Bridge Building - working on the 2nd bridge

I've been working on a second alternative bridge to use with the piers/ramps used on the one shown in the previous post. This will be a 'lifting' bridge, have made the basic parts of the bridge, shown below with the 40mm chaps 

It won't be a working model, but will have indication of the ropes and winding mechanism, I'll probably have two configurations for it one down and one raised.

40mm: Saxe-Jarlsberg troops on manouvres

that new bridge gets trodden on for the first time ...

Counts Pottensdorf has the army marching again, this time only on manouvres...

Bridge building in progress ...

I'd previously dismantled by initial attempt at a bridge for  my wide river sections made using old MiniBrix as it was too large and the ramps were too steep. I kept the base of the bridge and reduced the height to 2 courses of MiniBrix. The base has sat for a long while on a shelf by the modelling desk.

So for a project over the bank holiday weekend I decided to make two new bridges, one suitable for 40/54mm and another for 28/40mm. I decided to work on the one for the 40/54mm figs first.

I made some ramps of card and foamboard to fit with the old bridge base ....

 Then I made a wooden bridge deck of coffee stirrers on card base..

 added some small mosaic effect vinyl tile to the ramps and did a trial fit  ...

Next the side rails for the wooden bridge, I used the sides from an Airfix bailey bridge kit. The intervening posts between the two end ones are split hibachi skewers stuck to either side with the gap at the bottom filled with card...

 Trying it out with some 40mm figs

The end posts are a little high so I trim them down and get it all painted. I'll start work of the bridge for the 28/40mm figs next - I'll use the same ramps so just the main part of bridge to make.

In Wittenberg Palace gardens ....

A couple of items built for my 54mm Romans V Gauls project find themselves equally at home in the parkland/gardens of Wittenberg palace.

---oXo---

The King and Queen have gone for a walk in the palace grounds to check out some newly added features in the gardens, first an ornamental pool with some statues,

 and then the temple down by the lake...

40mm: out and about....

finished painting my 40mm dismounted staff and a couple of new figures - cardinal and jester (from Westair Reproductions - these figs you can get at English Heritage and National Trust gift shops - the ranges vary in size - some are just about 40mm.)

---oXo---

Down in Saxe Jarslberg, Count Pottsendorf and his aide are in discussion with the Cardinal-bishop.

while the officer from Noverre and some of the locals are entertained by the Cardinal-bishop's jester...

---oXo---

Up north in Wittenberg, at Vanderhof, General Waldebeck and Count Boritzy set out for a brisk walk before they get down to the business of the day ....

40mm: new fortress guns ...

I ditched my old fortress guns which were way to big and out of scale and replaced them with two new ones - 'naval cannon' pencil sharpeners -  The holes were covered up with some card and then the guns painted up, here they are shown below in a small fortlet (walls made from some old 1950's MiniBrix which I picked up at a Car Boot sale a couple of years ago).

Powder/Ammo Wagons...

Been finishing off some odds and ends on the modelling desk, this time two powder/ammo wagons, one from Perry and the other Front Rank

While I was doing the bases, I re-did the bases for my mule train, pack horses and smaller wagons - which has spruced them up a bit ..