# Trying to design a lift or lift-out bridge to span doorway



## Paul Kallus (Jan 15, 2016)

Hi,

I am trying to figure out the best way to span a doorway - either lift bridge (hinged) or lift-out type bridge. I think the latter type may be best but am open to suggestions. I have numerous articles saved but nothing has given me the confidence. 

Ross makes a deck girder bridge that could be used as a lift out bridge, or I could just make one out of wood and screws, add some Lionel girders.

For a lift out bridge I need specs on how to make the electrical contacts work - I am thinking spring-type contacts where the bridge weight would compress springs and make contact between metal plates on the underside of the bridge, but am not sure about parts, etc.

I added some pictures but they're not showing up. Every internet site has a different way of adding attachments.


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## Volphin (Dec 7, 2015)

I really like what this guy did. Check out his bridge setup. Something like that may work for you…


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## Paul Kallus (Jan 15, 2016)

Thanks for the video - that bridge works nice. He mentioned "Tom Tee" has the builder, I wonder what the cost was, and how to get in touch with Tom Tee? It may be prohibitively expensive but it gave me an idea - mainly the brass dowels that are attached to bridge deck and plug into the holes.


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## Volphin (Dec 7, 2015)

The brass dowels are what make this unit so stable. I like it too!


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Paul go back and do this,

Inserting,
All you need to do is go back to the post where the pictures are and click edit,
then advanced edit.
then look up top and click on the paper clip,
then click whatever shows.
If you only have one picture it will just be a link click on it.
more then one picture will say insert all click on it.
All your pictures will show as pictures.

Every time you upload a picture after it uploads go back and click the paper clip a second time then click whatever shows.
It inserts the pictures as pictures instead of a link.

We only have 48 hours to edit, if you miss that ask a mod to insert them for you.
__________________(I am told we have a week now, but someone else said no, so it is at least 48 hrs to edit.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Just wire the bridge separately?
Use a plug so you could unplug it?

Edit, I posted this before I watched the video.hwell:

That looks like the best way to go for you as where your at is a tight fit for a drop down or hinged up section.
I think a lift out fits your spot better.


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## Guest (Jan 27, 2016)

Paul, Vernon Peachey (shows at the York Meet) has a fabulous lift bridge. Check him out.


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## Hudson J1e (Nov 19, 2015)

Tom Tee is Tom Thorpe. He posts on OGR sometimes. He used to have a website called curvedbenchwork.com. I don't know if it is still up. He isn't cheap but does excellent work.


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## SDIV Tim (Nov 19, 2015)

The bridge at Paradise and Pacific has this cool bridge, you can talk to Dallas Dixon or Bill Lazenby and they can help you out.The website is acting funky with me so I can't help you that much. But Bill is at OGR and his username is aznjbill and welcome aboard the MTF.


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## Mark Boyce (Jul 22, 2015)

Paul, I will have a similar issue when our last daughter moves out, and I take over her room for a layout. Your benchwork looks great!

BTW, I do not see any indication of Volphin's video. Is it still there and I just can't see it, or did it disappear??


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## Paul Kallus (Jan 15, 2016)

Hi,

Thanks all. 

Mark, I still see the video.

Brian, I had contacted Vernon - nice bridges but out of my price range, and they don't swing open 90 degrees.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

For our modular club, we build a lift-bridge section in one four foot module. It lifts more than 90 degrees and allows you to open it and walk in and out without holding it. It has heavy duty hinges on one side and two 1/2" steel pins mating with brass cups on the receiving end. There are two micro switches to sense the bridge is open and kill power to the adjacent modules until it's down.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> For our modular club, we build a lift-bridge section in one four foot module. It lifts more than 90 degrees and allows you to open it and walk in and out without holding it. It has heavy duty hinges on one side and two 1/2" steel pins mating with brass cups on the receiving end. There are two micro switches to sense the bridge is open and kill power to the adjacent modules until it's down.


A nice bridge eliminates the duck under problem nicely . :smilie_daumenpos:

But technically it would be a drawbridge. 

Is that wood with a metal base? Or all metal?
What is it made of?


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

The frame is all wood, both sides are a single piece of 3/4" plywood for dimensional stability. The base of the bridge is a 1/2" thick sheet of polycarbonate and the bridge base is metal. Together they make a very rigid structure. The rail ends are tapered and as the bridge lifts, the rails cam up so they clear the fixed rail. It has survived many trips and still works well.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

I bet whoever built it could make a few bucks selling them.
A lot would like to have one and I guess some don't have the skills to make one.


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## Laidoffsick (Sep 20, 2015)

We have 2 liftout bridges that span the entrance to the layout. They are 50 plus inches each. They are so long and the surroundings just didn't leave many options for hinging them. Being so long and heavy, it would have been tough to keep them secure at the hinged portion.


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## Lehigh74 (Sep 25, 2015)

The OGR April/May 2014 issue (run 270) has a Backshop article on making hinged sections (both lift-up and drop-down). The April/May 2015 issue has an article on an in-floor wire-way for the walk-thru.


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## DMASSO (Jul 25, 2015)

This is a simple hinged bridge that I made for a club member.


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## Mark Boyce (Jul 22, 2015)

Paul Kallus said:


> Hi,
> 
> Thanks all.
> 
> ...


I see it now. Very nice work. There wasn't anything below the words, before, just white.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Nicely done Don, how to you align the end away from the hinges?


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## DMASSO (Jul 25, 2015)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> Nicely done Don, how to you align the end away from the hinges?


I placed a rest stop so the track would be level and placed a centering pin in the rest stop so the tracks stayed aligned.


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## Paul Kallus (Jan 15, 2016)

Nice work Don, and John.

Does anyone have information on the brass dowels from the video? In theory, they could work to not only align the bridge but also to provide power to the tracks, thus eliminating the need for the wire harness (I don't need relays anyway).

In the video the guy (Rich I think he said) said his layout and bridge are for sale. I kind of doubt that the bridge is the length I need in my price range but does anyone know how to contact him?


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Don't try to use the brass as contacts. In both of the bridge designs, you can power the bridge from the hinge side and have positive connections that aren't subject to a questionable contact area.


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## bluecomet400 (Sep 13, 2015)

Another option might be to contact Jim Ballman of Stainless Unlimited. He's going to build the drawbridge for my layout. Nice guy, very knowledgeable and he has a great website so you can check out his work. I saw one of his bridges in action last March at a Greenberg show, and I was sold. 

www.stainlessunlimited.com


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## Paul Kallus (Jan 15, 2016)

Progress to date: Pictures show lift-out bridge - tolerances are very good - bridge is super strong (2 x 3/4" Birch plywood glued together). The plastic girder I have on one end temporarily is from an old Lionel kit - I'll glue them on to make a continuous plate girder bridge once I figure out the electrical connections.

I need help with wiring: am thinking of using similar approach that the guy on the video from page 1 of this thread used - a wire harness - wires will be soldered onto rails and drilled down through bridge deck - I'll coil enough wire for slack - and then plug into some sort of harness. With Radio Shack gone I am not sure where to get electrical supplies? Anyone have a good source? 

Other option is to use some sort of spring contacts...there's millions of various spring contacts on the internet...but without a store to actually touch and inspect one its a crap shoot. Disadvantage of spring contacts is I will still need to solder to rails - but then will need to wire other end to a metal plate and/or switch, and then have it connect to either a plate or switch.


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## bluecomet400 (Sep 13, 2015)

> I need help with wiring: am thinking of using similar approach that the guy on the video from page 1 of this thread used - a wire harness - wires will be soldered onto rails and drilled down through bridge deck - I'll coil enough wire for slack - and then plug into some sort of harness. With Radio Shack gone I am not sure where to get electrical supplies? Anyone have a good source?



A trailer wiring harness should do the trick. I'm pretty sure that's what I'm going to use on mine--unless someone here says there's a better way. 

http://www.easternmarine.com/4-wire-x-25-split-trailer-harness-kit-v5425y


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I prefer a hinged bridge so you can walk through and just flop it back down. IMO the bridge you have to remove in it's entirety will be a much larger PITA, if you want to carry something through, you have to put it down somewhere.


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## Steamfan77 (Jan 28, 2011)

Nice neat work Paul. I like how you used what looks to be door hardware as a locating pin! 

Andy


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## Lehigh74 (Sep 25, 2015)

Paul Kallus said:


> With Radio Shack gone I am not sure where to get electrical supplies? Anyone have a good source?


Try http://www.digikey.com. Reasonable pricing and shipping charges. Very fast shipping.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I've gotten two Digikey shipments this week, and my total shipping was around $5. Great place, lightning fast shipping, and excellent prices. Did I mention the parts selection is outstanding?


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## Volphin (Dec 7, 2015)

Wow that's a STURDY bridge! Fantastic!


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## Lehigh74 (Sep 25, 2015)

Looks nice Paul. I don’t think you have to worry about it sagging under the weight of a heavy train.

Andy – That locating pin looks to me like an adaptive use of hardware for an adjustable shelf.


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## Paul Kallus (Jan 15, 2016)

That's right - the dowel was adapted from a shelf system.

I'll check out DigiKey and the wiring harness link, thanks.

I miss Radio Shack (and other stores, e.g., Sears) where I could walk into and talk to a live person in person - have good memories of going to the malls. The internet and "world economy" has some convenient aspects but I have to say it stinks in terms of human relations.

I thought long and hard about making this bridge a swing up version - definitely has convenience but I didn't like that I had to install hinges above the railhead (according to Jim Barrett's article); and I didn't trust my skills to get the tolerances as good as the lift-out version, and didn't want to have to cut rails on an angle. I also checked out Stainless Unlimited and Vernon Peachy's lift bridges...very nice but I opted for simple and lower cost (I am way over-budget on this expansion project). I have a cabinet directly beneath this module and once I figure out the wire situation I should be able to store the bridge right under where you see it mounted on the left - in fact it'll probably be stored in that position for the majority of the time.


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## Mark Boyce (Jul 22, 2015)

Paul Kallus said:


> I thought long and hard about making this bridge a swing up version - definitely has convenience but I didn't like that I had to install hinges above the railhead (according to Jim Barrett's article); and I didn't trust my skills to get the tolerances as good as the lift-out version, and didn't want to have to cut rails on an angle. I also checked out Stainless Unlimited and Vernon Peachy's lift bridges...very nice but I opted for simple and lower cost (I am way over-budget on this expansion project). I have a cabinet directly beneath this module and once I figure out the wire situation I should be able to store the bridge right under where you see it mounted on the left - in fact it'll probably be stored in that position for the majority of the time.


Paul,
I am with you on the lift out bridge. I agree with you a hinged bridge would be nicer, but I would go for the simple lift out too for all the reasons you cited. When our last daughter marries and moves out, I will have a similar problem to face as I will be putting a layout in her to be vacated room. Yes, I will have to figure out where to stow away the bridge when I want to carry something through, which will be often. 

Thank you for showing us your solution. Simple and effective.


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## Ron045 (Feb 11, 2016)

Consider the amount of times you might go in and out while Trains are running. My son runs Trains while I'm building or fixing. The workshop is not in the train room so I'm constantly going in and out. I'm very glad I have a hinge to open and close quickly and easily.
Have fun!
Ron


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## Paul Kallus (Jan 15, 2016)

I am open to suggestions on the hinge bridge...other than Jim Barrett's article from 2014 I don't have any specs...he said to bend leaf hinges and ensure the hinged section is above the railhead - and to use a bolt or latch on the other side. Any detailed pictures of what you guys did would be appreciated.


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## bluecomet400 (Sep 13, 2015)

Yes--pictures would be great. I'm building a temporary hinged span for my layout too. I say temporary because the opening will be spanned by a custom bridge by Jim Ballman of Stainless Unlimited. 

My span is 1/2" plywood. Today I attached some 2x4s to the underside of it to straighten out the bends in the plywood.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

The hinge doesn't have to be above the railhead, it just has to have the geometry to lift the bridge tracks away from the fixed tracks. Here's the bridge we made for our modular club. You can clearly see the hinge isn't above the railhead, and it works just fine. The hinges are two large "barn" hinges, and the alignment is accomplished by two bronze cups that 1/2" diameter steel pins drop into. You can see the steel pins at the top of the open section. The combination of the bridge base and the 1/2" clear plastic makes this a very rigid structure.

Yes, you have to cut the rails on an angle on the hinge side for the bridge to lift out and away without hitting, but that's not really an issue, at least IMO.


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## Ron045 (Feb 11, 2016)

*Variable Overlay Pivot Hinge*

I have heard of folks using these hinges. You could conceal them with some lichen.

http://www.hardwaresource.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=6630

Have Fun
Ron


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## Paul Kallus (Jan 15, 2016)

John - its hard to see the hinges and pins in the photos - do you mean the pins align in or on top of the track on the right side - like the Lionel Bascule bridge? 

Ron - those variable overlay hinges could work. 

BlueLine - I spoke to Jim Ballman about his metal lift bridge. I have 2-62" truss bridges he custom built for me about 11-12 years ago that were on my last layout (and I am using them for the current layout along a long wall). I'll post some pictures when done. 

I'll dig out the JB article - 2014 I think - and read it yet again.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

The hinges are hidden below, the pins are the ones you can see sticking out at the top of the open bridge. They mate with matching cups for a perfect alignment when down. When you lift the bridge up, the angled cut on the track on the hinge side allows the rails to pass without hitting. It's not angled much, just enough to allow it to open freely.


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