Industrial park - how close can the buildings be?

[PhilM]

I am building a very narrow switching plank with industries place along both sides. Along the back they are little more than flats - maybe 1/2 inch depth. I want to create the impression of and industrial canyon in a fairly modern business park (perhaps buildings no older than the 1960s maybe a bit newer) in a medium size midwestern city. Anyway my question is how close to each other can buildings be and still look prototypical? The closer they are on the model the less I have to worry about the gaps and merging the buildings into the background.

thanks

Phil

[shortliner]

http://www.the-gauge...php?f=46&t=4138 Phil - I was going to suggest a look at this posting, but I see you have already been there - Great Minds! You might like to look at my posting on the MRS thread this morning - although not an industrial park, it may give you Urban Canyon ideas - however most industrial parks tend to sprawl, whereas what I think you need is something like the Vernon area with street-running and spurs running off everywhere.

[shortliner]

http://smallmodelrailwaylayouts.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2010-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&updated-max=2011-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&max-results=14 Might give you an idea for Urban Canyon Railroading

[trisonic]

Refer to my photo link of Dover, NJ in Jack's MRS topic/thread................................

 

Best, Pete.

[dave1905]

Depends on how you define "canyons". Modern post 1960's buildings are going to be generally one or two stories. So you you will get more of a "ravine" than a "canyon". If you want real canyons you need to go the brick buildings built in the late 1800's and early 1900's. Those get up in the 4-8 story range typically. Industrial parks especially are low flat buildings with the majority of the square footage on one floor. They are designed for efficiency and since land is pretty cheap over here they tend to go out rather than up.

 

So you can have rows of 1-2 story buildings with the buildings almost touching each other, and then every couple buildings put in a break for a road.

[trisonic]

Yes. I think modern buildings, in New Jersey, have to be minimum of 4 foot from the boundary lines which means a minimum of 8 foot between structures. Anything went before this rule........

 

Best, Pete.

[Alcanman]

Hi Phil,

 

There are some prototype pics of the modern industrial park 'urban canyon' on Lance Mindheim's site.

 

Here's an example on Palmetto although the warehouses seen are not rail served.

 

The baseboard in only 15 ins wide.

 

 

Look forward to seeing progress with your layout.

 

 

regards,

 

Mal

[PhilM]

Thanks chaps. All very useful and just what I needed. And Mal, I know its not the "right way" but I am probably basing my efforts as much on the general ambience of Palmetto as I am on the prototype! If I can get anything like a midwestern version of your layout I will be very pleased indeed. That being said I am really poor at making decisions (which is why I have never completed a layout and I am in my mid-50s!) so keep vearing between the more modern concrete and steel boxes, and the older very urban "canyons" exampled by Jacks posts. I think concrete and steel has the edge as even I can make a box with no windows and few if any visible doors.

 

Now to make some progress .......

[trisonic]

A lot of the industrial development around Miami is fairly recent (decades). I've noted that elsewhere in the country it's usually more of a mix. A lot of older single use large buildings are often split into multiple units internally.

 

Best, Pete.