08-03-2011, 10:29 AM
Hi Guys,
I haven't been online since June because of computer problems, but now I'm back. I got the track laid on the old layout and some cardboard mockups built (sorry, no pictures, my camera won't start up). However, after having it up for a while I decided that the setting is not quite what I want so it's back to the drawing board.
I've always wanted to set the layout in my area (between Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie), but I could never find enough interesting industries that would be plausible on a small switching layout. So, since you guys are pretty knowledgable I figured I'd come here for some suggestions.
So, here are my questions:
1) The kind of town I want to model is small (under 1000 people), so I'm thinking that a small sawmill might be the most plausible. What kind of operations would occur at one in the modern era? What about something like a plywood mill? Would they recieve glue by rail? Would the operations at these be more interesting than just replacing a cut of cars
with another?
2) I was also thinking about a small truck terminal like this one:
http://www.trainweb.org/algoma/Images/Lo...n/pan5.jpg
http://www.trainweb.org/algoma/Images/Lo...n/pan2.jpg
This would be plausible if my town was located on the outskirts of a larger one. What I'm wondering is what kind of operations would these kind of places (not this specific one) provide and would it be enough to be the main industry on the layout?
3) Any other suggestions? Keep in mind this area is not heavily populated and is mainly primary industries with little to no manufacturing. My main requirement is that they can provide enough operations to be the focus of the layout, similar to Jack Hill's Cardboard Mill:
http://oscalewcor.blogspot.com/search/la...OPERATIONS
I haven't been online since June because of computer problems, but now I'm back. I got the track laid on the old layout and some cardboard mockups built (sorry, no pictures, my camera won't start up). However, after having it up for a while I decided that the setting is not quite what I want so it's back to the drawing board.
I've always wanted to set the layout in my area (between Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie), but I could never find enough interesting industries that would be plausible on a small switching layout. So, since you guys are pretty knowledgable I figured I'd come here for some suggestions.
So, here are my questions:
1) The kind of town I want to model is small (under 1000 people), so I'm thinking that a small sawmill might be the most plausible. What kind of operations would occur at one in the modern era? What about something like a plywood mill? Would they recieve glue by rail? Would the operations at these be more interesting than just replacing a cut of cars
with another?
2) I was also thinking about a small truck terminal like this one:
http://www.trainweb.org/algoma/Images/Lo...n/pan5.jpg
http://www.trainweb.org/algoma/Images/Lo...n/pan2.jpg
This would be plausible if my town was located on the outskirts of a larger one. What I'm wondering is what kind of operations would these kind of places (not this specific one) provide and would it be enough to be the main industry on the layout?
3) Any other suggestions? Keep in mind this area is not heavily populated and is mainly primary industries with little to no manufacturing. My main requirement is that they can provide enough operations to be the focus of the layout, similar to Jack Hill's Cardboard Mill:
http://oscalewcor.blogspot.com/search/la...OPERATIONS