Peak Cement

[Heinz57]

This is my newest layout project

 

Peak Cement

 

Just recently I've been thinking its time for a new project. Some of you will be familiar with my other layout project, Elveden Road, a modern day servicing depot specialising in HST stock. I intend building both layouts simultaniously, so this new layout is by no means the end of Elveden Road!

 

So, my new layout!

 

When deciding on my new layout as every modeler does I went through the motion of thinking of many ideas. I thought about a DRS depot, I thought about building a new and imroved version of my old layout 'Arena Parkway'. But in the end I decided I wanted to do a freight based layout. For a while I did toy with the idea of a steel works, and came up with a plan I liked. But eventualy I decided on doing a cement works, I have wanted to do one for years so I suppose it makes sense to actually do it! And so, 'Peak Cement' was born.

 

This layout will be a departure from my usual current scene layouts, and instead I will be setting it in the early 90s. The stock will be a mixture of the various Railfreight liveries seen in the early 90s as well as some locos still in the classic 'BR Blue' livery. I will be able to run the layout current scene if I want to with very minimal changes.

 

I am still very much in the early stages of reasearch and planning but the layout will be DCC sound, and measure 13ftx2ft.

 

So why 'Peak Cement?'. Well, I decided I wanted to name the layout after its location, so I trawled Google Earth looking for a location I liked, following only one rule - That I won't set the layout in Leisctershire or Northamptonshire as Elveden Road is set here. I did at first look at somewhere around Sherwood Forest but quickly decided on the Peak District. Specificly to the eastern edge near Chesterfield.

 

Such features included on the layout will be the delivery of stone from the Buxton area and the departure of cement either bagged in box vans or bulk in PCA tanks. I will also include the arrival of coal for the furnace and removal of the spent fly ash.

 

I'm still working on a plan for the layout. I've taken some insperation from two great cement work layouts 'Westbury Cement' and of course the fantastic 'Cement Quay'. I will post my plan on here when I've finished it.

 

That's all for now and I hope you like my new layout!

 

Cheers,

 

Heinz

Edited May 17, 2017 by Heinz57

[Alister_G]

Sounds an interesting idea.

 

Of course the classic location, and one I've thought about myself, is Earles Sidings and Hope cement works, on the Hope Valley line, but you would need a lot of space to do it justice.

 

Sidings full of PCA tanks, and HIA Hoppers, and earlier, of course, PresFlos.

 

Nice!

 

Al.

[vulcan product fan]

Very good idear for a super location with lots of loco variety will follow and watch with great interest  . any time period you thinking of pal?. 

[Heinz57]

Thanks chaps.

 

I'm looking forward to getting this project going. I'm really spending time reasearching into this project, looking at existing layouts and real cement works to get some good ideas to make a solid track plan.

 

I will set the layout in the early 90s and use a mixture of Railfreight and BR Blue locos. However I am going to make it in such a way that I can operate it current scene, or pretty much any time frame after 1980 if I want to.

 

Heinz

[Heinz57]

Planning Sessions!

 

So I've been having a look at planning the layout. As I mentioned in my previous post, I looked at Westbury Cement and Cement Quay for insperation. I also looked at many other cement work layout that I don't know the name of, both British and American outline, to get some ideas.

 

Each and every layout is differant, and some have more features of the cement works than others do. This got me thinking, what are the key features of a cement works? How is it laid out? And what features can I include? I worked out these are the main features of a cement works that are seen on most layouts...

 

- Main factory building

- Silos

- Stone unloading area

- Stone processing building

- Bagged cement loading

- Bulk cement loading

 

Other features that are seen on the cement works but not on every layout

 

- Stone mounds

- Coal in

- Used fly-ash out

 

Idealy I'd like to include as many of these features as possible, if not all of them.

 

I then did these first doodles to get some ideas on paper...

 

 

I then thought it would probably be better to lay out the key features and buildings of the cement works and create a track plan to suit them. With some initial ideas on paper and my mind spinning with ideas I 'got serious' and went on AnyRail and came up with this...

 

Unnamed Cement Works Version 1

 

Clockwise from left to right... Stone unloading, stone processing building, main factory and bulk cement loading, silos, bagged cement loading and finaly coal in. I have also included two separate run around loops which means I can potentialy have two trains running at the same time.

 

Great stuff!....

 

But we never go with the first plan! I studied the plan and had another think. Its a good idea, but not perfect. I kept the buildings in the same place but jiggled a few of the tracks around an came up with this...

 

Unnamed Cement Works Version 2

 

Which quickly became this...

 

Peak Cement Version 2.1

 

Version 2.1 is the current version of the plan. But not the final one.

 

Some after thoughts I have had since creating plan 2.1 is what about including the used fly ash trains leaving? Where will they load? Also, more importantly, what about actualy unloading the wagons? I have two ideas here, firstly the stone unloading point will be moved to the scenic break, and then I will run unloaded wagons through and make it look like they have been unloaded. Or run a loaded train in, run around and shunt back through the unloader into the fiddle yard. The second is my favorite as it adds more operational interest and it means I have loaded stone wagons to use in the future. As for the coal, because the unloading building is against the back scene I can theoreticaly use removable loafs with magnets and lift them out of the wagons.

 

Those are just my thoughts but I'd be very interested to hear what your opinions are on the plans I have done so far.

 

Cheers,

 

Heinz