The prototype Hell Gate bridge is an impressive span 1,017 feet long that crosses New Yorks east river. Named for the dangerious waters below it (Hells Gate) it's one of the most distinctive bridges in railroading. The MTH Railking version is an equally impressive work at approximately 35" long, 15" wide, and 15" tall. Designed for two tracks, your express trains and fast freights will easily cross that formatible river or valley on your layout.
Hell Gate Bridge by MTH
The Williams geep gives you an idea of the bridges size (the bridge is straight, the camera wasn't). You can use any type of track, I use Lionel tubular with Rick Johnson rubber roadbed, so it sits a little high.
At first glance I thought the two slots had a purpose, but the lower arch/slots are found on the real bridge.
Close-up showing rivet detail
Top of bridge showing strobe light. It duplicates an aircraft warning light very well - so well you might want to wire in an on/off switch!
MTH recommends using 14-20V.
So how sturdy is the bridge? I placed two geeps, an AS-616, and the MTH 0-8-0 on it and it didn't seem to notice. As you can see from the shot of the underside (below) it's very well constructed, I counted 59 screws used to assemble the bridge. Note the rubber feet and the hook-up wires for the light.
In order to use in on a floor layout, turn the bridge upside down and remove the 6 screws located at the underside of each support and the two screws used to secure each truss - 20 screws in all. Keep track of what screw came from where.
Chopped off at the knees...
New York? I must have taken a wrong turn at Albuquerque!
Even with the supports removed, the bridge deck is about one inch from the floor. The Marx E-7 is heading "downgrade".
Bottom Line
MTH has done a great job of compressing the massive Hell Gate bridge into a more manageable size while maintaining the overall look and detail of the prototype - it's another winner for the Railking line. Anyone interested in more information about the real Hell Gate should check the Feb 99 issue of O Gauge Railroading, or the Sep 99 issue of Classic Toy Trains Magazines.
