Freelance 2017-1

[faraway]

The heavy load crane kit arrived. The length is reduced just long enough to unload the cars. This is a quick and dirty test scenery to get an impression what I am after and to understand the dimensions of the crane assembly.

IMG_5300 by faraway52, on Flickr

To my surprise became the building quite large to accommodate the crane. The opening is over 5' high.

IMG_5298 by faraway52, on Flickr

That leads to the question how to manage the appearance of that large ugly "show box" to fit nicely on the layout. May be I will continue the buildings in the background. I will need some time to find my solution.

IMG_5299 by faraway52, on Flickr

[Rscott417]

If it were up to me, I'd go no building.

[faraway]

If it were up to me, I'd go no building.

I agree. This is the starting point to complete the scenery.
All kind of prototype structures housing a crane capable to unload coil-cars are far to huge for my small layout.

IMG_5302 by faraway52, on Flickr

[shortliner]

That building with the crane inside would look very good internally lit with LEDs ,with a small office internally, hiding the batteries so that it needs no power plugs. it could be very effectively detail with equipment etc.

[faraway]

The large building with the huge open front had a lot of potential of internal details. Anyhow it look like a foreign object on the layout and did not fit into the scenery.
It is a great advantage of low cost press board structures to give it a try with very limited cost and change the plan if it is out of proportion. To scrap a large and costly Cornerstone structure after one day would have been a very different story.

[lajry]

Reinhard

You might want something a lot thicker holding that coil. Looks like it might weigh around 100 tons. >)

[doctorwayne]

Reinhard

You might want something a lot thicker holding that coil. Looks like it might weigh around 100 tons. >)

Maybe closer to 20 tons, but, yeah, something a bit more substantial would be appropriate.
I do realise that the photo was a quick set-up to get a sense of how things would look in that scene, though.

It always amazed me at work when guys would walk under a lift - if you've even seen (and heard) a 25 ton ingot being dropped 30'-or-so onto an ingot buggy, you'd quickly realise the inadequacy of hardhats, safety glasses, and steel-toed boots.

Wayne

[faraway]

The support structure is aligned and glued to the base. The bridges are set in place.

The rod has been replaced! The prototype uses something like a large hook to lift the coils too. May be I try that too.http://media.al.com/mobile-press-registe...-large.jpg

Everything must set until some weathering will be applied. May be some warning signs are fine too.
I did not add the crane operator cabin. I think a hand held operating console hanging at a cable might be more likely.

IMG_5303 by faraway52, on Flickr

[lajry]

That rod holding the coil looks much safer! The RRs never made us wear hard hats or steel toe boots. Guess they knew it wouldn't protect us from getting hit by a 200+/- ton loco. >)

[faraway]

The new coil loading facility and the extended background building

IMG_5304 by faraway52, on Flickr

and how it fits into the older parts of the building complex

IMG_5305 by faraway52, on Flickr
IMG_5306 by faraway52, on Flickr

[Brakie]

Reinhard,I like the building since the steel that company receives must be the type that needs to be protected from the weather since it arrives in covered coil cars instead of gons or open coil cars.-I read a library book on steel that mention that.
Of course the steel could be taken inside for storage while being unloaded.

Who makes that beautiful heavy duty forklift?

[faraway]

The building made a lot of sense but it was simply out of proportion for my small layout. I think unloading steel and storing it in the building in less than five minutes should be fine for the most uses.
The prototype has huge structures and unloads the coil cars inside. I googled lots of impressive photos with great cranes and hundreds of stored coils. I assume my small plant get one coil car a week and drives them inside with the forklift immediately.

The forklift is from Kibri. Modeltrain had it on stock.
http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/Kibri-HO-...-11750.htm

[doctorwayne]

Larry's right about some coils needing protection from the elements. The steel plant where I worked shipped somewhat smaller coils, perhaps 10 or 12 tons, in 50' double plugdoor boxcars. Oddly enough, the only cars I recall seeing there, in Hamilton, Ontario, were those from Union Pacific. I have no idea who the customer was or why those boxcars were preferred.

Wayne

[faraway]

I appreciate your help to get the industry on track.

The new building moved to the left, got a gate for the coil cars in to be unloaded inside and the crane outside loads the well wrapped machines built in this plant on flat cars. The forklift in the background piles the spoiled coils outside to be returned to the sender.
That story supports coil and flat cars on the track.

IMG_5308 by faraway52, on Flickr

[Brakie]

Reinhard,Thanks! Two of those forklifts just became a top priority search.. I think they will look very nice on my transload track.