Making ties and big bridge completed

 My last day to work on the track started out rainy so I finished up some more ties.  I use a self made tie jig to predrill the holes for the screws at just the right distance apart.

 The jig is just a short piece of angled aluminum bought at the local big box store.  It was cut to size and then I screwed on an old tie with just enough space for a tie to fit snuggly in it.  The holes were drilled with just the right spacing so when the rail is slipped through the screws it is in the proper guage.

Screws were then screwed into the predrilled holes.  Now I can slide the tie on the rails, space them right and then hand tighten them down.  I bought a tool from Real Trains to put on the ties and keep them at the exact gauage when I tighten the screws down in the field.

The weather cleared enough for me to lay out the last 8 feet of the bridge/trestle.  I laid the cedar 2x4's on top so it had a look of a curve instead of three straight sections.  Now just the last 3 feet or so of fill needed at the other end and then I can lay the rail and connect the line.

Making the big bridge

 A few days of good to mediocre weather allows me to got to the point where you see the begining of the line from the end.  But we have a decent gulch that must be bridged to connect the line.  Can't avoid a bridge here.

 This was the last bit of curved track that had to be run from the small bridge over the stream .  No boulders, minimal grade, good weather, pretty easy going.

 This is a view of the gulch from the begining side.  I've laid out eight foot 2x8's to figure where to dig the posts.

I dug the first two post holes and drilled out 4x4 posts then bolted on the 2x8's.  Put them in the ground to see where to dig the next set of holes.  I made it bridge have a 1% grade to avoid having to have too much of a grade to reach the low spot of the little bridge.

 ‏ These 2x8's are bolted directly onto the 4x4's.  There is a 24 inch span between them and I'm using cedar 2x4's as ties to lay the track on.  I decided to add a third 2x8 joist between them to make it extra solid.  I did this by attaching a 2x8 accross the edge and using a joist hanger to attach the third 2x8 joist.  Once both ends were in I filled the post holes with quickrete fast set for post holes.

Since this end will need to accomodate joists from both sides, and since there will be an angle between them (this is a curved bridge) I'm using 2x6 cross beams to rest the ends of the beams on.  These are screwed to the 2x4's and 2x6's and a metal strap will connect each 2x8 to the next one.

 The completed joisted bridge frame with the middle 2x8's in place.  I used 1 1/2 inch trap rock for the approach for stability, this will be covered with the standard 3/4 inch trap rock (in use as ballast around the rest of the track) before the rail is laid.

 Cedar 2x4's cut and laid out, not secured yet.  Looks like a bridge!

The rail still needs to be attached to the bridge but the excitement is building as the two ends of the line are within spitting distance.  I haven't finally decided whether to continue the bridge or to fill in the gap with stone and dirt.  Looks like alot of (heavy) 5 gallon buckets so I think I'll extend the bridge a little more.  A gold spike ceremony is in the near future!