Sierra Southern Products HOn3 Curved Trestle - unboxing

[NEMMRRC]

I've been trying to find time to get started on this one and finally found sone time during the ice
storm of 2021. While motorists are piling up in hundreds out in the highways and byways, I'm toasty and
warm at my workbench.


I wasn't sure if I should stain all the wood in this kit in advance or do it as I go along. So I
did what any crazy fool would do and I read the instructions. Staining/painting the trestle is the last
step in the instructions. I'll stick with that.


The kit includes two templates the modeler is to assemble in order to build the kit. Is that what
nowadays the computer geeks refer to as "meta"?  The first template to build is the one for the deck of
the trestle. The deck is comprised of several sections and the kit gives the modeler a choice of the
following radii:
- 18" radius
- 24" radius
- 30" radius
- 36" radius


I went with the 18" radius. I wanted something that screamed narrow gauge. Tight curves and all are for
sure narrow gauge.


I am cheap and like to save as much of the kit materials as possible. Even though the kit provides a
sturdy card the modeler is to use for the base of the tempalte, I did not want to muck that up so I
photocopied the templates and glued the copies to a piece of taskboard I have in my stash of junk. Here
is a photo of that





The kit even includes dimensional lumber to use as blocks to build the template. That is nice. I am
starting with the tempalte in the foreground (trestle deck) even though I have already glued both template layouts.


The effort is to glue the pieces of wood in the shaded areas on the template. Something like this:





I was puzzled by the sections that had two blocks next to each other and I read in the instructions how
the cut line for the stringers is in between both of those blocks. So I made sure I could fit my razor saw
in between the blocks. The kit includes a razor blade for this task.








The kit comes with incredibly accurate dimensional lumber with no fuzz at all. I dare say it rivals any
of the kits made today and even leaves a few way behind. Everything one needs except stain/paint is
included in the kit,


Once the template is ready one begins to set up the deck stringers in place and then glue the ties on top of
the stringers.











Continuing with my efforts to economize I noticed the stringers are way longer than required. So I
set up my jig to maximize what is included in the kit and save the extra material for other projects.


That is where I am at the moment. I should be able to build 7 deck pieces with the material included in the kit.


For $7.99 I'd say this is most definitely a great find.


More as it develops.


Jaime

[PRR Modeler]

Nice looking progress.