The Rubber & Rawhide Railroad

Progress Report for 13th October 2008

This Page Created on December 31st, 2008

Frozen Frog Falls Bridge Landings Indentified

Leather Oaks Bridge location set!

The Frozen Frog Falls bridge, also termed the Leather Oaks bridge for the pond it traverses, has had its Western and Eastern landing points identified. As depicted in the photo at left, the Western landing is almost exactly behind the Sago palm. A firm earth footprint has been identified just outside the rock border of the Leather Oaks pond. The Eastern landing is somewhat easier to spot in the photo, as just to the left of the two rock mounds on the gravel shoulder of the pond. The total span between supports is of roughly nine feet (108 inches). The other roadbed construction boards rough out the approaches to this span from both sides.

Frozen Frog Falls bridge nears completion!

The entire bridge has been constructed by the Rubber and Rawhide Railroad Support Structures Shop off-site. We think the mosquito load of the pond side site was too much to contemplate. Of course, engineering insisted that better tools and more careful design and assembly were the predominant factors affecting that choice. The picture at right shows one "girder section" sub-assembly nearing completion. In the linked photo, all sub-assemblies have been completed and are laid out in approximate location on the upside down on the two 62-inch roadbed sections.

Bridge Reinforcement .

The intent of the FFF bridge design was to provide enough strength to minimize flexing of the roadbed, while not detracting from the natural wonders of the Frozen Frog Falls themselves. Our engineering section neglected to consider the effects that the abrupt transition from full to half depth truss -- necessary to open up Leather Oaks pond viewers aspects -- would have on the bridge's rigidity. As soon as assembled on the Red Porch chair work site, an pronounced sag was noted near the Western end of the bridge span!

Bridge Painting and Sag Removal

As redesign at this point would have been rather costly, and involve more arcane woodwork skills, an executive decision was made to sacrifice one of the aluminum splice plates along the practically hidden (North) side of the bridge. In photo at right, the now spray painted rear (North) side of the bridge reveals that the sag was effectively removed.

FFF Bridge Dress Colors.

The last photo shows the new bridge with its first coat of an appropriate railroad red paint. Of course, the top surface of the roadbed will maintain the R&R standard of flat black for all elevated trackage. After this photo was made, aluminum splice plates were installed at each end of the structure. After another coat of paint tomorrow, assistance may be requested for relocating the completed structure to its pond spanning final site! .