Girder bridge
Garden Metal Models
P.O. Box 155
Sykesville MD 21784
Price: $149.95
 

35" deck girder bridge; powder-coated steel; no scale specified. Dimensions: 35" long; 33z4" to top of deck; 57z8" to top of railings; deck, 31z2" wide; catwalk 77z8" wide

Pros: High level of detail with the strength of steel

Cons: None

This bridge is simply a longer version of the company's 24" deck-girder bridge reviewed in the April 2003 issue of GR. My comments here will be significantly shorter, as they would otherwise be repetitive.

In a word, this bridge is beautiful. It has a high level of detail, not only on the outside, but on the inside as well, where other bridge manufacturers tend to omit details. (In all fairness, these inside details are difficult to see once installed in the garden.) The black powder coating is smooth, giving the bridge a satin finish that should hold up well to the elements. The feet of the bridge have slots cut into them, allowing you to secure the structure to whatever you use for a pier. Once secured, the bridge will be very sturdy.

One advantage to the longer bridge length is that it can be more easily used in a lift-out situation, allowing lawn mowers, wheelbarrows, and other equipment to pass through the gap. There is no decking supplied, but you can either cut your own, just lay commercially available track on top, or use the company's 6" decking sections (available separately.) Their web site says they will be offering a 36" bundle of decking material to go along with the bridge, but no price had been set as of this writing. I said last time that the bridge would look just as good on a mantle as in the garden. This longer bridge would serve as a fitting pedestal for the larger iron horses in your stable. -K. Strong