Over the past few weeks, I have been fabricating the mounting brackets and drilling the anchor holes in the concrete abutments that will secure the covered bridge in its new location. As with many railroad projects, things did not go entirely according to plan.

I borrowed a friend’s hammer drill for the job, but during the process one of the masonry bits became firmly lodged in the concrete. I spent most of a day trying to remove it without success. Eventually, I decided the best solution was to cut the bit off and drill a new hole.

Ironically, all of the remaining holes were successfully completed using nothing more than a standard electric drill and a battery-powered impact driver. Despite the setbacks and frustrations, everything ultimately worked out well.

Today, I finished milling the adjustment slots in the brackets and gave them a fresh coat of paint. With that, all of the hardware is ready, and the covered bridge is prepared for its new resting place.

If all goes according to plan, the bridge should be set in place within the next week or two. Stay tuned for the next update!

Here are a few pictures.