Bridges & Waterholes | Bandit Canyon Railway

This week, we've got three projects in one! Follow along as I finish Bandit Canyon with desert waterholes modeled with epoxy resin, add a mine car track and dump trestle to the mine tunnel, and build a spindly wooden trestle/truss bridge to span the canyon itself.
Thanks for watching, amigos!
Dave
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Music courtesy KZbin Audio Library, attribution given where available.
"Country Cue 1" and "Mountain Sun" courtesy of Audionautix, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommons.org/licenses/...
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"Western Spaghetti" - by Chris Haugen, KZbin Audio Library

[@mikediehl1468]

Interesting! You used epoxy to stick the wooden bridge to the rails. I had a thought...except for the switches, all plastic ties could be replaced for homemade wooden ties. A rail gauge tool could keep the correct scale width. Aluminum foil squares for tie plates and tie spikes can simulate spiked rails.🤔

[@Itstheminiatureguy]

This is awesome. I just love seeing this world come together

[@russellpoland6637]

Absolutely fascinating Dave! Watching You work on the layout with its many wondrous facets of geological and architectural design elements is such a visual treat for ones' imagination, it is overwhelming to the senses! There is so much to see and take in!! WOW! Your videos could be longer as far as I am concerned! WOW! Just so much to take in! Thank You so much for sharing with Us here in tubeland! Take Care, Be Safe, God Bless, Later

[@ThunderMesaStudio]

Thank you so much

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Looking so great!

[@RyanGallagher-LostRoadbed]

Definitely borrowing the truss-rod layer on the bridge, it's the solution to a problem I've been up against.

[@debbiegipson4512]

"Thinking outside of the box is unnecessary when there are no boxes in your imagination"- Matshona Dhliwayo Your calm folksy, easy peasy narration belies your amazing as heck finished product...another great one!

[@FunAtDisney]

Again I am amazed by your thought process and execution of that bridge. But like so many other activities or hobbies it pays off when you think several steps ahead. A pro golfer doesn’t just hit the ball, they think several shots ahead from tee to green. A great gardener thinks months or seasons ahead on how something will grow. Same with a great cook and so on. In the long wrong a little planning saves time and frustration.

[@markdeschane4467]

The joints on your bridge stringers are actually scarf joints! Have you ever seen Clothes Pins Flipped over and run through the springs backwards to produce Clmps with a longer reach. Very handy!!!

[@ThunderMesaStudio]

I knew there was a better term for it. Thanks!

[@vincenthuying98]

Dear Dave, once more my compliments for the footage you shared in this video. The several angles at which you filmed the scenic work inside the Bandit Canyon truly reflects what you announced some months ago in your wish and plan to, let’s say, the connection of the different vistas over and through the different scenes and locations the several layouts in your studio provide. It truly adds to the atmosphere, visual experience and the illusion there’s more beyond the separate layout footprints, without backdrops obscuring such vistas. Love the way you added depth to the canyon with the water pools and the mine dump trestle scene. Absolutely beautiful how the wooden truss trestle bridge came together and further enhances the perspective into the gorge. On the mine spur, even though you said it will only be decorative, I would like to suggest an animated version with a cable system for the ore cars. It may just need a short cable and winch to pull the ore cars inside until they’re outside of view. Hard part may be to get the cars back on the trestle as your mine track is rather level. In addition to the animated ore cars, and the already present speakers you installed to create ambient sound for the layout, it may be cool to add a speaker to the mine with a separate sound file, consisting of ore cars running on bumpy mine tracks, working miners communicating in muffled orders and sound, the distinct sound of jackhammers, fire in the hole warning shouts and the most ominous irregular explosion effect. These suggestions just for the sake of it and in sincerity, no push, as I most definitely appreciate all the innovative work and ideas you’re putting into your layout projects and truly enjoy the videos you share. Cheerio

[@ThunderMesaStudio]

Thank you so much

[@pauldice74]

I so much love watching your videos every week. It makes my weekend! Continue icendido

[@1catnip]

Really cool as always! Remember, a geared locomotive leaves a grease and oil trail on the ties outside of the rails. (Coming to Pittsburgh??)

[@diyfireking]

I'm excited to see this video. You did very well ☺☺

[@jsjs3570]

Awesome as always, Dave! What a wonderful scenery you've crafted!

[@jacko9759]

🎉If you don't want to use two cup use a scale work good. Look great! Like the bridge a lot!!!

[@ThunderMesaStudio]

Good tip

[@jamesezekiel5728]

Excellent bridge build! Thinking outside the box is always good. Thank you!

[@rrswitch48]

On the homestretch! WOW!

[@allenlandis4504]

Well done.Looks eight.

[@waynelevin8408]

Great episode!

[@RobertGoslin]

Another great video Dave, and excellent tutorial on bridge building, both for the canyon crossing and the mine tunnel. The canyon is looking fabulous. Very inspiring.

[@duanewhite3275]

Awesome.

[@RobBean-wf9ie]

Great bridge building, I can see where having a laser cutter comes in very handy…. Nice job, enjoyed the tutorial on the ‘how to’, for the bridges, thanks Dave. The pools are a nice touch too.

[@folkertvanwijk5168]

Nice bridge!

[@NYCJDClark]

Interesting, informative and awesome as always. Great job Dave.

[@vagabondprime1691]

Brilliant work once again! Thank you!

[@cerisekappes580]

Lols so realistic!!! Love the results 😊😊😊

[@mr.e1944]

That bridge looks great!

[@dkaustin98]

Fantastic! You could add some surprising animation for viewers. For the adit, you could add a bear on the end of one mine car and a miner on the other end. Have the two characters in a "push of war." The mine car moves out an inch and then back in an inch and repeats. Then you have a story that kind of replicates holding the tiger by the tail. A mountain lion, taking a ride on a mine car in the train as though he is stalking the engineer as the train orbits will tell another story. Your layouts are just amazing!

[@ravensonxpress]

A very nice Brigde, but it still looks very dangerous.

[@ThunderMesaStudio]

That's the idea!

[@rickvangunten4800]

Really enjoy your attention to detail. Makes all the difference............................>

[@garystrutt2078]

Spectacular!!!

[@cityonahillterrain]

Some sort of hidden bandit camp down in the canyon would be awesome

[@ThunderMesaStudio]

Cool idea!

[@blueberrycheesecakesupremo7947]

Found your channel a few days ago and I'm hooked, You are like the new Bob Ross to me. I come from the wargaming world and you are helping me up my game with the terrain. I've learned so much in just a few days so, Thank you man.

[@ThunderMesaStudio]

Welcome!

[@dstenger]

If you square up the ends of your stirring sticks, you get a better mix.

[@ThunderMesaStudio]

Good tip

[@loispadgett6306]

So enjoyed this build today. You make it look so easy. That added on foot bridge looks great in the canyon. Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us. GOD BLESS 🚂💖🚂💖🚂💖🚂💖

[@ddyodaman5515]

Another enjoyable episode

[@kevin-apemeetsgirl6070]

My anxiety went into overdrive when I saw Dave’s cup measurements were not even! The first cup had the ruler sat on the ridge, the second had the ruler in the bottom of the cup.

[@ThunderMesaStudio]

Lol. It all came out fine.

[@kevin-apemeetsgirl6070]

I don’t doubt that! It always does!

[@davevan8864]

Very Knott's feel!!!! Thanks!

[@Hellonwheels66]

Another job well done, Dave!

[@dekon70]

Outstanding tutorial and work Dave!!

[@montemullen2801]

You could fold paper airplanes and make it entertaining and educational. Love your work.

[@ThunderMesaStudio]

Thank you!

[@Phoenixknight79]

I posted this same comment in another video, I'm needing some advice on how to make the rocks like you have made up. I am working on a Santa Fe display case model for one of my units and I would like to as some carved rocks that look like they came from the Santa Fe area....

[@ThunderMesaStudio]

All the information is in the video. In the previous video, I detail the entire process, from raw foam to finished scenery. Is there something missing?

[@royreynolds108]

I was going to suggest a different bridge but decided I liked this one. My comment is toward real bridge construction, namely, the trestle bents would have been framed instead of driven because of the rocky terrain. Driving piling in this terrain would have been rather futile. The company would have more access to cut timbers than piling because of all the mining. If the total span is 48 feet, a single span of either a deck or through Howe truss would be appropriate. Howe trusses were made up to 150 feet long.

[@ThunderMesaStudio]

I know. Thank you. This was more fun than a single Howe truss. And fun is the entire point in this case.

[@markdeschane4467]

Dave, How dows the ore get from the end of track on your mine, get to it's next process?

[@ThunderMesaStudio]

Disney magic. But seriously, these mines had many more than one exit/shaft/adit/entrance. In this case, probably by pack mule.

[@thomasfrench2012]

Not of great importance, more of a curiosity. As the BCRy is a portable layout, did you glue the ore cars into place? If so, did you use rubber cement?

[@ThunderMesaStudio]

No, the ore cars are not glued down and will be removed fro transport.