Cast Iron Bridge tops

[Mr Bones]

I'm thinking of adding a bridge similar to or maybe even this one Cast Iron Bridge
My question regards how the top of a bridge like this would look. Would it be rails laid on sleepers with normal ballast or planking? Or would the rails be inlaid into the planking? or would it maybe of been girders?
Any advice welcome.

[bulleidboy]

Hi Tony - does this help??

51090290507 by Barry Clayton, on Flickr

[Walkingthedog]

I laid mine without ballast. My thoughts were on a bridge the track isn’t going to move and doesn’t need drainage.

[Brian]

Its quite usual for BR tracks on metal bridges to be laid on Longitudinal Wheel Timbers, which are long and very wide and deep bulks of timber running along underneath each rail. The Wheel Timbers are often held apart by cross timbers or metal ties and the rails are held in place on top of the wheel timbers by the metal rail chairs.
For simplicity WTD has the right idea of just laying the sleepered track onto the deck of the model bridge. It can be laid loose (Not ideal IMO) or lightly glued to the bridge decking to retain the track. Ballast is rarely (if ever?) used on metal bridges in the UK. But there is quite probably a metal bridge somewhere that is ballasted?

Image curtesy of Network Rail

[Walkingthedog]

I did intend to cut the sleeper away between the rails but never got round to it.

[Mr Bones]

Thank you everyone that does really help. I suspected it wouldn't be ballast, but couldn't find suitable photos. I think planking will be the way ahead, probably using cut down coffee stirrers.

Which bridge is that WD or is it scratch built? I love the rivet detail - No I won't be counting them

Most I've seen don't have that level of detail.

[Walkingthedog]

It’s a KS Laser O gauge bridge. They do an OO version.

https://kslaserdesigns.com/OO-scale/OO- ... -bowstring

[Conmaira]

Its quite usual for BR tracks on metal bridges to be laid on Longitudinal Wheel Timbers, which are long and very wide and deep bulks of timber running along underneath each rail. The Wheel Timbers are often held apart by cross timbers or metal ties and the rails are held in place on top of the wheel timbers by the metal rail chairs.
For simplicity WTD has the right idea of just laying the sleepered track onto the deck of the model bridge. It can be laid loose (Not ideal IMO) or lightly glued to the bridge decking to retain the track. Ballast is rarely (if ever?) used on metal bridges in the UK. But there is quite probably a metal bridge somewhere that is ballasted?

Image curtesy of Network Rail

According to a US model railway site, plate girder bridges are often ballasted but that could be just US practice?

I also have a vague memory of LT overhead line bridges being ballasted but could be totally wrong. Their bridges tend to be a lot shorter so it may have appeared to be ballasted but in reality wasn't!