This STONE ARCH BRIDGE in HO and N scale is intended to be a combination of 3D printing and scratch building. First determine the length and width of the bridge deck. Whether it is intended for pedestrian, automobile or railroad traffic. This overlapping modular design has no seams to finish and is intended to be very conservative with the amount of filament used and the necessary printing time required. Many structures on model train layouts are only seen from the front which allows us to only have to finish half of the model. Construct the deck out of sheet styrene, 3 ply birch plywood or any other suitable material. Add the supports to make a strong base for any railroad traffic. Once this part has been constructed then attach the side stone modules. Paint and weather.

I exclusively print with PLA and have found that ordinary clear lacquer thinner (Nail polish remover) is a wonderful glue. Make a small test for yourself of two pieces of scrap PLA and give it a try. Let sit for 20 seconds and then try to break it apart. It leaves no residue and is applied with a small brush. I've been using lacquer thinner as a glue on styrene and PLA for years. No sloppy or messy glue to show when finished.

Here's an interesting point for me to bring to your attention. Every model that I have designed is based on real world measurements and therefore each building is interchangeable with other structures. Simply bring the .stl file into any CAD program, even the wonderful TinkerCAD and combine to make a completely new design to 3D print.

If you would like me to design a custom model for you contact me directly at:

[email protected].

It is totally free but I will post it on Thingiverse for others to print and enjoy.

Happy modeling,

Gary Lavarack - 3Designer