Hello - I'm new here, so I'm still finding my way around and will start by introducing Gnome Miniature Engineering (http://gnomengineers.com/). This is a (very!) small business building riveted bridges for 0 and larger scales. We started out with the intention of building turntables, but a good friend said that what the 0 scale market really wanted was an operating bascule bridge. He was nearly right... The market talked about bascules, all right, but wasn't much interested in buying them. We still have some parts in stock and will assemble them if asked, but really, the plate girders and trusses are what most people want. Because they are hand built from many standard parts, they are easily customised, and almost everything is altered one way or another for the customer. We've had a few completely special projects, including a steel bridge to display a 7 1/4" gauge live steam engine, now in Istanbul, and some specials based on existing designs, such as a 25 ft long elevated viaduct for a large 0 gauge railway.
Most bridges are in alumnium alloy with stainless hardware for outdoor use. The rivets are real, and the latest special has about 10,000 of them, which is why delivery can sometimes be a bit slow.
I find that a lot of people "borrow" the outlines from the website, and they are very welcome to do that. If you don't need a riveted metal structure and want to build your own, then there's no reason why you shouldn't base yours on something that appeals to you. It will surely cost less!
I'm always interested to hear comments and opinions on the GME bridges, as feedback makes for better products.
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