I am wondering what the prototype for this bridge was or is or if it is simply a generic bridge. In either case, the finished product is quite pleasing to the eye. 

The first thing I have to suggest when you begin this kit is to read the instructions. I began by sorting out the different shapes and sizes and gave the instructions the once over and I thought I had it all in hand. However, later in the construction I noticed that I was missing some important pieces. Before I ranted to the company I went back and took a look at what I had done and realized that I had cut up 2 pieces when the proper length pieces had been precut for me. This left me without the proper parts to complete the kit and I had to use strip wood to make the parts. 

So once you have the parts sorted and labeled and the instructions thoroughly read, what next? Well I went to the garage to grab a piece of scrap pine and laid the full size drawing of one side of the bridge on it. 

On top of that I thumb tacked some waxed paper. This allows me to build the trusses of the bridge right over the drawing ensuring exact alignment of the pieces. The waxed paper protects the drawing from becoming one with the trusses. I used ordinary straight dressmakers pins to hold the pieces of wood in alignment to the drawing. Once I had everything assembled dry, I removed the pieces of wood but not the pins and began gluing up. This way, the pins would allow me to assemble the trusses exactly as I had laid them out dry. Once one side was complete I simply replaced the waxed paper with fresh and laid out the other side exactly as the first. 

The rest of the assembly was fairly straightforward. The only tricky part was constructing the lateral braces. The instructions indicated that these could be either lap jointed to form an X or could be made with three pieces. I tried the three-piece method but had trouble getting proper alignment so I tried the lap joint method. You know you have reached a pinnacle of modeling when you can put together two sixteenth of an inch square pieces together with a lap joint. Using my optivisor and a strong lamp the work went quite easily. I used the same method I was taught way back in shop in high school. I simply scored the wood about half way down with an exacto knife on either side of the notch and then a few more times in between and then knocked out the waste. With a little trimming up with the exacto knife, a smooth square and even notch was easy to make. I repeated this for the corresponding piece and soon found that if I was careful with the width of the notch I could make both pieces snap together and hold without glue. 

It took some careful positioning with the tweezers to get all the lateral and sway braces in place but once that was done it really started to look like a bridge. Pieces of wire and nut bolt washer castings were used to represent the steel cables. The only thing to be careful of here is to make sure the holes you drill are straight and true! I found the white metal nut bolt washer castings to be of decent detail but I ran short of them and had to use some plastic castings by Campbell. 

I hand laid code 70 rail on the deck spiking every tie. I think if I were to do this again I would glue the rail using pliobond or other contact cement as the spikes had to be shortened so they did not penetrate completely through the deck. The overall effect I think is acceptable though 

I finished the model using a mixture of black India ink diluted with rubbing alcohol to make a stain. The metal parts received a coat of grimy black paint followed by dry brushing some rust on. 

I highly recommend to those that have not built a kit from wood to try something like this bridge. It was a highly rewarding experience. It may look complicated but it really is not that bad at all. With this one under my belt I am ready to tackle that tall trestle that I have been wanting to build since I was a kid. Campbell among others make many different types of wood bridges and they might be just the thing for your dilapidated branch or your mainline if you model an older period