Bridge and Boat Diorama

[Swabbie]

Thank you Uwe for your comment.
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Decided to give the bridge framework a few undercoats of acrylic paint _ before adding the bridge road. Painted the water area.

Above: The holes you see, where the span is to rest on, is for wires that will become contact points for the span. These will provide power and various signals to and from the span (charging 9v battery while docked, vessel traffic control lights, span hut lighting, Under span navigational lights).

There are several fender pier groups around the bridge. Their outer group has navigational lights (red/green) on the center pier. These piers have been drilled out for the wires of 3 mm LEDs.

I let the remaining piers out until the water gets painted. Otherwise it will be too difficult to paint the inside area.

 

[Swabbie]

From the beginning of this project I have been looking for whatever material I can get my hands on, even used electrical parts. So I cannibalize old computers, TV sets, stereos, etc. It was a fairly new analogue TV, that got outdated by digital TV, where I came across a good pair of speakers. However, I had to make a mounting bracket for them, and gave them a cover. These speakers will be used to the alarm bell, fog horn, and boat engine sounds for the diorama.

I went to the museum to cut holes into the console for certain plugs and the speakers. While I was there . . .

. . . the museum president mentioned it would be good to have photos showing the internals, so school kids would get an idea what was inside. I suggested an other approach, to replace the front panel with a thick clear Perspex sheet. So now the console has become a wiring diorama. The interior had to be cleaned up and painted for presentation. I chose a darkish blue-grey colour so as to contrast better with the new coloured wiring.

The console exterior will remain antiquated, though somewhat cleaned up.

 

[Swabbie]

From Masonite I built the road base, curbing, and footpath onto the span.

Chiselled out trenches for inlaying wires for the navigational lights, and contacts, located under the span.

Drew up a template for making the span framework from 6 mm square Tasmanain Oak. Wires will be routed along the vertical beams of the frame (they will go to the span hut). Doweled the framework to the span.

During this time I got the idea for making the cable anchoring points to the span frame. I soldered half a fishing swivel to the 3 mm bolt heads. The swivel will relieve any twisting of the cables.

 

[Swabbie]

Adding the wires under the span.

After doing an electrical continuity test (making sure nothing is wired wrongly) I filled the trenches with wood putty.
Sanded and applied a few coats of acrylic undercoat.

 

[Swabbie]

Finished the framework. Now for the span hut. The hut base plate has three balconies, and gangways. Used 3 mm MDF.

Used matchsticks for railing posts. The extra plate on the base is the hut floor. It also serves as a guide for attaching the hut walls.

Added the cable anchoring points. Included longitudinal bumper rollers, made from microswitch actuator arms, to stop span getting caught up with the tower framework. Added a photo-coupler to trigger the vessel traffic lights (on the span). Once the span has reached the top of the tower a blind fits between the U slot to cut the light beam across the U. This then triggers the vessel traffic lights to change from red to green.

The wires have been routed along the framework and through the hut floor.

 

[Swabbie]

Added lateral bumper rollers. Now the span ought to be guided to freely raise and lower without getting caught up on the tower somewhere.

Vessel traffic lights were attached and wires added and fed into span hut area.

Balcony assortments. In real life, both (A) and (B) boxes contain gearing and winches for operating the span cable drive. The span motor is in centre of span hut. Differential axles go to each box. The other boxes contain (as far as I know) an auxilary generator, and stores for maintenance.

 

[JosephH]

looks good I like these different types of build threads gives all kinds of Ideas for projects

 

[Swabbie]

Thank you @JosephH for your compliment. And @zoly99sask for the 'likes'.
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The span hut was next on the agenda. Made from 3 mm MDF, 2 mm clear Perspex for windows, and white card board for window frames and doors.
Mixed a jar of grey enamel paint that matched the actual bridge, and started to paint the span.

Completed the gangways. Used fly screen for wire meshing.

Found washers that fit nicely over the nav LEDs. Now they look like bezels. Added road and footpath railings.

 

[Swabbie]

Next up was to build the towers.

Thought I would show how I insert dowling into the framework.

Had to buy more 6 mm square timber. There is over 11 metres of timber in the towers.

 

[Swabbie]

Thank you @zoly99sask for your "like".
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Now that the actual bridge towers are built, a more tangable approach to designing the pulley wheel system was available.
First of all, I did not like the pulley wheels that were on the market, so I decided to make my own (iIf only I had a lathe) out of washers. Which I sweat-soldered together.

Then I designed and built the brackets to hold the pulley wheels.

I was pleased with the way this all turned out.

 

[Pathfinder65]

Excellent work.

 

[Swabbie]

Thankyou @Pathfinder65.
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Added servicing gangways to top of towers.

I noticed, by adding the gangways, it holds the observer's perspective of size in the mind.

 

[Uwek]

Hallo Peter, the towers are realy looking good.
Great workmanship .

 

[Swabbie]

Traffic control lights.

 

[zoly99sask]

Oh man ,you are on the move ,looks awesome.

Zoltan

 

[Swabbie]

Thank you @zoly99sask. Just a reminder, I am posting piecemeal to catch up to where I am at with the project, so it may appear that I am going fast.
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Before installing the towers I realized that I won't be able to remove the span for any repairs/miantenance once the towers are installed. My solution was to replace one set of fixed lateral bumper rollers for removeable ones.

Made a road base and drilled numerous holes for rail posts. Prepared wiring from traffic lights and span contact points. Installed the road base together with the traffic lights and bridge towers. Then gave the road another coat of paint.

 

[Canoe21]

Hello Peter

Just found your lift bridge, Golly but you sure got your hands full when you took on this huge project. I am very much impressed with all of that detail and electronic circuitry that you seem, to handle so very easily. Just love your layout with all of that detail and all so very realistic, Well Done.

I used to watch these types of bridges go up and down as we traveled on the seaway in Ontario, Canada many years ago when I worked on the ships, always found them very interesting. Thanks for giving me a whole new prospect on just how they operated, ENJOY.

Regards Lawrence

 

[Swabbie]

Thank you @zoly99sask, @Uwek, and @Canoe21 for your 'likes' and kind words.
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The next step took a few days to build.
Installed all the rail posts using matchsticks, all marked for railings and cut to size. The railings are from bamboo skweres split in half.
The gaps seen near the traffic lights are for the swing gates (which close across the road).

 

[lauckstreet]

This is a fantastic build Peter. All of the mechanical and electrical parts and connections make it even more complex, pure genius in my book. I've been enjoying your build log, very impressive.

Bob

 

[Swabbie]

Thank you @lauckstreet Bob for your kind words and interest, and @mrshanks for your 'likes'.
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I had a few loose wires under the display table and they needed to be identified and terminated to some degree.
Tilted the table on its edge and proceeded to tidy the wires up.
All wires go the the control box area.
Those white cards under the table are stoppers for when I insert the fender piers later on.
This was a good opportunity to paint the underside with acrylic sealer undercoat.