Bridge is almost complete, features wood deck 4 track main with all hand laid track dimensions are 25 in wide x 27 foot long end to end x 7 foot 6 inches high at center. Weight about 1000 pounds featuring stone covered steel towers and navagation lights.
Here is a picture of the Hell Gate model:
Garrett’s Thoughts
This is an excellent piece of work. Thank you for sending in this photo of the progress you have made so far. I am definitely looking forward to seeing the finished product. What are your plans for it once it is completed? What inspired you to start building this model bridge?
I think welding the trusses will turn out to be a mistake. Lugged construction dominated bicycle construction for decades for a good reason. Welds weaken by detempering and corrupting the grain structure of steel.
A tip. Almost all guy ‘wire’ is now Zylon rope. It’s much lighter than steel for the same strength – assuming you are shooting for a high strength to weight ratio, this should help the implementation of your design.
this bridge is a repicla of the hell gate in nyc for the nyc rr. after is finished it will be used in our model train meseum featuring a 1/4 scale nyc rr which will feature about 13 miles of hand laid track this bridge will hold 2500 lbs tested with out a deflection and i know it will hold the models that will be running over it it took me 1 and a half years to build
thanks tony
I’m a student from Eastwood Academy HS, currently working on a project involved with Hell Gate Bridge located at NYC. Do you know where could I get a blueprint? Please I need help
I’m sorry to say that the diagonal pieces between the bowed sections are reversed from the original. The bottom of each girder should be angled towards the center of the structure.