- Industries Along The Rails

New River Coal Mine Modifications

Sat, 12 Mar 2022 14:10:41 +0000

I screwed up !!

Today I was working on this particular corner where I had (have) plans for the coal mine. I am using the Wathers New River Kit, and I thought I had it all thought out as to how it was going to rest on some foamboard I had fashioned to cover the 2 mainline helix tracks running under it.
For some reason I fashioned that foamboard in 2 levels rather than just one,...I don't know why I did that. The problem now is that the 3 tracks under the loader are now at least 1+3/8" too low. It would be nice it I could replace that double level foamboad with a single level one, BUT that would screw up a couple of things,..1) I can't go lower as I need the higher level in order for double stack cars to run on those mainlines beneath it, and 2) I can't go to the higher option as I can't make the access tracks that steep.

What are my options? Do I dare to try and cut (section) that mine kit down by perhaps 1.25",...or ??

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Brian

cullet

Sun, 30 Jan 2022 23:02:37 +0000

A recent article in Trains magazine profiled a short line RR near Puyallup, WA. (December 2021, story on Meeker Southern). I was intrigued to read a mention of hopper loads of cullet as outbound loads. The company was not named, but some internet sleuthing revealed Pacific Glass Media
(site link: The PGM Story)

Ultimately, clean cullet (clear only?) can be used as feed stock for fibreglass insulation manufacture. The "about us" page tells a lot about the difficulties obtaining clean materials. Even though glass is "recycled" here in Oregon, for our community at least, the recycled glass is just crushed and sent to a nearby landfill. Reportedly, this is because bottle glass plants no longer rely on recycled stock due to colored glass cross contamination.

This could be an interesting outbound loads industry on your model railroad.[url=https://www.pacificglassmedia.com/storypage.html][/url]

Brick Factory, brick making

Mon, 13 Jan 2020 15:00:49 +0000

A number of years ago I saw this image in an older magazine, and it so inspired me that I knew I had to make all efforts to include something like this on my new layout

This was my initial efforts to put that scene on my plan.
https://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node...ent-369953 (full size paper templates)

I am currently having to re-plan this scene due to a number of problems that have popped up.

What I need help with is identifying the major raw materials needed for brick making, and the stowage (tanks) I should try to provide space for as I try to rearrange things??

Container Loading Cranes

Mon, 23 Sep 2019 14:09:10 +0000

Container Loading Cranes

I've been looking thru LOTS of container crane images recently,...specifically HO scale, and specifically railroad car loading ones. I have some specific requirements I am seeking for my two container handling areas, but I thought it might be interesting to see what other models (commercially available, kit-bashed, custom built) might be presented, and the reasons for those preferences.

Heljan model
I'll start out with one of my favorites, the Heljan model.
https://www.hattons.co.uk/11688/hel...o_gauge_dc_ac_dcc_operation_/stockdetail.aspx

This is an expensive one, and it appears as though it is ONLY available as a fully operational model. I find it almost surprising that neither Heljan has offered a non-operating model, or perhaps some other manufacturer??

It does appear as though they have copied a real existing crane, but I find it to be so wide as to be limited to pretty large container handling scenes. It spans so many tracks. I like the idea that it services a track (or two ?) outside of its inner span.

I would like to have a crane that spans only 2 or 3 tracks, with the capability to service one track outside its inner span. My container facility will possible be just barely wide enough to support this size crane.

Single Water Tower Servicing 2 Mainline Tracks?

Wed, 11 Sep 2019 16:43:59 +0000

Can someone point me to an example were a single water tower (steam locomotive era) serviced 2 mainline tracks?

Perhaps at a wye?
Perhaps the water tower had two discharge nozzles on either side??

GERN central info

Sun, 26 Nov 2017 02:08:02 +0000

calling doctorwayne...

I have been enjoying the posts on here and elsewhere about GERN flux. That said I cannot find anywhere anyone has put together a central repository, website, or not even a facebook page for GERN. Does any of that exist? All I find are varied forum posts and they're often hard to follow. It would certainly be handy to have a specific place for others to find the details and learn about GERN and start their own franchise in a easy to read manner. This could go a long way to keeping Mr Gibson happy and may even create many more GERN affiliates.

Has doctorwayne ever considered immortalizing the GERN registry and company advertisements in another format or am I just not finding such? What I suggesting is simply a webpage, or even a sticky forum topic (searchable by Google, etc) that could even be on this website or elsewhere, describing exactly what GERN is and why and how to become part of it. You could also have the current rolling stock registry listed. It would also make a nice place for images to be easily found. And of course it would lead back to this forum for relevant discussion.

It is possible I just haven't found such a place yet, but that is exactly why I am suggesting such a thing. If I can't find it others can't. I only heard of such a thing by bumping into it reading another forum but then I found little bits and pieces strewn all over before I collected enough information to get the big picture of how many people and how far GERN has spread.

A nifty covered hopper industry I found while travelling

Mon, 11 Sep 2017 03:31:12 +0000

Sadly, I did not get pics, but I am working on getting some pics together of the equipment I saw used to add to this thread a little later, but I wanted to share because it was quite interesting. The industry consisted of a single office, with a couple of company trucks next to the office, one track full of probably 20 covered hoppers, and several trucks with covered hopper trailers. To unload the hoppers in to the trailers, there was a small, mobile conveyor belt (like what you'd see for aggregate or something similar) which, when not in use, was parked alongside the tracks, and when in use, was moved under the hopper with the taller end over top of the trailer. When the trailer was full, the truck pulled away and another took its place.

I think this would be quite easy to model and would be an easy way to add most any sort of covered hopper-based industry to your layout. You wouldn't have to have so much in front of the cars, it would be quite easy to spot one or two hoppers on a short spur (or even on the main, which is a practice I have still seen in use today on short lines that only run one train or so at any given time) with a conveniently placed mobile conveyor belt to give an indication of what takes place there, a very small office and truck, and a waiting tractor trailer to be unloaded in to.

I ran in to this while driving in the Endless Mountains of Pennsylvania (the totally unironic name of an actual group of mountains here), and was unable to take any pictures since my camera was totally dead.

Industries for gondola containers?

Thu, 18 May 2017 16:24:51 +0000

I'm looking for ideas for industries that might use the round containers that come with the N scale Atlas 42-foot gondolas. The containers are easily removed, but I thought it would be fun to discuss because they are ubiquitous in the hobby.

The first thing that comes to mind is cement, which was hauled in small containers before the widespread use of covered hoppers, but that seems difficult to justify in a Postwar setting. Any other suggestions?

Frito Lay Chip Plant

Mon, 24 Apr 2017 16:44:48 +0000

Hello Big Blue! This is my first time posting here although I've been a follower for a couple of years now. I'm starting on a layout based on the BNSF Ward Industrial Spur that runs from Midlothian to Dallas, TX and at the end of the line in Dallas there is (although it closed a few years ago) a Frito Lay plant. I know it takes covered hopper cars but I'm not sure which kinds. The plant produced Baked Lays, Rold Gold pretzels and a few kinds of Cheeto's products. I'm assuming the plant took in corn but I don't know if the hoppers it would receive were regular three or four bay hoppers or pressurade centerflows. Would anyone care to guess which kind this type of plant would take? Below are google map links to this plant and the operating one in Arlington that is served by UP.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Frito ... 96.9049019

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Frito-...97.0509964

Looking for info on loading/hauling Gypsum

Mon, 10 Apr 2017 16:07:27 +0000

Hello! I am researching my freelance short line and could use some wisdom. Specially, I would like to put a cement plant at one end of the line and a supplier at the other. Research has suggested gypsum as a good candidate, as the cement plant would probably contain its own aggregate pit. Gypsum is also a little cheap for a Class 1 to bother with it, but a short line might haul it less than 10 miles in captive equipment.

My first question is rolling stock in a late 70's/early 80's era. I have spotted a few rare models lettered for gypsum companies and they tend to be 2 bay covered hoppers. Any idea if this is correct versus an open hopper?

Second question is the loader. An open hopper would surely use a conveyor or flood loader, but what about closed hoppers? Is it a structure more like an elevator?

Thanks!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Never seen this before

Wed, 08 Feb 2017 20:23:38 +0000

Basically it a water sprayer for coal trains.The purpose is to keep down the Coal dust.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC0yiJetgKY

Granite slabs industry

Sun, 08 Jan 2017 20:08:32 +0000

Hi, I'm trying to figure out how to model correctly a granite exploiting industry. Not the quarry itself, but the siding. The prototype is a large granite quarry specialized in large architectural granite slabs, large sculpted granit blocks and other such products. Unfortunately, I have very little information about from the era it was still rail-served (1970s-1985). My guess is that slabs were packaged and shipped in boxcars while the larger blocks would have been loaded on flats and gondolas using a traveling crane.

Any information is welcomed.

Best regards,

Matt

Ice Cream Plant

Fri, 23 Dec 2016 20:08:01 +0000

http://www.astorialic.org/images/topics ... ckside.jpg

Walthers Vulcan Manufacturing
http://tse1.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.M9f3d ... =4&pid=1.1

Kaolin Company
http://www.sandersvillerailroad.com/ima ... ele-01.png

A modeler's dream
http://tse1.mm.bing.net/th?&id=OIP.M02a ... =0&p=0&r=0

rail-served industrial park
https://goentergy.com/wp-content/upload ... 0x390.jpeg

railside light and power building
http://tse1.mm.bing.net/th?&id=OIP.Mb14 ... =0&p=0&r=0

Acoustical Ceiling Tiles Plant

Sat, 10 Sep 2016 23:11:22 +0000

Hi,

I'm actually researching an acoustical ceiling tiles plant in my area. I found documents from the plant describing the raw materials used to manufacture their product. Until the the 80s, they were rail served. Among the materials is wax emulsion. Unfortunately, my searches led me nowhere and I could find info about this material being carried by rail. Anybody ever heard of wax emulsion transported by rail? If yes, let me know, I'm a little bit curious.

Matt

Rail Salvage Operations

Fri, 15 Apr 2016 21:53:17 +0000

Has anyone modeled a salvage operation? I've seen numerous photos of work trains taking up the abandoned narrow gauge tracks in Colorado.