Bascale bridge redesign

[Ralph S]

Has anyone tried to extend the length of a bascule bridge?

I have a doorway that I want my train line to cross.  I've seen the different designs where:
1)    Place a section piece of wood that can be pickup and moved out of the doorway path.
2)    Where a section of wood has been hinged on one side of the doorway and the other side swings into and out of place.
3)    Another similar section of wood (holding the train track) that is hinged and lifts up or down to allow passage to and from the doorway.
4)   Where a section of wood and track crosses the door pathway and you just have to bend underneath it to get to and from the train layout.

Well, (hope noone steals my idea) and places it on U-tube before I do. 
But here it is in a nutshell.   

I want to take a bascule bridge (motorized version) and lengthened it to accommodate the Bachmann (HO 99415) 36 inch EZ track.   I have noticed that this track is pretty sturdy in its own right, and adding the support structure that lengthens the bridge could enhance my doorway path where entering and exiting can be much more fun and enjoyable.   I understand that the added weight of the extra length of the bridge- I would have to counter weight at the ballast of the bridge.  Basically equalize the weight of the track and the weight so the bridge motor only sees equalized forces going up or down.

The biggest issue I will have is stopping the train before it enters the bridge if someone wants to open the bridge, and prevent someone from opening the bridge if the train is already on the bridge or approaching it.   I am a novice in train signaling and motion delays so any advice would be helpful at this point in time.  I have knowledge of time delays but trains run at different speeds and a time delay could timeout and cause a train accident.

And Yes. If I get it to work I'll venture onto U-tube and start a new experience.      

[Terry Toenges]

Cool idea. I didn't know that Bachmann had previously made one. I just saw a Youtube video on their bridge. Is that motor strong enough to do that? Would you have to build some type of tower with weight on the pivot end to help it along? Maybe that's what you are trying to explain.

[jward]

I think you're getting ahead of yourself a little bit here. Having control circuitry to stop trains when the bridge is open is nice and all, but your main concern should be devising a method of making sure the rails align perfectly each and every time you close the bridge. Without that, all other work will be a moot point, as the bridge will derail anything you try to run over it. It has been my experience that, while liftout sections look good on paper, liftout sections like you are planning are an endless source of frustration and derailments. The only sure fire way I've found to maintain alignment is the rail joiners themselves. If you can find a way to keep everything in line, down to a couple of millimeters tolerance, your idea should work. If you can't do that, I'd suggest you look at the tried and true methods of Ntrak and other modular groups for bridging the gap between sections that are routinely taken apart. Those involve the use of short, removable pieces on non roadbed track to bridge the joints between modules.

[Ralph S]

That concern for alignment of the rails is, of course, not easy, but very doable.  Everyone does it everyday, for example plugging in the coffee pot.  The electrical connections meet up and provide the AC through a tight connection. The rails would be no different.  That is, connecting the bridge section to the permanent portion of the rails.  Actually the hard part is getting the bridge out of the connection like the AC plug when you pull it out of the socket.  I've never hear of Ntrak.   That- I'll go research, maybe get some additional ideas.   Thanks for commenting your concern, which I'll keep most heartily in mind.   

[Ralph S]

...didn't know that Bachmann had previously made one.  ...Is that motor strong enough to do that? Would you have to build some type of tower with weight on the pivot end to help it along?

Good questions all.  I'll try to answer since at this point in time, it's only a concept.  Bachmann's Bascale Bridge is too small.  I was looking at the Walters Bascale bridge.   Is the motor strong enough to handle that?  Don't know at this point.  But I do have a motor that is geared and could provide the power.  The Bridge building would have to be enlarged to accommodate the gearing and that motor.  The design would definitely have to have additional weight at the pivot end.  I've got some heavy weights that will work.  The question I have is, will the pivots of the bridge, being made of plastic support the operation of the bridge and not wear out quickly?  In my experience two pieces of plastic rubbing or rolling along each other don't last long.

[jward]

Making electrical connections through connectors is only part of the problem. That is easily solvable. Keeping the rails in perfect alignment so that you don't derail is at least as important. That is the main purpose of rail joiners. And with a bascule type bridge , you won't be able to have rail joiners. The bridge itself right out of the box is designed to keep the rails in line but you are talking about replacing the existing track with something else.

Everybody I know personally who has used some sort of lift out section has replaced them as they were a never ending source of trouble. I do have a friend, however, who used a massive steel truss bridge to span an aisle. You had to duck under the bridge to get past it but the trains never had any problems on the bridge because it was permanently mounted. The rail joints at either end were soldered just to make sure everything stayed in line even if the bridge was walked into or otherwise bumped. We used to back cuts of up to 20 cars across the bridge from the yard to the mine all the time.