There is an interesting cereal processing plant in Cleveland at Merwin Ave (http://www.cerealfood.com/locations/cleveland-oh.html). That prototype might be an inspiration for my upcoming "brick phase". It is also interesting because it is very well accessible via street view.
The large silos at the left side are the usual concrete stuff but the smaller ones at the right side remind me very much at the silos of the Walthers bakery. The tracks are very short providing space for three hoppers only. No compression needed!

Google: http://goo.gl/maps/XAeae

Hey Reinhard,

Funny thing that you brought this up. I was just thinking of this very railroad, the Flat's Industrial Railroad. They also own the Cleveland Commercial Railroad. Here's a link with a shot of the unloading facilities:

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=320889

and a shot of their SW1200 at the engine storage next to their offices by Bridge 4:

http://www.panoramio.com/photo/51793366.

Railroad Picture Archives has a couple of shots, but if you type in Flats Industrial Railroad and then hit images or videos in any search engine, you'll find plenty of stuff.

It can fit onto an ISL very easily.

Reinhard,

If you go on the US Google maps <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&tab=wl">http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&tab=wl</a><!-- m --> and type in the address 1635 Merwin Street Cleveland, Ohio 44113, you get a different view (I like the view that you have in Germany, different perspectives are awesome).

Mike, that is the view I have too. You can rotate the view by 90°, zoom in and out and zoom down to the street to get street view. I think Google makes no different for clients in the US and Germany.

I did not know anything about the switching RR. I discovered the mill when I was looking for "brick industry" I could use as a prototype for inspiration.

btw. I can use my account via tunneling in a way I act like a US internet user in LA, CA or Austin, TX if I am in doubt what you and I see.

Oh, OK. When I hit your link, It gave me a different view. Sometimes Google Maps gives different viewpoints in different countries. My family in Italy told me that when they Google Mapped my sister's house, they saw my car in her driveway. This was a year after my car was rear ended and totaled. When I looked it up the next day, my car wasn't in the shot. Who knows?

Back to the matter at hand. This cereal plant makes for a great model railroad sized industry in it's entirety. Take a look to the south and you will see 3 stub ended yard tracks. The southernmost holds 2 of the 3 switch engines. To the best of my knowledge, they have two SW1200s (12 & 1202) and an SW1500 (1222).

This is the space available.

The main brick building may be placed right to the yellow box cars replacing the flat building and the small tanks could sit left to the tracks where the tank truck is located now (currently a team track). So I will have to cut the prototype back to fit on my much smaller space. I have to change the pattern of the walls too. The prototype has large plain brick walls with lots of even spaced windows. I will have to use DPM wall sections. That will look quite different but I did look for an inspiration not to build something totally fictional.

Another great industry idea.

Thanks for sharing.

If you can find these kits, Kelloggs cereals actually had their own 60 foot boxcars designed for the service. They first were leased to Penn Central, and the lease transferred to Conrail. Once the lease ran out, they went back to Kelloggs, and have been running as "paint outs" either in Penn Central Green or boxcar brown ever since. Most are apprently still in service.

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.railyardmodels.com/penncentralx79.html">http://www.railyardmodels.com/penncentralx79.html</a><!-- m -->

Mike Kieran Wrote:... I was just thinking of this very railroad, the Flat's Industrial Railroad...

They are operating on a former Conrail tracks. That is a perfect match with my Conrail SW9, SW1500, MP15DC and GP15-1 roster. I did scan Cleveland for industry because I assumed it was 1980th Conrail served territory.

Crazy setup too. A Lance Mindheim kind of ISL.

Although the lack of equipment variety wouldn't interest me, it would sure make for a nice one industry ISL. I can picture the staging track, representing the interchange, being located on the other side of that bridge, which of course would just have to be an operating model. Talk about an eye-catcher!

FCIN Wrote:Although the lack of equipment variety wouldn't interest me, it would sure make for a nice one industry ISL. I can picture the staging track, representing the interchange, being located on the other side of that bridge, which of course would just have to be an operating model. Talk about an eye-catcher!

I agree..For such a one industry ISL I would favor a Alco S2 or SW1.Another possibility would be a GE 70 or 44 tonner.

Personally I don't think I would be happy switching out covered hoppers and a occasional boxcar.

It could also have tank cars and such. I drew up a quick plan for a food processor.



While I have it on a 9 x 1½ foot board, the industry actually fits on a 6 x 1½ foot area. I envision that the loadings would go as follows:

Inbound:
tank cars (vegetable oil, corn syrup, preservatives)
refrigerated cars (produce, meat)
covered hoppers (sugar, salt, preservatives)
box cars (packaging)

Outbound:
RBL box cars (food)

Mike,That's one great looking single industry layout. What I like the best is you have a track for holding cars and plenty of headroom...

One could have a shortline locomotive station there doing plant switching service.

Or

The industry could own or lease its own locomotive.

you could even buy one of the Bachmann 45 tonners and not letter it. I would have a shortline industrial switching service.