jhock Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 Hi Guys, over the years I have had various aborted attempts at layouts in various guises, American, German, English, narrow gauge, standard gauge, H0, 00, the list goes on! Anyway it is time to get my head down and finish a layout! So I could do with some advice, I have decided for sins to settle on American outline with period being recent, some where in 2000's. I want to make use of the various bits I have, which mainly grain hoppers, couple of grain storage bins. I have a few box cars also. What I would like to do is base the layout around I industry, my first thoughts are something like a feed mill, I know I could do a grain store but I don't fancy it. I have 8' by 2' to play with and I would like to exhibit it so it will be on 2 X 4' boards. What I don't know is what goes in and what comes out and how? I assume grain goes in and is turned into animal feed, does this come out in hoppers? Does anything go out in box cars? Does anything come in tank cars, chemicals etc. I will do some digging on tinternet but if any one has any info I would be very gratful. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilM Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 I am in a very similar position - rarely getting very far because I cant make a decision and stick with it. But I am determined to build an 80s based layout based in Illinois - so I also have bought a few covered hoppers and box cars. Anyway, I have been doing a bit of research on local industries so how about some kind of food manufacturer - plenty of covered hoppers bring in grain/corn, tank cars bring in corn syrup and probably horrid chemicals, and box cars distribute the finished products to far flung places. Do some seaching on google or bing maps eg Kraft in Champaign Il. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alcoRS1 Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 Where I live in Vancouver washington, there is crips factory, they get potatoes and grain in hoppers, plus cooking oil, if you base it on 2000 you could have BNSF and BN color scheme locos switching, whether it be a MP15, SW1500 or even GP9's. would all of worked the yard. The factory is next to a gas bottling factory that receives tank cars. the train has to cross a road to get to each factory, and the other side of the road is a yard. the gas plant take 3 cars and the potatoes take about 4 cars at a time. here are a couple of shots, the first one the second line from the switch goes to the crisps factory. the second shot their are 2 tank cars on the left and one on the right behind the tree, with the plant access between them. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave1905 Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 A feed mill can get many commodities in, depend ion what type of feed they are making (dog food vs cttle feed). Some things that might go into a feedmill: Grain (covered hoppers (CH) or boxcars) Alfalfa pellets (CH or box) Cottonseed meal (CH) Cottonseed hulls (box) Soybean meal (CH or boX) Molasses (tank) Corn syrup (tank) Vegetable oil (tank or box) Animal by products (box) Starch (CH) additives/vitamins (box) Bags (box) Feed might be shipped out in covered hoppers or bagged in boxcars or it could all go out by truck. If its a dogfood plant it could require cans and boxes and ship out boxes of cans. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
298 Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 I would like to post a blatant plug for the Iowa Traction: http://web.presby.edu/~jtbell/transit/MasonCity/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iowa_Traction_Railroad Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
298 Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 Where I live in Vancouver washington, there is crips factory, they get potatoes and grain in hoppers, plus cooking oil, if you base it on 2000 you could have BNSF and BN color scheme locos switching, whether it be a MP15, SW1500 or even GP9's. would all of worked the yard. The factory is next to a gas bottling factory that receives tank cars. There is a Doritos line in Vancouver, hence the grain hoppers. Like-Like even made a Doritos Boxcar, but I don't know how accurate it is. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alcoRS1 Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 There is a Doritos line in Vancouver, hence the grain hoppers. Like-Like even made a Doritos Boxcar, but I don't know how accurate it is. They do Doritos, cheetos, and regaular chips (crisps), all the finished product seems to be moved by road, it is owned by Frito Lays Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhock Posted October 22, 2009 Author Share Posted October 22, 2009 Thanks for the advise and pics guys, more so now I can see them thanks to Firefox. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhock Posted October 22, 2009 Author Share Posted October 22, 2009 Thought I would share this with you, it is the kind of inspiration I like and I have an Indiana and Ohio High Nose GP30! Short lines the way it should be! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Peters Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 I like that very inserational picture Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhock Posted October 31, 2009 Author Share Posted October 31, 2009 Well after some trial and error I have laid the track at last and had change of heart again! While doing some research on the 'net I cam across pics of modernish small saw mills, in particular the Hull-Oakes lumber comapny in Oregon and I am hooked! I already havea couple of lumber cars, 72' beam and all door box car. Plus I managed to find and order 2 62' wood chip cars. I have a SW1200 that I have repainted after it took an unfortunate dive of a previous layout thanks to my now fiancee (nothing a little filler and paint could not sort)! So I am thinking of getting some transfers and making look like it belongs to the mill. You can see from the pic below that it is not huge layout, the tracks at the bottom extend about another foot. So here goes my theory, logs in by road (hence the log truck in another of my threads), wood chips and lumber out by rail. I doubt very much that the mill would have logs bought in by rail, I thought about getting some pulp wood cars but these would be out of place I think as these would be going to a paper mill not a saw mill. I trying to come up with an excuse to use by box cars, any one got any ideas what could go out in box cars? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brisbane King Posted November 1, 2009 Share Posted November 1, 2009 Looking good there. I never knew that such operations still existed, I thought they would have succumb long ago road haulage! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alcoRS1 Posted November 1, 2009 Share Posted November 1, 2009 Looking good there. I never knew that such operations still existed, I thought they would have succumb long ago road haulage! Here in the Pacific Northwest it is very common. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhock Posted November 1, 2009 Author Share Posted November 1, 2009 Looking good there. I never knew that such operations still existed, I thought they would have succumb long ago road haulage! I am not sure Hull-Oakes is still rail served as I read that in 2007 there where issues with the track, I don't know if they where ever resolved. I like Hull Oakes as it is still a steam powered mill, it uses some of the wood chips it produces to run the mill. Hows that for sustainability! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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