Where to buy GME bridges

Credit Valley Railway Company  in Mississauga, Ontario, has samples of the GME O scale bridges on display in their store, and will take orders for the standard models and custom designs, both for in-store purchases and worldwide shipping.

Bigboyztrainz  in Hamilton, Ontario carries G scale and larger bridges, and will  take orders for specials. In-store purchases and worldwide shipping available for all products.

NGT Models in Michigan handle GME G scale and larger bridges and have standard bridges available for sale. They will take orders for standard and custom designs, and can offer many other products and advice based on their experience of building and operating a large garden railway.


Bridges are also available directly from GME. For prices and shipping information, please contact us at gme@bell.net or by phone at + 519 623 3782.

Prices and availability

Most standard bridges will be shipped about two weeks from receiving the order, although there is sometimes a delay while parts are being re-ordered - we'll let you know if that happens. There are usually some assembled models in stock that will be available immediately.  The price includes the timber deck and a coat of primer if requested, and shipping is extra, at cost.  Prices start at about $135 for the PL12 plate girder bridges; please e-mail us at gme@bell.net for the latest prices and availability.

O and G scale plate girder bridges

Click on the drawing below to see a larger version:

Standard plate girder lengths (intermediate lengths available as specials):
Model no.   PL12     12 inches (305mm)
                   PL24     24 inches (610mm)
                   PL36     36 inches (914mm).
Widths: 
                                 4 inches (102 mm)
                                 2.54 inches (64.5 mm)
                                 2.0 inches (51 mm).

You can order any combination of length and width, and we'll be happy to discuss specials. A timber deck with attachment hardware, for standard or narrow gauge tracks, is included in the price.The current maximum length is 36 inches (914 mm) for a single span without intermediate supports.

O and G scale truss bridges

The truss bridges are all available in three widths as deck trusses for the larger scales, with the timber deck included. The standard lengths are shown above, and others are available to order - please enquire about availability. An example of the narrowest version of the TR42 built for NGT Models, with two PL36 plate girders, is shown below. This is 114 inches (2.9m) overall, and assembled with 1,274 solid rivets. Watch Zoë Topper’s animation of the bridge installation.

0 scale bascule and truss bridges

The BA24 bascule bridge (sometimes called a drawbridge) is an operating trunnion type with a clear opening of just over 18 inches (457 mm). (When Sir Nigel Gresley designed the corridor tenders for his A4 Pacifics he decreed that an 18 inch width should be enough for his widest driver, so we chose the same width for access to the interior of large layouts).

Click on the drawings below to see larger versions.

The basic range of 0 scale through truss bridges, for 1:48 and 7 mm:ft., including timber decks, is shown below. Some customers are finding that these bridges serve well on S scale railways.

0 scale truss bridge dimensions:
Span:                              TR24    24 inches (610mm)
                                       TR32    32 inches (813mm)
                                       TR42    42 inches (1067mm).

Inside width:                           3.75 inches (95 mm)
Outside width:                        4.45 inches (113 mm)
Inside height from deck:        5.0 inches (127 mm).

Feedback

Comments on current products and suggestions for new ones are always welcome,  even if you are not yet a customer. The feedback helps us plan developments and new products, so please keep it coming - contact us at gme@bell.net

Gnome on show

Thanks again to the organisers of the 2011 Narrow Gauge Madness  show in Schomberg, Ontario. Another excellent show with a lot of friendly and interesting people.

We had a small display for members and friends of the Platelayers Society  at the Symposium in Brampton, Ontario, on 7th May, and enjoyed meeting the people there. It seems that people really like real rivets.

Thanks to Garden Rail (Issue 199) and Garden Railways (August 2011) for some friendly and encouraging coverage!

Individual girders

Individual plate girders to add to your structures are available in 12, 24 and 36 inch lengths (305, 610 and 914 mm); other lengths available to order.  A 1/2"x 1/2"  mounting angle is riveted to the inside, and stainless steel screws are provided for attaching the girders to your own deck. 

Decks

Bridge prices include timber decks consisting of transverse timbers with longitudinal guard timbers. They are assembled with brass nails, and cleats secure the deck to the structure.

0 scale decks are basswood, either stained to resemble fresh creosote, or with a simulated weathered appearance. They can be supplied in red cedar for outdoor use at a small extra cost.

This illustrations show four different red cedar decks that have been weathering for up to six years.

(above) L-R: 6 years exposure, no stain, no preservative; 6 years, stain with preservative; 5 years, stain with preservative; 3 years, stain with preservative.

(above)L-R: 3 years weathering with stain and preservative; new, stain with preservative; new, no finish. They are exposed to sun, rain, snow, salt, cats, raccoons, squirrels and birds.

The standard large scale decks are red cedar, stained or unstained. For Gauge '1' the transverse timbers are 5 inches (127 mm) and for 'G' they are 6.4 inches (162 mm) long, corresponding to roughly 13 feet (3,962 mm).

All decks can be supplied with short extensions to cover the gap between the bridge and the adjoining structure. Decks designed to your own requirements are also available.

Kits, parts and drawings

We’re sometimes asked if we supply kits and parts for our bridges. Normally, we don't, because assembly calls for equipment not usually found in the model railway workshop. Although many parts are standard, some are altered items that need additional work, and there can be workshop folklore in the assembly. However, if you have a project where GME parts might be useful, please contact us to see if we can help.

Paint finish

The price includes a choice of red oxide, grey primer, flat black or unpainted finish. All structural materials and fasteners are corrosion resistant, so a bare metal finish is always satisfactory outdoors.  Unpainted bridges are cleaned before delivery, but customers who paint their bridges must ensure that the surface is clean and dry before painting - washing in a strong detergent followed by thorough rinsing and drying works well. Use a primer formulated for aluminium alloy surfaces and allow ample drying time in a warm, dry environment before top coating.

Custom bridges

The quickest and most economical approach to a custom design is to base it on standard parts. Send us an e-mail or call to discuss your ideas and requirements. A request for something you don't see in the illustrations will sometimes lead to a new product that will be of general interest.
The picture below shows a 'special' built for a large 0n30 railway, using mostly modified standard parts.

The present maximum lengths are 36 inches (914 mm) for single plate girders and 42 inches (1,067 mm) for trusses.

Curved masonry viaducts have been common for centuries, but there was rarely such a thing as a horizontally curved steel bridge until the development of modern welded box girder highway bridges. Most bridges that appear to be curved consist of  a series of straight sections, and this is what we do when we are asked to build a curved bridge. For a sharply curved bridge, the girders will be trapezoidal in plan, as in the example shown here:

Bridge strength and stiffness

GME bridges are certainly quite light...

But they are strong...

The original design specification said there must be negligible deflection with a 25 lb (11 kg) locomotive at the middle of the longest span. The picture shows about 74 lb (34 kg) of bricks stacked at the middle of a TR42. We'll do some more scientific testing, but we feel your heaviest rolling stock will be safe!

A knitted bridge

Nothing to do with GME this time, but here is the Main Street Bridge in Cambridge, Ontario; normally just an unattractive mass of Depression era concrete with a false bowstring girder superstructure. However, for a few weeks in autumn 2010, it was transformed by hundreds of local residents into a lively and colourful collage of knitted items of all kinds, celebrating the town's history in the textile industry.

Installation kits

A set of support plates and cleats tailored to your installation can be supplied with your bridge. A small charge may be made for more complex sets. They allow for thermal expansion and contraction over a wide temperature range for outdoor applications. Details from gme@bell.net

Scales and gauges

For a good description of the principal scales and gauges, Roundhouse Engineering welcomes visitors to their website. The page headed 'Scales and Gauges' in their technical section provides plenty of helpful information (thanks to Chris Loxley).

Track

The bridge decks are designed to accept the popular makes of prefabricated track, such as Aristocraft and LGB for 45 mm gauge, and Peco, Atlas, Gargraves and Lionel for 32 mm. Guard timbers are provided on all decks, and the track fits between them. For a more prototypical appearance, the rails can be chaired or spiked directly to the deck cross timbers.