Posts: 2,428
Threads: 63
Joined: Dec 2008
I read, a long time ago, that a train moving from ballasted track to a solid structure would feel a bump. This was confirmed by observation (in fact, the seat of the pants method) over years of commuting.
David
Moderato ma non troppo
Perth & Exeter Railway Company
Esquesing & Chinguacousy Radial Railway
In model railroading, there are between six and two hundred ways of performing a given task.
Most modellers can get two of them to work.
Posts: 335
Threads: 27
Joined: Dec 2008
BR60103 Wrote:I read, a long time ago, that a train moving from ballasted track to a solid structure would feel a bump. This was confirmed by observation (in fact, the seat of the pants method) over years of commuting.
I was thinking about that myself the other day. My father was one of the founding members of a scenic railway in SE Ohio, and as a result, I did a lot of train riding when young. We had one through-girder bridge on line, and when passing over it, the quality of the ride was harsher (I assume vibration of the bridge) and noisier!
Matt
Matt Goodman
Columbus, Ohio
Posts: 4,553
Threads: 100
Joined: Dec 2008
In any case, the one common detail of a ballasted deck bridge, is some structure is needed on the sides, to contain the ballast.
Most commonly, it would be a "through girder" bridge, or a stone arch, with raised sides.
We always learn far more from our own mistakes, than we will ever learn from another's advice.
The greatest place to live life, is on the sharp leading edge of a learning curve.
Lead me not into temptation.....I can find it myself!
Posts: 989
Threads: 55
Joined: Dec 2008
This all builds a strong case for ballasting the portions between the ties for my trestle.
The engineering behind the reason is what I'm finding more and more interesting.
Thanks very much guys for all this info!
Mark
Citation Latitude Captain
--and--
Lt Colonel, USAF (Retired)
Posts: 335
Threads: 27
Joined: Dec 2008
You know Herc, in spite of all the prototypical advantages of a closed deck, I think open decks just look more interesting!
(If I didn't already believe that, Doc Wayne's Maitland River crossing scenes may have sealed it!)
Matt Goodman
Columbus, Ohio