almason Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 are there any kits available for constructing a realistic steel works, i.e. stewarts&lloyds corby,have looked at walthers, anyone in uk doing anything similar... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arthur Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 There are no UK companies making specifically steelworks buildings. Currently, only Walthers make steel specific structures. A few years back Trix had some in their range, some were re-badged Walthers kits but they also had some of their own. These were multi media kits, laser cut board, metal and plastic which were very expensive, difficult to get hold of and portrayed continental prototypes. The Walthers kits are closer to British practice. RT models, Robert is a poster on here, make some nice British outline slag ladles and other useful bits for model steelworks. Arthur Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
almason Posted June 20, 2011 Author Share Posted June 20, 2011 There are no UK companies making specifically steelworks buildings. Currently, only Walthers make steel specific structures. A few years back Trix had some in their range, some were re-badged Walthers kits but they also had some of their own. These were multi media kits, laser cut board, metal and plastic which were very expensive, difficult to get hold of and portrayed continental prototypes. The Walthers kits are closer to British practice. RT models, Robert is a poster on here, make some nice British outline slag ladles and other useful bits for model steelworks. Arthur cheers,the walthers kits do look impressive, have just ordered one of the slag ladle kits to start with ....... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arthur Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 Happy to help. Perhaps worth pointing out that the Walthers blast furnace in particular is underscale even in HO (3.5mm/ft) let alone OO (4mm/ft). It's still a pretty big model and is a good starting point, it can be enlarged and cries out for extra detailing. If it's Corby on which you would be basing a model then that's not too bad, the furnaces were built in 1935 so are a bit smaller than post war builds anyway. It's less of an issue with the electric furnace and rolling mill kits as they're pretty generic industrial structures. Arthur Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Saunders Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 Plastruct do fake fronts for a 'steel mill', 'lime building' and 'sintering plant' ; they are a basic kit of parts that can easily be adapted to suit your needs. Mark Saunders Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Campaman Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 Not sure if you are local to Corby or not but as I am only 10 meters away from Steel Road in Corby as I type this and interesting feature of the main big building that still stands at Corby is that is was painted in camouflage during WWII Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RANGERS Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 The Walthers kit is nothing like any of the original furnaces at Corby although in terms of size it's probably about right for HO. As the design was different to anything of that size in the UK, I can't say whether it could be remotely correct. The Corby furnaces were developed between 1932 and 1934 and three of the original four survived until closure. The fourth (Number three furnace) was rebuilt in 1974 and was of a design nearer that of the Walthers furnace but was much bigger. Whether that style of furnace ever existed on a smaller scale, I can't say. The camouflage paint does indeed survive all around the works, although as sections of cladding and roof are renewed and repaired, it is slowly diminishing. Ironically the works was built by a German company, HA Brassert & Co and although the contribution in the production of tubes was significant, the area suffered little in the war. Local legend has it that 'Hitler knew every detail of the works and the capabilities of it and saw it as a strategic plant in the event that the invasion of Britain ever took place, hence his reluctance to destroy any part of it. The nearest he managed was a lone bomber which bombed the road near the railway bridge, probably aiming to take out the bridge and the railway. The scars on the formar post office can still be seen. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
almason Posted June 22, 2011 Author Share Posted June 22, 2011 Not sure if you are local to Corby or not but as I am only 10 meters away from Steel Road in Corby as I type this and interesting feature of the main big building that still stands at Corby is that is was painted in camouflage during WWII i am indeed local,born in stephenson way so the works was literally on your door step,i would like to base my new layout on a steelworks theme,maybe not an exact copy of corby as i do not have the skills to scratchbuild the buildings required but looking at the photos of the works there is plenty of scope for an interesting layout.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arthur Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 of a design nearer that of the Walthers furnace but was much bigger. Whether that style of furnace ever existed on a smaller scale, I can't say. The camouflage paint does indeed survive all around the works, although as sections of cladding and roof are renewed and repaired, it is slowly diminishing. Ironically the works was built by a German company, HA Brassert & Co A few post war furnaces were of the Walthers size and of similar design, Skinningrove, Brymbo and Bairds & Scottish are examples. The main difference with the Corby furnaces, unless you really want to go into great detail, is the arrangement of the gas uptakes. Brasserts were a U.S.company and were consultants rather than builders. They advised on a number of inter war and post war British steelworks projects, Corby, Lancashire Steel, Stanton are examples. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Campaman Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 Corby and the steel works would make an interesting layout as you have the large loop from the old station going into the works, and its suprising how much track was inside the works and still is. And then with a bit (well a lot) of compression you have the tunnel at the other end to your fiddle yard, and of course the Harringworth viaduct aint that far away. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
almason Posted June 26, 2011 Author Share Posted June 26, 2011 cheers,the walthers kits do look impressive, have just ordered one of the slag ladle kits to start with ....... kit is here! found this as an aid to building it..... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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