Another option for building a swing bridge is to mount it directly to a door. If you choose this option, there are several factors you should consider:
- Building Codes:Adding a section of tracks, even a narrow one, to a door will reduce the amount of walk-through space when the door is open. You should check with building codes in your area to ensure you maintain minimum safe egress requirements. If you are fortunate enough to have the option, installing a wider door may be one option to tight clearances.
- Clearance: The wider you make the track, the less room you will have when the door is open. This will also impact the angle on the open end of the bridge which must continue the swing radius into the track section.
- Opening: The door must open away from the layout room.
- Security: As with other swing sections, a kill-switch to prevent trains from falling into an open bridge is a good idea. Since people on the other side of a closed door may not be able to see if trains are running or not, some additional precautions may be in order. An interior lock, external warning light, or at least a "please knock" policy on the other side of the door is also a good idea. A warning light could actually be wired into the same circuit that cuts the power to the trains when the door is open.
If attaching the benchwork directly to the door is not an option, consider building a seperate swing or lift bridge beside the door. In either case, the security measures above would be a good idea to prevent an accidents from doors or people slamming into a closed railroad bridge.
The bridge shown in the photograph is attached to a hollow-core door that connects the railroad room and woodshop. Since esthetics is not a priority on the opposite side of the door, the bridge is attached to plywood strips. These strips are fastened with large bolts to additional wood braces on the other side of the door which also support a small section of pegboard for storage. This prevents the weight of the bridge from damaging the thin veneer of a hollow-core door. For more finished home installations, a solid door would be a simple solution.
Notice that the backdrop and fascia (still in progress) also continue across the door. When complete, the door will blend in seamlessly with the rest of the railroad and room.
A latch on the fascia helps secure the door and prevent opening from the other side. (A moot point since the woodshop will not likely be occupied during a railroad session anyway, but an added insurance nonetheless.)
