I admit it! I’ve been holding off trying the laser cut wood model kits thinking they are above my modeling ability. I build a number of the plastic kits every month, but the wood kits seemed like too much work. Well, it’s time to “move along” and join the “Big Boys”!

Surprisingly, they aren’t that much work! In fact, this kit was down right easy! I thought I might start off with a kit that I couldn’t get into much trouble with. I chose an N-scale wooden “Lowboy Modular Trestle” kit made by Bar Mills that is readily available at your friendly local hobby shop. I do N-scale, but the assembly of these kits would be about the same no matter what scale you model. This kit comes with a number of finely cut flat wood sheets and a set of very clear directions. At first impression, this kit didn’t look difficult at all!

The first thing to do is remove the contents and check the parts with the directions to make sure everything is there. I didn’t find anything missing, so I cut the parts out of their sheets with a sharp razor knife. If you look carefully at these sheets you will see where the parts are attached and where you need to cut. At this point I laid the parts out in the order they would be used.

You now have a choice as to the color you want the trestle to end up. I rather liked the basic wood, but if you want a different color for the finished model then the parts would be easiest to stain at this stage.

About the only “specialty” tools I needed for this project other than the razor knife for cutting out the parts were some clothespins and a toothpick. If you have long handled tweezers they help, but aren’t absolutely necessary. As for glue, I decided on good old white Elmer’s Glue rather than CCA (Super Glue). The reason I went with Elmer’s Glue is it gives you more time to work with adjustments, it sticks great to wood, dries clear (mostly), and when it dries it’s more flexible. That is a good combination for this model.

After cutting out the parts, the first step is to attach the cross braces to the main supports. Start by putting some glue on a scrap piece of cardboard for use with the toothpick applicator. Using the toothpick, carefully dab a small drop of glue in the locations where the cross braces will be attached. Place the cross brace in place, press it down lightly, and move to the next one.

You don’t need to put glue on every upright support when applying the cross supports. A spot of glue at just the corners will hold these parts in place. I usually let the glue dry for a half an hour before moving on to the next step to give it time to set up a bit.

The next step is to attach the top section to the main supports. This is where the clothespins come into use. Look carefully at the main supports when you put them in the clothespins to make sure everything is sitting nice and flat and upright. There are connectors that run from one side of the top section to the other that line up with the base supports. Test fit these parts before you add any glue, and make sure the base supports are square with the top and are properly spaced. Notice there is a groove on the tops of the base supports to line up the top part.

It’s time to add a little glue to the tops of the base supports and install the top section. Once lined up and in place, add a little weight on top to make a good glue connection and let dry. Once again, give it a half an hour to set up before moving on.

The next step is to add the cross connectors to the main supports. These are the long “criss-cross” sections that should be the only pieces left. On the side of each main support apply a little glue to the top and bottom. Now, place the cross connectors into place and press down lightly. As always, give the glue a little time to dry. This time spent drying is OK, as you have one last step to work with.

The last step is to add the track. To be perfectly “prototypical” you won’t want to use standard track to cross the trestle. What most railroads use is a “double tie” situation on all bridges to spread out the weight better. Basically, you are looking at twice the number of ties. There is “flex track” available for sale that is already built like this, or you can make your own. To make your own “double tie” track start with a standard section of flex track. Look at the bottom of the track and you will notice there are little spacers under the rails keeping the ties apart. Simply remove these spacers and move the ties closer together. Easy!

Finally, you need to glue the track to the trestle. This is an important step as it gives a great deal of strength to the model. Once again, add a little glue with your toothpick, and carefully line the rails up with the top. In this case, I used the clothespins to hold the track in place until the glue dried.