How I made my O Gauge Lift Bridge

[@SoldierFarmsllc]

Thank you for this great idea. This can be the base for the pass through I need and be the bascule bridge I want to build. The challenge now is that I need to do it at an angle of about 10 degrees or more likely 22.5 degrees so I don't have to hand lay bizarre angles... Love your channel, us old guys gotta stick together.

[@Cbtrainnut]

The duck under thing is fine if you’re 20-30 lol. At 66 with bad knees and bad back there is no way. I’m going to need this when I move my layout. Thanks for sharing!

[@frankbullitt4556]

well said

[@jeffreyhoel]

I use the same saw for cutting Atlas Track. The saw makes the job so easy.

[@Pvilletrains]

It’s my new favorite tool

[@jrtrains1126]

I’ve got the same issue. I’m getting too old bending down beneath the bridge to get inside. Someday I am going to convert my bridge to flip. You given some ideas. Thanks!

[@Tegridyvs]

I’ve been wanting to do something like this with HO for my doorway into the room but couldn’t think how I can do it but this here makes it so simple. Thank you for making this because this gives me such an easy idea to make it work

[@1800clyde]

Nice job on a 1st llift bridge . . . nothing wrong with over-engineering it; it'll be rock-solid.

[@kriswarloe6646]

Thanks for the hinge idea. I just tore apart a cabinet that has these hinges. I'm going to give it a try. I'm on my way to Harbor Freight to buy the cut off saw. Great idea for cutting track.

[@MustangsTrainsMowers]

On my previous layout I had a main line descending to a loop around a yard. There was about 6-7 tracks across a walkway which was hinged to the yard table. I didn’t like that and I dismantled it and rebuilt it with a lift out using the lightest plywood I could find. I screwed the Lionel 027 track down then bolted two smaller L shaped aluminum pieces then some light handles. It worked well.

[@AndyKlapp-uh7xc]

Thanks for sharing. I built a lift bridge with strap hinges, but it was very tedious to get aligned. Your design looks very good and easy by comparison.

[@patrickreynolds6861]

Hey papa, another great video. I’ve been away from the hobby for a little bit and that’s exactly what I’m planning to do. To build a lift bridge. I’m 58 and I feel the pain.

[@stevencilento3364]

That is a great job. I like the way it came out.

[@WillsLioneltrains]

Really like that saw.

[@keystonecountryboy]

I like it... a quick tip turn over that track, take flat screwdriver stick in the seam to spread it then slip your drop wire that attatches under the layout to bus no lockons needed. I do that and solider sometimes, thats how I make insulated track sections too

[@Pvilletrains]

I plan on making a little wood block jig to put the track in upside down as you suggested when cutting. Also, that’s how I’m gonna be attaching my wiring to the track.open it up a little bit and throw a drop of solder on top of the wire.

[@fabbdadd]

Great job on you lift bridge. I will be buying the saw.

[@cwrmark]

Excellent Work……outstanding craftsmanship……. Only a very very small suggestion….how about the dowels that you place on the far side of the track, being placed under the track? If you replace with metal pins instead of wood, you could also use them a s a contact or “power track BREAKER” to stop the loop. No trains fall into or hitting the bridge 😂 Quite frankly….you have taught me a ton…….again OUTSTANDING CRAFTSMANSHIP! Thank you

[@TheScottab]

Thanks for the video, this will help alot when I redo the train room.

[@chrisricciardi1566]

thanks...my 50+ year old knees are shot as well...and bending doesn't work too well...going to need to build one myself!

[@jaredcook5486]

Great job I like it! Hope I can make one some day!

[@keystonecountryboy]

I like the saw...I just use a 4 1/2" angle grinder with cutoff wheel to cut my sections

[@kensbackshop6399]

Pretty darn cool

[@SmallGardenRailroad]

Clever solution!

[@N_scale]

Hey I appreciate the video I stole your hinge trick for my video and now my bridge works correctly! Thank you

[@jaydoorbell5668]

😊nice… enjoy.

[@frankbullitt4556]

Very cool idea. I am going to use your idea. Where are you located?

[@gstephengoss1]

Great vid and very informative. One thing could you show how it’s wired. Show how to wire so the locomotives will not run off the table when the lift is up. Thanks in advance.

[@Pvilletrains]

I plan on doing a video next week that will answer a lot of the different questions I’ve been getting from my viewers. I will address this when I do the video for you. As far as the trains not running off the table , the bridge is very close to where my transformers are so I just make sure it’s down when they go by. So far, fortunately no accidents.

[@MattsTrainWorld]

Nice idea for access to the center without having to duck under. How do you like the Menard's O Scale track? I do have about 30 feet of the Menard's track mixed in with my original Lionel O-27 track & i do like how much quieter it is, but the height difference of the rails makes a transitional challenge sometimes. I need to get some videos of my train table posted up on my page, I've been working on the table since Dec 2023 & the layout I am happy with & its in it's permanent state, I've spent the last 4 months working on the landscaping & scenery, the long part of building a scale train table.

[@Pvilletrains]

I like the Menards track. It matches up to Lionel regular O scale track and works great with the Lionel switches. My old layout was fast track, but the tubular is so much better because it’s quieter and you can cut it to whatever size you need

[@gstephengoss1]

I don’t know if anyone asked. Hope you show how to apply a kill switch so the train will stop when the lift bridge is up.

[@Pvilletrains]

I’m planning on doing a major rebuild in the fall and will be adding one at that time. I had one train go off the edge one day when my grandkids were playing fortunately it was one of my trains so it didn’t cause that much of a problem thankfully, it wasn’t one of the good ones lol

[@Dino-oc8wg]

definitely like the bridge and how you put it together. I have Fastrack (with your same problem though LOL), but also some older Marx track that I have a transition piece for that I can use to make the bridge since I don't want to rack my brain trying to make one with Fastrack. Any thoughts on that? thanks

[@Pvilletrains]

You could use Fastrack to do it the same way, but measuring you’d have to have everything just perfect because you really can’t shorten fast track. Using a transition piece would be the way that I would do it because then the tubular track that you used to go across the bridge can be cut to an exact length if necessary.

[@davidbuck9390]

Any suggestions on how to this with Lionel Fastrack?

[@Pvilletrains]

Same best idea the biggest problem is Fastrak only comes on certain sizes so what you would probably want to do is buy an adapter track that would change over to tubular just for your bridge. If you have a Menards in your area, they sell a transition track rather cheap And what’s nice about that one you can cut it to size but there is also one available from Lionel The Lionel one is a 5 inch section that has fast track connection on one side tubular on the other. The Menards is the same same with fast track connection on one side tubular on the other.

[@davidbuck9390]

@@Pvilletrains Thank you

[@paulbarbieri7243]

Will the saw work on Atlas 3 rail o scale track ?

[@Pvilletrains]

Not sure cause I’ve never used atlas but I can’t see why not.

[@stevencilento3364]

Also can you put in a link to that saw from Harbor Freight

[@Pvilletrains]

DRILL MASTER 6 in. 5.5 Amp Cut-Off Saw - Item 61204 / 41453 / 69438 / 61659 / 56522 / 61239 hftools.com/app61204

[@davidcurtis5398]

Unless you have a very odd European hinge the diameter of the mounting hole is 35 mm and not 1 inch. Wooden, plastic, or metal register pine would be a good idea. I used a "V" shaped block that the bridge fell into and it automatically would register the bridge. As far as I am concerned, an amusment park doesn't belong on a model rail road no matter what scale. YUCH!!!!!!!!!

[@ELWtrains]

Great job 👍 looks and works great that new layout will look awesome when you finish looking forward to future projects Thanks for sharing 👍 (Eddie @elwtrains)