Hey folks, I am trying to find a(some) base structure for an elevated train. I have piers and track but it just doesn't look right. I would like to find some sort of structure(s) that looks like the frame work for the EL. Any ideas where to look for prefabbed items on a budget?

Hi remastoy,

Unfortunately there really isn't anything pre-fab that works on a budget. Your best bet is probably going to be to scratch-build something. It could be real simple or more elaborate. Steve Olsen has a great tutorial here:

Modeling the El

Your only other option would be the MTH subway bridges, but they're not very prototypical.



O Subway Trestle Bridge

Thanks for the info, I am not much of a scratch modeler, I was hoping to find something already made, Looks as if I am going to upgrade my skills on modeling. (I hope)

If your budget is big Bridge Solutions makes some pretty nice stuff

Build it with Plastruct.

There is another company that makes steel el-- He is semi retired and only makes to order(I think). website is www.steeltoys.com

These were cut from wood; the web cords were cut first then the top and bottom chords were attached. I cuts 6 webs at a time on my band saw. I use CorelDraw to create the template that was spray glue mounted so it could be removed.



This shows the trusses without the top and bottom chords.



this shows the underside Girders.

EL - Atlas H.O. girder bridges turned upsidedown and some Lionel supports is the cheapest and fastest way to make an EL.
If you want the real deal, you will have to copy Joe Franks.
EL Link -
http://community-2.webtv.net/n...TransitEL/page2.html
Joe Franks O Scale EL -


See post - http://ogaugerr.infopop.cc/eve...41028214/m/252107951

Steve

Using trusses not girders




And a Girder view



Of the two types of supports I think the trusses are more interesting than the (Blah!)"easy to make" girders.

Check out wwww.steeltoys.com. I bought my el from him.

The top photo is an "HO" elevated that I made in the 80's out of basswood.
The lower photo is the "O" scale el made by Steel toys...this was re painted and weathered to make it more protypical

quote:

Bridge Solutions

I keep hearing about Bridge Solutions do they have products on a web site?

No, Bridge Solutions doesn't have a website. Ben could probably get you Brian's contact info.

hey, how did u do the el with basswood? Im actually trying to make one for m o scale sets, and have an idea for it, but just wanted some more ideas

My basswood El wasn't as intricate as AlanRails wood El is,[ which happens to look great], it is just a plain jane girder structure. I used Walthers Goo to hold the pieces together initially then ran a bead of Zap Gap down the seams when i had everything lined up. I think with O scale, it would have to be beefed up more to handle the weight of the MTH subway sets...maybe using small metal "L" brackets and nuts and bolts. I'm not sure what ties the Bridge Solutions pieces together but that is made from wood.
I tried originally to make the O scale El from plastruct and evergeen styrene, but it was really flimsy. That's when i bought some of the Steel Toys El to play with. it is nice but very expensive if you need a long run of it. you have to figure the steel toys El will run about $45.00 per foot

Thought I'd revive this thread. I've seen suggestions elsewhere, but still weighing the options. I LIKE the truss style pictured on here, but I'm not so crazy about the apparent length of thime it would take. Im not too worried about looking perfectly prototypical, I just want something that evokes the feel, and can be easily knocked together.This is my first project, and I really dont want to get overwhelmed on the first try. hope to be able to have something to show in a few days.

This is a nycsubway.org article on The Design of Elevated Railways. Some good diagrams for anyone who wants to work on their own.

http://www.nycsubway.org/articles/en_ch13.html

Bill that is a great link, thanks for posting!

Note that NYC subway article WAS the state of the Art in 1915, not today.

Most of these structure have been replaced or should have been replaced. However if you want to model that era then that is the way they did things.

The article in the link references the design concepts adopted for the "Dual Contracts" extensions to the system that were begun about 1915-16 and completed over the next decade or so. These designs were capable of handling the largest subway cars which were designed and placed in service about that time including the BMT Standards, D types and the IRT LoV's as well as all the R series cars deployed a decade later and beyond.

This program constructed all of the IRT subway extensions in the Bronx, The BMT extensions in Brooklyn and Queens , and the joint operated Flushing and Astoria lines. These are all in service today with the most modern of Subway cars . What has been removed is the Jamaica ave line East of the LIRR crossing since the Jamaica el was rerouted into the Archer Avenue Subway, and much of the great trackway complexes at Atlantic Ave and Queensboro Plaza due to simplification in service. There were no new Els completed after this period, save for subway extentions which connected Subway lines to existing Els in some cases. Thus the design drawings shown in the article would be very prototypical of structures that subway cars of today operate on in New York City.

So for modeler looking to replicate a typical design El to be used with Subway car offerings from MTH and Lionel, An El structure following these design drawings would be as close to Prototype one might get for alsmost all eras one might model, from when the Lov's and Standards were new and first ran to the very latest R series cars now in service.