issue of Garden Railways and was written by
Richard Schafer
Part of the romance of narrow-gauge railroading
has to be rooted in the quaint structures and bridges
that served as accompaniment to these operations.
A truss is an open framework based on a triangle
that, when supported at tow points, is designed to
carry a load across the intermediate space. A truss
can be built of wood, metal, or a combination of
these materials. It uses a system of compression
and tension, which allows timbers and iron rods to
consolidate their forces to form a functional bridge.
The Howe truss, designed by William Howe and
first used in 1838, is the earliest type of simple
truss, and it called for timber construction wherever
possible. Top and bottom chords and diagonal
members are timber, with the vertical members
typically being iron rods. Cast iron was also utilized
for the bearing blocks for the diagonal web mem-
bers.
Long spans were possible with the technology of
the Howe truss, and since this bridge's primary
material (timber) was already on-site, the Howe be-
came an ideal choice for river crossings.
Mark Smith of Lone Star Bridge continues as a
practitioner of the traditional Howe-truss style. He
is now offering a 1:20 scale model, which he has
dubbed the Silverton Branch Through Howe. This
version is not a scale model of any specific
structure, but rather is based on the construction
practices of the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad.
Lone Star's through-Howe bridge measures 48"
long x 9.5" wide x 12" high over its outside demen-
sions. Clearence through the inside of the bridge is
7" wide x 10" high, which provides plenty of clear-
ence, even for LGB's Congdon-stacked locomotives.
It has a definite prototypical feel to it. The bridge
is built to accomodate LGB's #10610 1200mm sec-
tional track on a drop in basis. Mark will also hand
spike-in your choice of rail before the bridge is as-
sembled as an option.
Furniture-grade mahogany is used throughout. It
is very cleanly and accurately cut, with no evidence
is hand rubbed with teak oil and has a beautiful light-
brown color. It should become more gray or silver
with age and exposure to sunlight.
Brass rods and castings are used on all the funct-
ional aspects of the bridge. Nut-bolt-washer castings
are used wherever they serve no real function on the
model. All hardware, with the exception of the Lone
Star builder's plate, is painted flat black.
The bridge is a beauty! Its exquisite craftsmanship
and accurate representation of the through-Howe-
narrow-gauge bridge make it a definite asset to the
garden railway. The Silverton Branch Through Howe
truss bridge is priced at $575.00, which includes
shipping to the "lower 48" in a protective, custom
made foam packing carton.
* * * * * *
This review appeared in the June/July 1994
issue of Outdoor Railroader and was written
by Russ Rienberg
Four feet long and it smells good, too. Yes, folks,
Lone Star's owner Mark Smith is back with his big-
gest bridge in some time and if you see one you al-
most certainly will want one. The through Howe truss bridge began as an exact copy of a Colorado &
Southern prototype but when Mark showed the first
sample, most people suggested he incorporate some
esthetic improvements. The result is a "near copy"
following prototype practice and, as the photo can
only suggest, it is more than big; it is stunning.
The overall dimensions are 48 by 9.5 by 12 inches.
In 1:20 scale, that works out to typical narrow gauge
dimensions of 82 feet long by 16 feet wide by 20
feet high. As on all Lone Star bridges, the wood is
hand crafted high grade mahogany, the truss rods are
blackened solid brass rod, and the detail castings are
blackened pewter, the deck timbers allow you to drop
in LGB sectional track but, at additional charge, Mark
will build the bridge with scale ties and spike down
your choice of rail.