naturol

Baz, a mate whose modelling abilities dwarf my own, has a scrap bin to die for. He has offered me a stone hopper screen, ( like that's what we all have in our box.) I'm sure it will fit in.

This is the correct picture for the above post, The bitumen tanks are stored at slightly different levels, and the stone silos are behind.

The various grades of bitumen are stored in the square shaped tanks. The main stone bins are behind.

Main stone storage to the left, which is conveyor fed to the rotating kiln behind the steel screens in the centre, Oil for the furnace in the large tank to the rear. The coated product is fed to the right to the discharge surge hoppers.

Kiln to the left, the large oil tank to the rear, Kiln to the left, the large oil tank to the rear,

The dust extraction duct (square pipe from kiln, control booth and discharge conveyor and hoppers. As above (picture didn't load.)

The two sludge tanks from which the dust is re cycled, behind is the main chimney, and the water tank.

One of the surge bins, discharge hoppers

I was fortunate to have a supervised site visit to the CEMEX plant today, so thank you to the staff. Pictures are taken from the roadway or behind the walkways, so a better sense of the plant can be made. I was informed it was one of only a few plants without the rolling mixer, as most are of a batching system. ( they can make a number of grades of product at a time where as this one mass produces a single item but with greater efficiency. So it generally makes the courser base grades of HRA hot rolled asphalt, 20mm or so stone. Various grades of bitumen are stored in the square tanks and pre used oil for the furnace is stored in the large tanks. (Due to its pre use, the oil has to be pre heated prior to ignition.) A large fan is used to blow through the rotating furnace oven during mixing the bitumen, stone and binder (dust). The excess dust which can bulk the weight excessively is drawn from the furnace by a fan and then wet with water where it is then fed into a spoil sludge tank. ( see picture) from where it can be re cycled. Very interesting half hour, and I'm more infused to get on with it.

Today saw the mass ordering of walthers kits, the tarmac plant, gravel plant, surge bins, and conveyors. I previously sourced some german storage tanks, and some from ratio, ( still looking for the knightwing ones.) Also ordered the track and the polystyrene incline ramps. Spoke to simon, hopefully have the boards to me for the Easter weekend, 5 days off, yippee. I have the celotex 35mm insulation for the ground forming beneath the plant. Rolling stock is all ready, so a big push is hoped for this coming weekend.

Hi Matthew. This will be the second time I've modelled a folded fig 8 layout, the first model did have a single siding. And was flat in appeance with a diamond X crossing instead of a bridge. Whilst I completely agree with you on the siding, I may struggle with space on the 1st &3rd radii track. The only available location is on the 1st rad. Curve on the highest elevation of the track prior to crossing over the lower line. IF space allows I would have a short siding under a discharge shoot. And stable a sound fitted DCC shunter here. Another consideration, I'm rather talkative, and when I exhibit I tend to ramble on a tad. So a layout that runs itself is a great bonus, as I can ignore it and it'll keep going whilst I'm engaged. As Yoda may say " Keeping it simple. One must"

Always keen to offset any costs, I approached cemex who own the plant to enquire about sponsorship. ( for the first time I'm going to keep accurate records of expenditure for the build) im guessing around £450.00 But, as Its not an environmental project to which they can offset funds, unfortunately its a no.

I have been given permission for a photo session at the plant at some point in the future. But for planning purposes this is the Google Earth image I want to replicate.

To speed along the build, I have provided my local Model Shop.( plug plug) Lord and Butler, with a list of purchases, The set track, scenecraft risers, and the walthers kits, I'm expecting these within a week. (As is the baseboard) Recent browsing Etat. Has resulted in some bulk buy now / make an offer, for Dapol 12 ton hoppers, 10 have been sourced which will make up the quarry train £7.50 down to £5.00 each. , ( motive power will vary from an industrial 08. my trackmobile off VOPAK, or a Hornby sentinel.)

Whilst I'm quite practical the effort in building baseboards simply bores me. So the last few layouts have all had custom made boards from a friend who works in the local school as a DT technician. On this occassion I also shopped around the retail advertisers on the forum, I initially fancied a two piece baseboard built from furniture grade ply on a ply frame around 100mm deep. The two semicircle would locate with pattern dowels. Had costs around £300.00 The depth of baord ( the rise and fall of the Track (70mm ish) plus the height of the scenery around 300mm would make it difficult to get it through the loft. So, the plan is to have removable scenery ( tarmac plant on a ply baseboard.) and the baseboard will now be built from a. Sheet of 18mm MDF, again cut into semi circles, to join the boards the joint will be thickened up with an additional strip of MDF around 200mm wide. Into this I intend to put biscuits ( wooden flat dowels) used to connect furniture, and then use a router to machine in the slots to accept kitchen work top bolts to assemble the boards. This should reduce the thickness but will increase its weight. The boards will sit on standard screw fix adjustable trestles so it will be very rigid. To promote the layout, the use of a blue curtain beneath will hopefully justify the Blue Circle theme.

The plant

The track plan uses 3rd radii and 1st rad curves, the focal point plant will sit around 35mm above the lowest point of the track plan, being beneath the cross over approx 70 mm above. The running lines will sit on scenecraft polystyrene inclines, the 4% for the inner circle and the 3% for the outer ring.

Welcome to my proposed layout themed around a re creation of a tarmac plant situated at Wenvoe, on the outskirts of Cardiff. The following criteria were considered for the design of this layout . 1. Portable. 2. Hopefully exhibitable. 3. Original or different. 4. Ability for the layout to run reliably with little operator interaction. 5. Fit through my loft hatch. The inspiration comes from regular site visits to the quarry at wenvoe on the outskirts of west Cardiff. Where, adjacent to the site weigh bridge is the bitumen coating plant. Whilst there is no railway on site, the former Barry Railway runs less than 100 yds from the site at the bottom of hillside. My plan will see a circular folded figure of 8, with an up and over track plan around the scratch built plant, with a single loco pulling around 10 old hopper wagons out of the quarry and over the discharge shoot and to the screens and crusher. I do not intend to fill/empty the wagons just let the train rumble slowly around. I will try to recreate the rotating bitumen kiln, and try a seuth oil smoke unit on the plant chimney. Some images of the plant will follow, together with the track plan set about set track geometry. Walthers cornerstone quarry and asphalt kits will make up the basic plant with knightwing pipes and storage tanks. Board design will be a separate entry. Build time is a few months.

These will most probably be the last images I'll post of the area, taken today stood on the roof of an Iveco truck in Jewson yard, ( whilst no staff were looking.) This last image has the reach stacker and the DOW plant in the background. Forthcoming tour dates will see the layout at:- Tonbridge this weekend Thornbury in April Derby in May Weston super mare in September Swansea in October. Possibly at Cardiff show in October. Dates into 2017 are also booked, details to follow.

Link to the next project following the completion of Elliot rail facility. ( scheduled for the next month or so.) http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/80521-seth-hill-stone-quarry-bonvilson-nr-cardiff/&do=findComment&comment=2201548

a rare shot from ABP. roadway showing the DOW Corning plant, a Stolt tanker, the reversing head shunt loop to the right, Jewsons up on the right, you can just make out the container terminal. And the dock view road backscene to the left.

And the last one on cardiff dock.

Went through my phone and found these images from the summer.

Having been to the Stafford show and seen some quite outstanding modern image modelling on numerous layouts, where such amazing high levels of detail were evident at eye popping quality. I have concluded this level of modelling equates to that of fine art, where as, I feel much more comfortable with a thick brush and pallet knife as an impressionist, I use as an example the operating theatre boxes on Brighton East, excellent. I came away very envious of the patience, dedication and skill at replicating in miniature the protypical railway. that so many exhibiting individuals at the show are able to devote to this hobby. It was a truly inspiring show. Good to meet so many fellow members and put faces to names. Paul.