Bridging the gap

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Bridging the gap - or making a lift-out section.

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dave55uk		#1 Posted : 02 October 2023 22:45:01(UTC) Retweet
Joined: 15/09/2023(UTC) Posts: 77 Location: Ely, England		I am going to replace my current British OO layout in my spare bedroom with my Marklin HO layout. I shall be using C track and I intend to go round the room, just cutting the corner where the door opens. Currently I have to duck down and crawl underneath but I'm getting too old for that milarky so I thought a lift out bridge. But how to connect the rails on the bridge to the rails either side? Do I have to cut off the 'tabs' on the C track? Or cut the ends completely off? Any help or ideas appreciated.

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kimballthurlow		#2 Posted : 03 October 2023 07:16:51(UTC) Retweet
Joined: 18/03/2007(UTC) Posts: 6,669 Location: Brisbane, Australia		Hi Dave, I have not done this with C track, but it would be the same as any model track work. Cut the track ends square and ensure those ends are screwed down either side of the gap in the matching run-through position. Some electrical connection may be adviseable, easily done with removable plugs and wires. Kimball
		HO Scale - Märklin (ep II-III and VI, C Track, digital) - 2 rail HO (Queensland Australia, UK, USA) - 3 rail OO (English Hornby Dublo) - old clockwork O gauge - Live Steam 90mm (3.1/2 inch) gauge.
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JohnjeanB		#3 Posted : 03 October 2023 09:22:39(UTC) Retweet
Joined: 04/02/2011(UTC) Posts: 3,130 Location: Paris, France		Hi Dave Here a Märklin fan having used the C Track and taken some "liberties" with its geometry. Here are my thoughts: - no matter what your bridge is, you will have to cut the C rail and this is no problem with a hand drill (I use a Proxxon, but it could be a Dremel) and a diamond disk - the bridge hinge has to be doubled on both sides of the track with their axle to be located above the rail surface so, approx 10 mm above the bridge top surface - at the other side of the bridge, you need to install 2 things: 1 a centering piece to make sure the bridge (the rail on it) is centered (aligned) with the rail continuing on the rest of then "tour de pièce" (sorry I don't know the name in English of the permanent part of your layout, close to the wall), 2 an adjusting screw to adjust the height of the bridge (farest part of the hinge). Once you have done the bridge you must: - cut the fix rail near the hinge vertically and perpendicularly to the rail (start by cutting the 2 rails first - cut a matching rail on the bridge near the hinge - the opposite side (far away from the hinge, is a piece of cake because a straight cut is probably good enough. Seems a lot of yakeddy ya but it is simple. Just to cheer you up, here is a switch (turnout) on which I di some "surgery" Here is step one: the raw first cut Here is the final aspect after surgery I hope this helps Jean
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kiwiAlan		#4 Posted : 03 October 2023 19:39:33(UTC) Retweet
Joined: 23/07/2014(UTC) Posts: 8,109 Location: ENGLAND, Didcot		Originally Posted by: dave55uk I am going to replace my current British OO layout in my spare bedroom with my Marklin HO layout. I shall be using C track and I intend to go round the room, just cutting the corner where the door opens. Currently I have to duck down and crawl underneath but I'm getting too old for that milarky so I thought a lift out bridge. But how to connect the rails on the bridge to the rails either side? Do I have to cut off the 'tabs' on the C track? Or cut the ends completely off? Any help or ideas appreciated. You could always use K track across the bridge itself. Jean has given some good ideas, but here are a couple of mine from thinking of doing a similar thing: - The end of the bridge that lifts should sit in a V so that when it comes down it gets accurately located sideways so the track lines up. The bridge should be linked into the signalling system. As a minimum have a microswitch set up so that any bridge approach signals go red, and train automation you do is linked in to this. Ideally also cut track power on the bridge approaches so that there is no way for a train to get into trouble if something goes haywire in the signalling system. My other thought links into having an automated layout, where the person wishing to pass through pushes a button which send a signal to the automation software, that in turn waits for signals to go red through the normal automation cycle or turns them red if the track is not allocated to a train, and with the track across the bridge suitably isolated from any train movements then lifts the bridge, probably using a motor mechanism out of an old reclining chair. One the person has passed through they hit a button on the other side to close the bridge and hand the track back to the automated train system.

2 users liked this useful post by kiwiAlan		dave55uk, dickinsonj
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dave55uk		#5 Posted : 03 October 2023 23:29:59(UTC) Retweet
Joined: 15/09/2023(UTC) Posts: 77 Location: Ely, England		Thanks for the suggestions guys. I shall only be operating manually by myself, no automation for me, so I can stop the train I'm running if I need to get out of the railway room. And I like the idea of using K track for the bridge.


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Toosmall		#6 Posted : 03 October 2023 23:58:18(UTC) Retweet
Joined: 26/07/2021(UTC) Posts: 616 Location: Sydney		The end opposite to the hinge end, the base board should be undercut at a slight angle to clear when opening. With the hinge pivot point a bit above the track & let's say a total thickness of 5 cm from pivot point to the bottom of the base board of the "bridge". When you swing the bridge up it will effectively get a bit longer if the opening end is square. Eg: 80 cm gap, 5 cm height √(80² + 5²)= 80.156 cm So 1.56 mm angled undercut of bridge so it clears when opening.

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