Building the Walthers Double Track Swing Bridge

[ctclibby]

Found out that the HP printer/scanner does a pretty crappy job with Pix. You don't have a Paper Mill thread ... yet so these could be somewhat usable. Scott/Kimberly-Clark did pretty much only TP and PT. Maria seems to remember barges coming in Bayside, some with whole logs, some with chips. Most went out in trucks. She did not remember any rail loading, and cuz there are no loading doors trackside, I suppose that a few boxes could go in the middle somewhere. Did not get around on the bayside for what was there.

Hope these help!

L8r

 

[ctclibby]

Tom Found some more information. Also, I can not insert pix into DM's, only links of pix. Hmmm. Anyway:

1st is the Everett Pulp and paper mill circa 1928 ( HistoryLink.org ). 2nd is the current Sat of Lowell. Both bends in the river pretty much align and the plant sprawled North into that gravel/brush area I DM'd you about. There are discrepancies. Some searches relate to Puget Sound Paper, others Everett Pulp and Paper, both claim the locals called it the 'Lowell Paper Mill'. Crown is noted as the buyer/take over corp for both. James River did a hostile take over ~1980 from Crown which later became Georgia Pacific. This apparently did not include the Lowell property as it was already flat. They blasted the smoke stack down ~1974 with all the locals watching. So those logs I mentioned in the sloughs/eddies floating around/in mud were at least 15YO by the time I got there in ~87.

Woke up thinking about it and decided a little more searching would not hurt. Boy, glad I don't do this for a living, too many variables that are missing that you have to deduce. Started at HistoricEverett.org ( I think ) and went from there. Think I am done; unless something falls in my lap.

L8r

 

[TLOC]

Tom Found some more information. Also, I can not insert pix into DM's, only links of pix. Hmmm. Anyway:
View attachment 246036
View attachment 246037
1st is the Everett Pulp and paper mill circa 1928 ( HistoryLink.org ). 2nd is the current Sat of Lowell. Both bends in the river pretty much align and the plant sprawled North into that gravel/brush area I DM'd you about. There are discrepancies. Some searches relate to Puget Sound Paper, others Everett Pulp and Paper, both claim the locals called it the 'Lowell Paper Mill'. Crown is noted as the buyer/take over corp for both. James River did a hostile take over ~1980 from Crown which later became Georgia Pacific. This apparently did not include the Lowell property as it was already flat. They blasted the smoke stack down ~1974 with all the locals watching. So those logs I mentioned in the sloughs/eddies floating around/in mud were at least 15YO by the time I got there in ~87.

Woke up thinking about it and decided a little more searching would not hurt. Boy, glad I don't do this for a living, too many variables that are missing that you have to deduce. Started at HistoricEverett.org ( I think ) and went from there. Think I am done; unless something falls in my lap.

L8r

Yes I totally understand. I appreciate these photos very much and have forwarded them off to my friend. Structure building is on hold at least 10 days as we fit the approach bridges into the Swing bridge scene. So he can review these pictures and decide a direction for me to head off to

Right now here is the paper machine building modernized in 1962 minus the weathering as it might be in 1965 that the plan is to go with

While not in proportion the build is a HO scale 272’ long and 70’ to the peak of the sawtooth roof. Or roughly 38” long and 9.75”high real numbers! Because its a back drop facade the depth will only be 2-3””

 

[TLOC]

Todd and Maria

Per Ai response. You’re right about Bayside — it’s a neighborhood name within Everett, located just upland of the waterfront mill site. The mill complex occupied roughly the zone between Pacific Avenue and the waterfront, near where Everett Avenue and N. Marine View Drive meet.


The architecture, tanks, and steelwork in your photos are spot-on for a Crown Zellerbach lineage facility later operated by Scott/Kimberly-Clark, which fits beautifully into your 1965-era PNW theme.

I plugged the pictures of the Kimberly Clark mill you sent and told Ai where this was per your recollections. Don’t make to big an effort but any pictures that are similar to this with tanks, conveyors or even chip piles I’d gladly take. PNM mills only at this time though. I can paste the pictures into Ai and she will interpret them. I want Ai to sketch out an industrial backdrop and was trying to describe what I wanted. That’s when I realized I have your pictures.

She can sketch and I can paint them. This might be fun as I can paint but not even draw a decent stick figure

 

[TLOC]

These are the pictures I added to my backdrop project from Todd and Maria’s collection

This one below says from Alamy

 

[ctclibby]

Hay Tom found additional swing bridge pix. Not exactly what you have but.

Note the derail above the points... This is just North of Everett's Delta Jct.

And one from Kimberly-Clark - more for ambience maybe.

L8r

 

[TLOC]

Hi

The small engine shed for the paper mill yard switcher. It’s been designed for a SW1200 but long enough for a Gp7/9. He has those units and a few RS units. Same building in both. He’s deciding if it will be in the middle or edge of the mill complex or at the end where the trees begin. He mentioned trees and I have enough on my plate with this build. I did get the final dimension I need to build the last approach bridge

 

[TLOC]

Hay Tom found additional swing bridge pix. Not exactly what you have but.
View attachment 246618
Note the derail above the points... This is just North of Everett's Delta Jct.

And one from Kimberly-Clark - more for ambience maybe.
View attachment 246619

L8r

It’s great they have a switch right on the bridge approach over the water

 

[kjd]

I think the Alamy photo is the paper mill at Willamette Falls in Oregon City, OR. Blue Heron maybe?

 

[Rico]

Hay Tom found additional swing bridge pix. Not exactly what you have but.
Note the derail above the points... This is just North of Everett's Delta Jct.
And one from Kimberly-Clark - more for ambience maybe.
L8r

Todd that catch point derail is a cool detail to add!
I have one somewhere made by Peco, it’s code 100 but I’m sure they make an 83 version.

 

[ctclibby]

I think the Alamy photo is the paper mill at Willamette Falls in Oregon City, OR. Blue Heron maybe?

Paul: Marlin posted those. Blue Heron was destroyed by fire in Jan ( this year, I think ); and google says Willamette is permanently closed FWIW. Still a great place to model if you have the room.

L8r

 

[ctclibby]

It’s great they have a switch right on the bridge approach over the water

Ya, besides Keddie Wye, one of the two I know about in the PNW. There are probably more that I have not found....yet. On top of that ... derail on a bridge? Speed is really slow in that area, you can hop on if you choose it is so slow. Anyway, the approach ( about 400ft ) to the Swing is on concrete piers over the Snohomish River. Guess it is easier to replace that/those vs the Swing.

You also want coal piles. Well, this isn't that, buy maybe paint the gravel/sawdust/chips black. There are two 'loaders' for transfer from piles to barge; one gravel, other is chips; and lots of conveyors....

Also the approach for the Swing is also shown...and no, the Red Lion is not there. Proof that Maps screws stuff up at times....

L8r

 

[TLOC]

Ya, besides Keddie Wye, one of the two I know about in the PNW. There are probably more that I have not found....yet. On top of that ... derail on a bridge? Speed is really slow in that area, you can hop on if you choose it is so slow. Anyway, the approach ( about 400ft ) to the Swing is on concrete piers over the Snohomish River. Guess it is easier to replace that/those vs the Swing.

You also want coal piles. Well, this isn't that, buy maybe paint the gravel/sawdust/chips black. There are two 'loaders' for transfer from piles to barge; one gravel, other is chips; and lots of conveyors....
View attachment 246736
Also the approach for the Swing is also shown...and no, the Red Lion is not there. Proof that Maps screws stuff up at times....

L8r

The more I dig into locations and 1960 era things the inaccuracies are many. BUT, this is a fictional story being built so some things right or wrong can fly by as believable

 

[TLOC]

Yes the Swing bridge story needs to continue. Basically nothing has been done to the SB but the approach bridges have been done and redone

Here are some pictures from yesterday when I was at the layout checking measurements for the paper mill

Trying to fit the Swing bridge with the eastern approach bridge.

I’m biased but I think once the embankment is done and water applied this will be a nice scene. The girder approach bridge are both still in primer coloring. That pillar behind will become a coal fired power plant not technically part of the paper mill but on its property edge

The kit assembled abutments the owner had issues with a portion of it, so off with its head! His ball game!

I
The bridge rails were part of a assortment of bridge parts the LHS owner gave me. Here John applied code 70 rail instead of 83. Hey we all have senior moments!

With so many things going on, swing bridge, approach bridges, paper mill buildings, my commissioned weathering and 2 commission swing bridge build jobs I’ll be missing a few days from this thread and the paper mill build threads.

Thanks for viewing and if you have questions or suggestions, please post them.

 

[TLOC]

Finally! The final (Western) piece of the bridge scene puzzle is solved. This afternoon I will head to the layout and measure for myself the final approach bridge to the swing bridge. 4.25” is what I’m told but having to redo the 1st approach bridge (Eastern) because of bad measurements I’m double checking his numbers.

He has tweaked this scene at least 500 times but has screwed in the base of the Swing Bridge signifying its time to finish the scene, it’s locked in! I’ll have the numbers and it’s just Terry and me this whole holiday season. A huge change from years past but it will give me time to finish the bridge and hopefully weather all 3 units together.

There is no real final weathering decision. So I played with Google Gemini a Ai program since Claude from Duck Duck Go and ChatGPT went our different ways. Divorces are messy but I just deleted them as they were so frustrating. So I turned to Gemini for some 1965 PNW bridges built after WW2. Here is her suggestion and you will immediately see why Ai is frustrating

The scene of course has no resemblance to what Ai decided but the weathering suggestions/images are what I was after


This project started off so quickly building the bridge and then he started changing the scene. It’s for the better for sure but I like timelines to complete projects and I’m not great anymore at rushing the last few days. Being retired taught me, there’s no rushing because tomorrow may not be there anyway.

 

[Rico]

I dunno, I think that would work!

I don’t like/use ai, seen too many sci-fi scenarios go bad

 

[TLOC]

The version in the previous post was ChatGPT until we went our separate

This version if from Google Gemini

Neither version will be used.

Ai is a tool in its infancy and when I question the pictures or renderings it creates it does apologize that the architecture drawing programs are not that good right now. Each program has stated that so the developers are aware

 

[traiNscale]

when i look at the two pictures my head is starting to turning. just focus on the tracks and you want to throw up ahahaha.
will look forward tom what will be the end result

cheers
Marco

 

[TLOC]

when i look at the two pictures my head is starting to turning. just focus on the tracks and you want to throw up ahahaha.
will look forward tom what will be the end result

cheers
Marco

I know it won’t be a dark and rusted as this

But

It will not be as clean as the other one. I have a few pictures from Todd that were posted here that my friend and I will review this afternoon. I was hoping to have returned the bridges finished by USA Thanksgiving which is tomorrow. Now my hope is to return them finished by 12/5/2025

 

[TLOC]

While I have an experimental like/dislike relationship with the various Ai programs they can really help with a scene or at least part of the scene. I was banned from the kitchen on Thanksgiving morning so I weathered the swing bridge. I put it on my very temporary bench top out in a part of my man cave. I don’t have room without really moving stuff off my weathering or modeling benches for the full scene of the 3 bridges. So I took this picture Wednesday afternoon prior to weathering the bridges, they are however lightly primed.

So Thursday (yesterday) I put it back on this surface and sent some pictures to my friend. I generally do not watch TV especially in the morning and with absolutely no interest in either NYC Macy’s parade or the one in Philadelphia I started playing. My friends scene for the bridge is a edge of town river scene basically where the forests and mountains begin with a side of the river being the edge of a paper mill and power plant properties.

After a few minutes of fun and then I want this “F…ing” right I gave up but did have a scene

It’s nice and the water colors and the left side scenery is about 90% of what I wanted but the right side is way off what I was trying for. I wanted a hint of the power plant and a fence for the paper mill. But I have only been playing with free versions. Now to finish weathering the girder bridges and maybe matte clear coat everything Sunday or Monday.

Ai right now TO ME feels like an experiment but I definitely can see the dangers to future employment as it can really make fast work of things. Much of the paper mill back story information I gleamed from 3 different Ai programs. But as I discovered, ask the exact question worded exactly the same to the Ai intake box of each program and you’ll get 3 different responses, none of which maybe right.