Tony, to test your bridge and not fry anything, you should disconnect/unsolder the secondary or DC load. (+ and - tabs). With no capacitor hooked up, the DC output voltage will approximate your AC input. I would suggest using a 18 or 24 volt light bulb from and old switch if you have one around as a load for the bridge. Then you can see the light bulb dim as you reduce the transformer input to the bridge voltage. The lamp brilliance should somewhat follow the transformer voltage input to the bridge. This isn't the greatest test for one of the bridge diodes being shorted, however. If I was trying to test the bridge, I would have an electrolytic capacitor hooked up to the DC output terminals, and look at the waveform on an oscilloscope.
I am sure GRJ can suggest a better method to test the bridge.
