Added lateral bumper rollers.

Vessel Traffic Lights.

Balcony assortments. In real life, both (A) and (B) boxes contain gearing and winches for operating the span cable drive. The span motor is in centre of span hut. Differential axles go to each box. The other boxes contain (as far as I know) an auxilary generator, and stores for maintenance.

CapnMac82

Bish

i think my head would explode.

Nothing a good cuppa would not set straight   I've seen your skills.

I too have seen Bish's skills. I agree whole heartedly.

Bish

...The amount of things you have to think about, i think my head would explode.

Just brilliant. And ditto on the video of this is action.

Thanks Bish for compliment.

As you already know, it is mainly about focusing on one step at a time and the journey/results will take care of itself.

Yes, I will have to make a video (if it works).

Bish

i think my head would explode.

When ever i see a project like this, the first thing that goes through my head is where do you even start. I have enough trouble putting a plastic kit together without missing somthing and that has instructions. The amount of things you have to think about, i think my head would explode.

Just brilliant. And ditto on the video of this is action.

Thank you Bish, T.B., and Mike for your support. 

I'll give him the Michelangelo answer next time.

__________________________________________

Finished the framework. Now for the span hut. The hut base plate has three balconies, and gangways. Used 3 mm MDF.

Used matchsticks for railing posts. The extra plate on the base is the hut floor. It also serves as a guide for attaching the hut walls.

Added the cable anchoring points. Included longitudinal bumper rollers, made from microswitch actuator arms, to stop span getting caught up with the tower framework. Added a photo-coupler to trigger the vessel traffic lights (on the span). Once the span has reached the top of the tower a blind fits between the U slot to cut the light beam across the U. This then triggers the vessel traffic lights to change from red to green.

The wires have been routed along the framework and through the hut floor.

Perhaps you should tell the curator the same thing Michalangelo told the Pope when he asked "When will you have an end?" The artist looked down from his scaffold in the Sistine Chapel and responded "When I am finished."

What a great project you are building. I would also hope to see a video of it in operation...when you are finished.

Mike

Hi Peter ;

 Well , That's the way things work .They can't do it so they push to meet their schedule .You'll do okay though .T.B.

4x8, blimey. Well, just remind him that patience is a virtue

Added the wiring, tested for continuity, then filled with wood putty, sanded and gave it a few coats of acrylic undercoat.

Thanks Bish and Gamera for your compliments.

Bish, Yeah it is big, but that is what the curator wanted. Originally I wanted the towers to fit across the width of the console (forgetting the rest). But I had to fill in the 4 x 8 foot display area. So its the whole bridge. Now he is asking me why it is taking so long 

Wow, she's coming along great! 

Blimey, i didn't realise it would be so big.

From Masonite I built the road base, curbing, and footpath onto the span.

Chiselled out trenches for inlaying wires for the navigational lights, and contacts, located under the span.

Drew up a template for making the span framework from 6 mm square Tasmanain Oak. Wires will be routed along the vertical beams of the frame (they will go to the span hut). Doweled the framework to the span.

During this time I got the idea for making the cable anchoring points to the span frame. I soldered half a fishing swivel to the 3 mm bolt heads. The swivel will relieve any twisting of the cables.

mmthrax

Really, really neat stuff.  Carry on sir. 

Thank you mmthrax.

Really, really neat stuff.  Carry on sir. 

Gave the bridge and water area a few coats of acrylic undercoat. The holes you see, where span fits, are for wires used as contact points. There are eight. These provide power and data to and from the span.

There are several fender piers around the span section. The outer fender groups have navigational (red and green) lights from there center piers. These have been drilled out to accommodate the wiring and 3 mm LED.

Tanker - Builder

Hi , Peter !

 Nice idea with the boat . Now that said .Take the vessel and build a small overhanging deck with semi-flat ends , after removing the Bulwarks . . Go up one level and take the wheelhouses , Blend into one and put in the center . Viola ! One small double ender ! She would have probably one life boat ! 

 You can use the bulwark material to build up the sides of the passenger area .

 

Thank you Tanker - Builder for your ideas.

Striker8241

Very nice work and good job on the power supply!  I'm ok with the electronics and the ship model, but I'd balk at the wood work. Glad you're doing it and not me Looking forward to seeing this thing fly... or rather float....

Cheers,

Russ

 

Thank you Russ for your compliment and supporting comments.

Hi , Peter !

 Nice idea with the boat . Now that said .Take the vessel and build a small overhanging deck with semi-flat ends , after removing the Bulwarks . . Go up one level and take the wheelhouses , Blend into one and put in the center . Viola ! One small double ender ! She would have probably one life boat ! 

 You can use the bulwark material to build up the sides of the passenger area .

Very nice work and good job on the power supply!  I'm ok with the electronics and the ship model, but I'd balk at the wood work. Glad you're doing it and not me Looking forward to seeing this thing fly... or rather float....

Cheers,

Russ

Thank you Gamera for supportive comments.

________________________________________

Start of building the bridge.

Oh wow, that's really cool! Love how the former actual controls are worked into the display. And good call on the boat, sounds much easier than trying to rig some system so it can turn around. 

Love to see a video clip of the whole thing in operation when finished if possible. 

Tanker - Builder

Ok Pete .

Here's a solution to the boat shape . A double ended passenger ferry .Problem of direction solved !

Thanks Tanker-Builder, that is a great idea . Wish I had thought of that, or joined the forum, earlier.

Just before Christmas I ordered two cheap model wooden fishing boat kits from China. Last month I built and joined two bow sections. I will show how they turned out later.

However, here is the online photo of the kit boat, and I edited it to see what 2 x bow sections will look like. The boat is short in length too, which gives the appearance of the boat further away, and having more time to travel under the bridge.

Ok Pete .

Here's a solution to the boat shape . A double ended passenger ferry .Problem of direction solved !

The first thing I build for any electronics, with its own Power Supply Unit (PSU), is to build the PSU. From this unit all other circuitry can be designed, proto-boarded, and tested.

This project requires 24, 12 and 5 volts. Each capable of handling 2 amperes. I designed the circuit board to include space and tracks for a spare voltage, source in case I need it.  Though I made sure that only one motor will be on at a time. I do not know what the practicle loads will be. I might need another 12 volt source to handle any excess.

Unserviceable equipment have been cannibalized for spare parts. On this circuit board I used heatsinks from old PC PSUs.

The circuit tested okay.

modelcrazy

This is getting better all the time.

Thank you modelcrazy.

This is getting better all the time.

CapnMac82

This is a cool project.

Ok, like Tanker-Builder, I might have tweaked it a bit.  Like using a pair of rare earth magnets to both float and drive the boat.  In 1/72 scale, I would have a full set of working lights (from the railroad section), too.

Now, I would include a small sound system, too.  That's because the boat, per local waterway regulations typically halts and signals the bridge with a horn.  The bridge operator then sounds his horn when the bridge is fully raised, at which point the bot can proceed.   At a distance downstream from the bridge, the bridgekeepr sounds the horn again (3 short in US inland waters IIRC) to caution the boat that the way back is about to be blocked.

Ok, that's a bunch more work, but also incredibly prototypical for a museum setting.

That's my 2¢, spend it wisely 

Bakster

Wow. What a project. I will be following. 

Thanks for following.