Kit-bash a swing bridge

taking a closer look at dapol’s range of kits, paul a. Lunn finds a different use for an unloved turntable kit.

I’d forgotten just how comprehensive Dapol’s range of plastic kits was until I started my research for the ‘Dabbling with Dapol’ kit-bashing feature in MR232. One kit that started me thinking was the C001 Turntable, which was always pretty useless as a turntable, but I had a feeling that the girders could be suitable for something else. It was while I was cutting and hacking at the church kit that I had an idea: those girders would be ideal for a small dockside bridge. Further inspiration came from the little swing bridge at Hayle Wharf, in Cornwall. I’ve used the deck in its entirety, but with wheelsets at just one end. At the lowest level, the deck rotates on part 8, which is held to the circular running rail at one side only, with part 7 or 9. You’ll need to use part 2 and some sections of curved track, sufficient to cover a quarter-turn, so when it’s fully open the deck will be at right angles to its starting position. This provides a clear route for boat traffic along the narrow river inlet, as at Hayle. More advanced modellers may wish to motorise the unit, or convert it for rail use.