What color would you paint it?

[TrainNut]

Hey guys, I just finished my refinery and I also got this other structure to compliment it. On the box it's labeled as Green Max. Everything else is written in characters. Not knowing much about refineries, I'm at a bit of a loss as to what colors I should use to paint this structure. I did a lot of searching on the net but couldn't seem to find anything that looked like this structure. I was thinking of going with a silver type metallic color for the walls and an aluminum type for the roof.... that just seems like an awful lot of silver to me. My refinery has a lot of silver, yellow and white so perhaps it would match. Any advice?
Existing refinery...

Front of kit box...

Back of kit box...

Wall parts...

Roof parts...

[sgtcarl1]

Well, you could leave them as they are, and maybe grimy them up a bit...or a lot.

[BR60103]

From what I remember, some sort of silvery metal colour, weathered, for the tanks and bits.
I think the piping should be colour-coded, but not sure what the colours would be. You would need to know what the pipes carry.

[shaygetz]

The refineries around Baton Rouge are a combination of white or silver, primarily based on age/phases of the units. Both colors reflect heat and for that reason those should be used. BR is right about color coding the smaller pipes but you'll have to dig deeper for the why and how. Weathering should be kept to a fair minimum, these places are continually under renovation and inspection and wouldn't be allowed to get too crusty looking.

[nachoman]

Have fun with those instructions!!

[TCWORLD]

I have that kit. This is Mine <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.railways-in-miniature.co.uk/gallery/displayimage.php?album=18&pos=31">http://www.railways-in-miniature.co.uk/ ... =18&pos=31</a><!-- m -->

[Herc Driver]

I fly over Houston and the Lake Charles area quite frequently, and have driven past the refineries numerous times as well. From what I've seen, the piping and distillation towers are various shades of silver, aluminum, white, and grays. The buildings have been made with just about every normal industrial material...blue or white metal siding, or brick, or hung glass, and generally colored a lighter color...though I doubt anyone actually gave consideration to matching the building color to anything else. There is always a lot of safety signs, and every plant has some sort of fencing and gate system for access with a guard shack at the controlled access points. You might want to visit the websites of the big name chemical companies and see if they have any background or marketing shots of the plant.

[TrainNut]

Thanks guys for the suggestions. We've got pretty specific to anything goes!

Herc, I've looked at lots and lots of pictures of refineries but I've never seen a building that quite resembles this kit. Fences and a guard shack would make an interesting additon. I've never built a gate across the RR tracks before.

TCWorld, thanks for the picture! Believe it or not, it helps. Any way of getting another shot but a little closer of that area? Not 'cause I want to copy yours but that looks like a very interesing industry and I'd like to see it closer up! I found it intersting how you chose to run the tracks inside the building.

Shaygetz and BR, thanks for the explanation as to why those colors are used. I like the idea of color coding the pipes... but I did not do that with the refinery. Still, that would really add some color to the scene. I looked around a little for some color classifications and so far have been unsuccessful but I've not given up yet.

[Russ Bellinis]

One thing I noticed that is missing is the safety cages around all of the ladders on the towers and tanks. I don't know how difficult it would be to add them now.
I'm not sure what the "Green Max" is. It looks like an interesting industry, but it doesn't look like it is in any way connected to a refinery. It looks more like some sort of manufacturing plant that may or may not be located near a refinery, unless it is some sort of fabrication shop. The picture shows what looks like some sort of gon delivering something that would use an overhead crane. I suspect that mill gons delivering steel plate, I beams, angle, etc would probably be appropriate. If that is a maintenance and fabrication shop, it would probably be more weathered than the rest of the plant, perhaps even showing some surface rust on the outside of the metal building. Companies often spend a lot less maintaining the maintenance structures than they do on production equipment. The thinking is that production is what makes money while maintenance costs money.

[ngauger]

Shaygetz and BR, thanks for the explanation as to why those colors are used. I like the idea of color coding the pipes... but I did not do that with the refinery. Still, that would really add some color to the scene. I looked around a little for some color classifications and so far have been unsuccessful but I've not given up yet.

It helps to be on teh Safety committee at work

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.oshapipemark.com/osha_charts.html">http://www.oshapipemark.com/osha_charts.html</a><!-- m -->
The colors are the pipe colors (Yellow, Red, Blue, Green). The "Letters: should be placed near any valves or where a pipe changed direction So, once you figure out what each pipe carries (Fire suppression, a chemical, water etc.) you can paint it the appropriate color.

[pennman]

Well Mikey on the right track, the pipes should be color coded or labeled some how, the smaller tanks are also color coded depending on usage.
Gold medal models make some nice ladders and cages as well as platforms.
Brawa and NJ International make some industrial lighting that works real well for refinereys.

I have both those buildings on my layout and the Kato building I used a whitewash for the structure and just weathered it.
I've never been in a refinery or chemical plant that has good paint on any of there building, the fumes and weather just eat the place alive, its constant maitanance.

[TCWORLD]

Here are some other photos of it as you asked.
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.railways-in-miniature.co.uk/gallery/displayimage.php?album=16&pos=16">http://www.railways-in-miniature.co.uk/ ... =16&pos=16</a><!-- m --> (Very Close In)
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.railways-in-miniature.co.uk/gallery/displayimage.php?album=23&pos=4">http://www.railways-in-miniature.co.uk/ ... m=23&pos=4</a><!-- m --> (Painted)
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.railways-in-miniature.co.uk/gallery/displayimage.php?album=23&pos=1">http://www.railways-in-miniature.co.uk/ ... m=23&pos=1</a><!-- m --> (Unpainted)

I'll try to upload some more photos of my current layout to my website as I'm using the Powerstation again. In fact this time trains not only go in the front, but secretly dissappear out of the back, eventually exiting out of a mine and vice versa.

[pennman]

I had tofindthe photos of the building,but thisis just about how its going to sit on my layout. But I'll tell you this there are always RIVET COUNTERS out there! who will always tell you whats wrong. So use your best judgement.
I look at it like this; This is my little world and I'm lord and master over what I survey!

[sgtcarl1]