Bridge Milestone

Re: Bridge Milestone

AZ in Colorado Springs

Are the grandkids working on this project?

Re: not at all anti-engineer

Jim O'Connor

Yes Engineers come in all stripes. I supervised one that I used to tell him that it was a good thing he didn't invent the hammer cause nobody would be able to lift it.

Bill you are involved in a very worthwhile project and your contributions should hopefully be recognized by more than a few of us wood eaters.

Re: Bridge Milestone

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

no. 60' off the water working off ties is not a place for children, or the faint of heart. And they live 250 miles away.

Back in the day...

Ellis Walentine

...when I was a product manager at a large office furniture manufacturing company, we used to have a saying..."Time to shoot the engineers and start production." There's always a time for that.

Ellis

Re: Bridge Milestone

Jason Roehl

I would agree that an 8” top rail probably invites the wrong type of youthful adventure, but, as a cyclist (and a biker….), I should have working brakes on my bicycle to get me stopped. Grabbing something along the way to stop me is asking for a disaster.

A cyclist rides bicycles. A biker rides motorcycles. Sorry, just one of my lingual pet peeves.

Jason

Stopping to smell the roses

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

Apparently you are not a biker that stops on trail bridges to take in the scenery. Picture a trail with a series of bridges over scenic streams. Imagine you might be interested in taking in the scenery at each bridge, spaced a few hundred feet apart. Also imagine you bike in street clothes at a leisurely pace (this one might be hard to imagine). As you approach the bridge at 2 miles per hour you anticipate a scenic view. Coasting to the rail you reach over and grab it. Secure on the rail you take in the scene without dismounting, out of the way of cyclists in colorful clothing streaking by. Repeat at next bridge.

Re: Stopping to smell the roses

Mark Mandell

Sounds like a great way to get a hand full of splinters.

At 2 mph?

That is quite a project. Looks great!

Re: Stopping to smell the roses

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

Splinters could be a problem if we weren't profiling the top of the rail.

This rail design is common on National Forest bridges and it was common on the Virginia Creeper trail until the bridges were replaced with equestrian compliant bridges.

Re: Stopping to smell the roses

Wiley Horne

Profile!—super idea! What is the profile? I missed it first time around. W

Guessing 1/4-round the top edges.

Re: Stopping to smell the roses

William Duffield

That's the right way to do it. If you're one of those MAMIS* why bother to ride in the wilderness, where you're more likely to have a collision with a bear than a taxi? If you just want to burn calories or brag about the number of miles you've cycled, there are better choices than converted railroads.

* MAMIS - middle-aged men in Spandex

Re: Stopping to smell the roses

Jason Roehl

I do occasionally stop to take in the scenery. However, grabbing something stationary with one hand while riding a bike at any speed will likely lead to an unfortunate, hard lesson in physics.

Jason