each vertical post is strengthened with horizontal and diagonal joists.
Alpha sanding tape is ideal for removing glue and sanding in between diagonal joists.
Add a lip as a physical as well as visual barrier to the edge of the bridge.
Once glue is dry and the bridge shows stability, test how your track will fit.
Mr. Meteor
Date Joined:
Nov 9, 2009
Posts: 105
Posted: 2010-02-11 19:44:39
Creating a trestle bridge is an excellent way of creating a realistic motif for a steam era train set. Trestle bridges were extremely popular before steel bridges replaced them. Trestle bridges can commonly be found in mountainous areas where logging occurred.
Overall view of a trestle bridge before being stained.
