Product Review by Dave Connery

Goldline Products

If this bridge looks a bit familiar to you I wouldn’t be surprised. Many PCR members may have passed over this very bridge on a steam train. The prototype bridge is a D&RG structure located at Milepost 462.4 west of Denver or about 11 miles north of Durango on the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge. Wouldn’t it be a kick to have a bridge on your layout that you had actually crossed? This is a great little kit that is fun to build, very modestly priced, prototypically accurate and easy to fit into a layout scene. The bridge is a Howe Truss wood bridge rather typical for use in the west in crossing small streams and ditches.

I built the HOn3 version of this bridge and it took me about three evenings (10 hours including staining and weathering). The kit is available from Goldline in either HOn3 or On3 and they are planning to issue an Sn3 version soon. The three foot gauge version could easily be used as a 2 or 2 ½ foot gauge bridge as is. By simply using standard gauge bridge ties and re-spacing the stringers to a 4’ 8 ½" center the kit could be built as a standard gauge bridge and would look great. The kit includes four sides of clearly written instructions on heavy stock paper with a very good isometric drawing and a plan sheet showing top, side and end elevations. The plan sheet is used to construct the sides and deck. The wood is color coded and the first thing I did was stain all pieces, an initial step I would recommend for any wood structure. Construction follow the instructions, step-by-step and no problems or uncertainty arose. The rails (not included) were attached to the deck with Pliobond adhesive and then "set" with the application of a hot soldering iron. The brass tension rods and two types of Grandt Line NBW castings added a very nice touch to the finished model. I simulated nail marks in the guard rails with pin holes every other tie. Material and plans for the wood abutments are also included.

The finished model has a very pleasing look and dimension to it. The tools I used included a single edged razor blade, masking tape, white glue, ACC, a small sanding block, scale rule, a piece of wax paper, oak stain, rust and weathered black paint and a weathering solution. I plan on presenting a clinic at the PCR convention in Bakersfield on wood bridges and expect to have this bridge available as an example. The HOn3 version sells for $17.95 while the On3 version is $34.95. If your dealer does not have this great little kit you can order direct from Goldline by adding $2.00 shipping for the HOn3 version or $3.00 for the On3 version. California residents should include 7.25% Sales Tax. Their address is P.O. Box 947, Jamestown, CA 95327. The owner of this company is John Lloyd. John also produces a line of car kits under the Alamosa Car Shops name. These wood kits currently include HOn3 models of the D&RGW 6000-Series Flat Cars (two cars for $34.95) and the D&RGW #04432 Water Car ($27.95). Write to John for an information sheet on either of these kits or order direct by including $2.00 shipping plus Sales Tax.

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