Limestone to the cement plant and other freights

[teetrix]

I think most modular modelers are interested in operations. So let's follow the way of my Krauss loco, pulling a limestone train between the quarry (represented by a silo, filled with crushed limestone) and the "Grafenberg cement plant" at the opposite end of the module arrangement. The pictures were taken at a modular meeting in October 2016. I don't post them to "show off", but to show the possibilities of module modelling, when available space is not the first concern...

 

The day started after some repairs at the evening before:

 

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"I've never seen this loco before!", said the engine driver. "It's a pattern for a new Mallet, they make tests with it.", answered the fireman, who has good connections to the men at the shed. Then they started the journey to the quarry. All the bells and whistles were used at the crossings:

 

 

 

Finally they arrived at the loading facility: 

 

 

Two locos were idling at the siding:

 

 

They picked up an empty rake:

 

 

and loaded it:

 

 

HTS Stromberg 2016 by Michael Carl, on Flickr

Waiting for a free slot to change direction.... This is obviously not a landscape of heritage railways and tourist attractions, but one of dirt, dust, sweat and hard earned money:

 

 

A standard gauge tanker on transport rollers was waiting at the siding:

 

 

Finally they could change direction and "approach" was given. But at the next station they had to change the direction again and to wait for the incoming train, pulled by a swiss build, yellow freight railcar:

 

 

They passed another silo, this time a wooden one:

 

 

•  

... and, after a curve, a sawmill was passed:

 

 

The cement plant was reached:

 

 

and the unloading began:

 

 

 

The next time they even had to pull 14 wagons, because a loco failed. No problem:

 

 

(hey, I still have a couple of pics...)

 

Michael

Edited June 4, 2018 by teetrix

[teetrix]

On the way to the next task, two flatcars with stone blocks were waiting:

 

 

The blocks were already loaded by a big crane:

 

 

And here we go, even through a beautiful landscape:

 

 

with a "romantic" train:

 

 

At the end a pic oth the whole arrangement, with the narrow gauge in the middle and the standard gauge arrangement around it:

 

 

 

Btw: The loading facility and the cement plant are part of home layouts, as well as the wooden silo and the american sawmill.

 

I hope you enjoy

 

Michael

[Zomboid]

Shows the kind of thing that could be achieved if this really takes off here. I suspect we're some way from that, though - I'm not sure even the American modules we have in the UK would make something on quite that scale, and that is pretty successful.

[jonhall]

Where was that meet?

 

Jon

[teetrix]

Hi, thanks for the comments and likes!

 

Shows the kind of thing that could be achieved if this really takes off here.

 

 

That was the reason to post it here...  But consider it needed 15 or 20 years to reach this level. In the first years the meetings were smaller, but they produced enough fun to attract new people. I stumbled in this "gang" as a happy H0e modeller. I was impressed by the friendlyness and helpfulness of the people, and with the years I was involved deeper and deeper. At the beginning I was only a visitor, later I started to build rolling stock, and now i own some modules myself.  

 

Where was that meet?

 

At Stromberg in the Hunsrück mountains, near Mainz/Bad Kreuznach. The next meeting will take place at the end of May.

 

Michael

[teetrix]

Well, end of may is gone, and I'm just back from the meeting mentioned in the last post. Of course I took a lot of photos, but this time I will  not follow a single train, but a kind of freight: Wood, the second main freight at our modular arrangements. 

 

Sometimes the track snakes through the woods:

 

 

WWald by Michael Carl, on Flickr

 

on other modules the trees are gone:

 

 

WKahlschlag by Michael Carl, on Flickr

 

Or the forest tractor does his work:

 

 

WRücketraktor by Michael Carl, on Flickr

 

log trains are assembled:

 

 

Stammholz3 by Michael Carl, on Flickr

 

and pulled to the sawmill:

 

 

WSägewerk by Michael Carl, on Flickr

 

even overseas:

 

 

WStammholz2 by Michael Carl, on Flickr

 

 

WSägewerkUS by Michael Carl, on Flickr

 

 

WLumberUS by Michael Carl, on Flickr

 

more to come...

 

Michael

[teetrix]

Back to the continent. A factory produces crates from the planks:

 

 

WKistenfabrik by Michael Carl, on Flickr

 

But not every stem is good enough for timber. A charcoal burner takes some logs:

 

 

WKöhlerei by Michael Carl, on Flickr

 

or they are just piled up for heating:

 

 

WScheitholz by Michael Carl, on Flickr

 

or used as fuel in a little gas generator loco:

 

 

Martins woodburner by Michael Carl, on Flickr

 

I hope you enjoyed the little journey, and maybe I provided even an inspiration what to show on a module...

 

Michael

Edited June 4, 2018 by teetrix