Covered Bridge

Miniature #13 – Constructed 01/2024

Fun Facts

A covered bridge, a timber-truss bridge constructed as a roadway over a river or other obstacle, is of major significance in engineering history. The function of the roof and siding, which in most covered bridges creates an almost complete enclosure, is to protect the wooden structural members from the weather. A truss is a basic form in which the members are arranged in a triangle or series of triangles.

Covered bridges have a rich history in New England, and they evoke a sense of nostalgia and rural charm. Located in Colrain, Massachusetts, the Arthur A. Smith Bridge is the last surviving Burr arch-truss covered bridge in Massachusetts.

Originally erected around 1870, the Arthur A. Smith bridge features single-plank timber arches sandwiching its multiple-kingpost trusses, forming the distinctive Burr arch-truss configuration. Around 1930, a heavier pair of nail-laminated plank arches was added inside the trusses to strengthen the bridge. Its total length is 100 feet.

Description

Few things are more iconic in New England than the covered bridge. Rich in history, I wanted to expand my engineering skills and build a covered bridge for my miniature town of Capetown. This was my first attempt at using some of the materials explained below and I was delighted with the results of my fictitious “Blossom River Bridge.”

The bridge sits on a 12″x12″ plywood base. The overall piece stands at 10.5″ high and the time invested to design and build was approximately 70 hrs.

Materials Used

The interior of the bridge has authentic-looking trusses made from square balsa wood dowels and stained a Golden Oak color. The bridge floor was made from a balsa wood sheet that was scored into planks and purposely chipped to add the look of wear & tear to the bridge’s roadway. Watercolor paint helped make it look aged and used.

The exterior of the bridge was covered with wooden coffee stirrer sticks and painted a classic red with watercolor paint. Because covered bridges are large structures, I chose to use coffee stirrer sticks rather than popsicle sticks on the exterior to make the finished bridge appear larger. The roof was made from craft aluminum foil and painted with Vallejo’s rust washes.

A significant amount of time was spent planning the formation of the land structure under the bridge itself. The land design required that a river be able to flow under the bridge while also supporting the bridge and roadway on either side.

The riverbanks and rocks were made from Sculptamold and Plaster of Paris and painted with acrylic paint and Vallejo’s Game Washes. Once painted, dry tan grout was applied to the land structure and riverbanks to add realism to their rock-like appearance.

The riverbed was lined with tiny rocks and leaves before being covered with water made from a 2-part liquid resin. After the resin had totally set, a layer of Mod Podge gloss was applied to the river and blown with a straw to create the flow and ripples of the river.