Marlpost, Ontario

[MasonJar]

Thanks for that picture Wayne! I couldn't decide if I want to have the elevator open directly to outside, or have it recessed like yours. Is there a typical installation that you know of?

Andrew

[doctorwayne]

I cheated a bit on mine, as I wanted to eliminate the old-style block and tackle hoisting mechanisms on the outside of the building, which involved exterior doors at each of the three floors. This allowed me to brick-up the door openings on the second and third floors and put dormers on the otherwise large and boring expanse of roof, in order to accommodate the lifting apparatus. My elevator is actually meant to represent one right inside the door, as it was in the furniture warehouse mentioned.



Here's the elevator with the building's roof not in place, which better-shows the interior



Supposedly, there's an exterior set of doors which somehow slide to each side and rotate back into the area on either side of the elevator shaft's walls. I have seen such a door arrangement, but can't recall where or the details of its operation - it may have been on a piece of furniture or a built-in of same. Regardless of that, the fact that the structure's stone walls would likely be pretty thick would make such an arrangement unlikely (probably impossible). Please don't spread this around, though, as I do like the look of the scene which it allows.

The furniture warehouse (probably over 100 years old) had an exterior roll-up-type door directly on the outside of the elevator, but there were also slatted roll-up doors on both the inward and outward sides of the elevator itself. This allowed goods to simply move through the elevator between the ground floor and outside loading dock, or in-and-out of the elevator to-or-from the upper floors or basement.

The freight elevator where I worked also had interior- and exterior-facing doors, which were split horizontally at their mid-point - lifting the upper portion or pushing down on the lower automatically caused the other portion to open if the door button didn't work (which was often the case). There were, of course, similar doors at each floor to prevent anyone from falling into the shaft. This elevator could handle a good-size forklift carrying a skid of refractory brick, plus a couple of workers.

Perhaps I should change the non-opened door on the other elevator of Bowyer's to a horizontally-split one, set more deeply into the wall. It might at least look a little more credible, now that I've reminded myself of my engineering faux pas.

Wayne

[MountainMan]

Freight elevators, which are still used in warehouses converted to apartments, do not have the sliding doors, just the hand-operated up-down doors that you show on yours. Part of the reason is that old freight elevators were hand controlled and the operator needed to see the floor level in order to stop properly.

Don't worry about it. Nice conversion! (make sure your elevators have doors on both sides so the goods can be unloaded into the building!) 8-)

[doctorwayne]

Thanks for your kind words, MountainMan, and for the additional information about freight elevators.
The furniture warehouse which provided some of the inspiration for my elevator has actually been converted into condos, but I don't know if the elevator is still in use.

Wayne

[BR60103]

My grandfather was a manager at the National Grocers building in Niagara Falls. I was taken inside once and he took me up in the elevator. It seemed to work by his pulling on a loop of rope. I didn't get to play with it!

[MasonJar]

Still working on the elevator for Hamilton-Paice, but also have been adding more track power drops. Wiring a module is a bit different than a more permanent layout, as there are many more small bits of track, and every
4-6 feet there is a definite break!

I've also added these two shop lights to better illuminate the modules. I like it and am going to get one more for when I extend the modules into/around the corner to the far right.

Andrew

[MountainMan]

Thanks for your kind words, MountainMan, and for the additional information about freight elevators.
The furniture warehouse which provided some of the inspiration for my elevator has actually been converted into condos, but I don't know if the elevator is still in use.

Wayne

They usually are left in service in order to move furniture and construction equipment up and down as well as passengers! Saves money on the conversion.

[MountainMan]

My grandfather was a manager at the National Grocers building in Niagara Falls. I was taken inside once and he took me up in the elevator. It seemed to work by his pulling on a loop of rope. I didn't get to play with it!

On some of the ones I have seen, the loop of rope actually actuates a mechanism that closes both the upper and lower door simultaneously. This is easier on the operator.

My most fun was riding a famous continuous elevator in a headquarters building in Germany which had NO doors at all and never stopped moving! - it featured in a spy film!

[doctorwayne]

They usually are left in service in order to move furniture and construction equipment up and down as well as passengers! Saves money on the conversion.

I'd think so, too, but I drove by there the other day, and there's now a ground-level pedestrian door, which has replaced the former elevated loading dock and the elevated elevator door which was originally there. It doesn't look like the original elevator is there at all, as there are now windows where the elevator shaft would have been.

Wayne

[MasonJar]

Hi guys,

Couple more recent pics and a small update.

- Added a third shop light to cover the rest of the modules
- wiring almost done, including switchable programming track
- landscaping started
- factory building put on the back burner and renamed Northern Lights Canoe Co.

Photos (in reverse order) are looking west over team track loading ramp towards Victoria Street and Hamilton & Paice General Merchandise; east from about the same spot towards coal dealer and cattle; further east at the timber overpass.

   

   

   

   

   

Andrew

[faraway]

A great layout still getting better and better.
(How kind to post the photos formatted for modelers "down under" )

[MasonJar]

Thanks for your kind words Reinhard! The layout has been a long time coming...

Andrew

[MasonJar]

A Creek Runs Through It...

I couldn't decide what to do about the secondary road towards the left end of the modules. I was thinking about an alleyway and more buildings facing John Street, but I couldn't get a look that I liked.

So instead I am taking another clue from my hometown (Orangeville, ON) and putting in a creek. It's modelled on Little York St in Orangeville that had a small creek running parallel behind a row of buildings. At one point, there was a mill - on the cross-street Mill St - but that was demolished at some point after I moved away. I do remember going into it at one point when I was young as we had some Scouting gear stored there.

Anyway, that creek also ran through the park that was across the tracks beside my house. So all the elements are there, just jumbled up a bit.

I'm posting these photos from my phone, so apologies if they end up upside down again. They look right to me for some reason...?

   

   

   


Andrew

[JaBear]

I'm posting these photos from my phone, so apologies if they end up upside down again.

Thank you for catering to us Antipodeans.
Cheers, the Bear.

[MasonJar]

I'm posting these photos from my phone, so apologies if they end up upside down again.

Thank you for catering to us Antipodeans.
Cheers, the Bear.

So strange... I'm using the Chrome app on iOS, and the photos appear correct for me. I wonder what the problem is...?

Much appreciated if any of my fellow moderators could fix the photos.

Cheers,

Andrew