Name an Industry

[kettlestack]

Excuse me while I voice my thoughts and rabbit on for a wee while.... (Catt's suggestion of joining the NARA brought this on).

I was thinking of a name and imaginary location for my HO layout and mentioned "Crawford" to my wife. It is to be a sub-division of the GN, BN, NP, Penn RR, WM et al (chuckling here.... it is mine after all ).

Anyway, it just happens that here in UK Crawford (tm) is a huge enterprise specialising in making cookies!!! My wife imediately came out with .."Why don't you make a Cookie Factory? it would need all sorts of products supplied to it" Is she good to me or what??

Well, that led to slogans for such an enterprise.. I can't think when faced with a blank sheet of paper... but..... wife to the rescue:-
Almost instantly she sugested...
1) Cookies like Granma used to make.
2) Are you a cookie short of a picnic? Buy Crawford's!
3) Crawford's Cookies .. Keeping the kids smiling.

So now you see how easily I can be swayed from my train of thought! I still don't have a name or location figured out cos I'm thinking of a style for this "Crawford" structure thingie

Am I alone with such shortcomings in dreaming up names, places and such?

Errol

 

[roryglasgow]

Errol,

How about Crawford's Incredibly Crunchy Cookies? Or you can borrow from the California milk board and say, "You've got milk. Got cookies?" (I don't know if you've seen the "Got Milk?" ads here in the U.S.)

I'm in a similar situation. I've been trying to figure out exactly what industries that I want to put on the two spurs of my layout. For the longest time, I was going to go with the logging camp/sawmill setup, but I've managed to collect four stock (cattle) cars...so I'm going with a cattle pen/packing plant arrangement. I only vaguely knew what a packing plant looked like, so I started doing some research on the web. I really like the Walthers Champion Packing Plant kit, but it's not available in N. So, I'm designing my own paper kit in Paint Shop Pro, based on the Champion plant. I still don't have a name...

-Rory

 

[Vic]

Hi Eroll, I wouldn't think that its a shortcoming....sometimes names just happen Example: The mining town on my D&RGW HOn3 layout is HOMASOTE, COLORADO!!...and of course thats where they mine the "sote" to make HOMASOTE board that I use for sub-roadbed HA HA! Its great to have your own personal industry! Take care, Vic

 

[billk]

Errol - Another neat thing to do is to name industries (or anything else on the layout) after family members or friends. Naming the cookie factory after your wife sounds like a natural to me - after all it was her idea!

 

[Mike R]

I like that "Homasote",Colorado ! I have an Eastern US road based loosely on B&O / WM traffic, but I like the look of a train of ore cars...therefore I have one 18-car train of MDC ore cars, drawbar connected, which I treat as 'bridge traffic'...the cars have sand in the bottom,[to keep the weight low] and Kitty Litter as a top dressing, which looks pretty good. I regard this lading as "DeStenchite", coming from an offline quarry, and headed for an offline clay processor.
regards/Mike:

 

[sumpter250]

Mike,
It was almost a year after I stopped working in the destenchite mines before I realized I could smell.

 

[Tyson Rayles]

Errol you are not alone you are normal. Rory how about Rory's Raunchy Rawhide Products. Your plant could produce rawhide chew toys for pets as well as steaks and burgers Just kidding of course.

 

[Catt]

The upper peninsula of Michigan is loaded with old copper mines. The lower peninsula of Michigan has none(at least as far as I know) But there is an Unobtainium mine located just south of Grand Rapids right on the GVR mainline.

 

[kettlestack]

Rory, Incredibly Crunchie Cookies sounds great. If I give you 10 out of 10 for dreaming that one up will you charge me lower royalties if I use "Rory's Raunchy Rawhide Products"???

Vic, The Sote mine is a stroke of genius! There will ALWAYS be a demand for that! ..

Bill, I named a mine after my wife and lettered an MDC Heisler "Sonia Mining" (pronounced Son-eye-ah). That darned loco never did run properly but it just didn't seem to matter to her. (I think she just likes to see her name on things !)

Tyson, I'm NORMAL??? You just made my day!! (would you care to put it in writing to my wife?? )

Catt, Unobtanium?? I'm still laughing at it here. Does it radiate black light? How is it shipped?? Can one even see the stuff?

You guys are the greatest.... BUT.... I love cookies sooooo.. (I've even been called "The Cookie Crook" !!!

Now about the name of the town .... How does Jaffadil Junction sound to you??

Errol

 

[roryglasgow]

You're certainly welcome to use "Rory's Raunchy Rawhide Products," although I'm probably going with Shelby Meat Packing Company, or something similar. (No offense, Tyson! ) Shelby is my niece, and at present she doesn't have anything named after her on the layout. Her sister, however, has Emily's Dry Goods, my son has the town named after him (Bryan), and my wife has Kristi's Home Cookin'.

And, of course, it's the Rory & Kristi Railroad.

-Rory

 

[Tyson Rayles]

None taken Rory, if I were you I would do the same thing!

 

[Woodie]

How about......

"Don't put all your bickies in one barrell. Put Crawfords"

or:

"Crumbs!..... Crawford's"

or:

"Don't reach the bottom of the bickie barrel. Reach for Crawford's"

 

[Drew1125]

Ok,
I'll bite on this one, since it really applies in my case.
I named my layout after my kids...I have 4 lovely daughters, so the layout is called the 4 Sisters Branch
It's an industrial branch serving three large industries, & each one is a play on the kids' name(s), & is based loosely on some personal trait.
My oldest girls name is Dianna Maupin, but her nickname is "Evi". When she was younger, & still living at home, she would wear so much perfume & stuff, that whenever she would come out of the bathroom, I would complain that it "smelled like a chemical factory in there." Voila! I built a chemical plant & named it the "E.V. Maupin Mfg. Co."
My other daughter Leigh, is a marvelous cook, who is currently in culinary school, studying to be a chef. This was an easy one...a big food processing plant called...you guessed it..."Leigh Foods."
My youngest two daughters (10 & 6) are named Sadie, & Madeline. Their middle names are Rose, & Lenore, respectively. Since they have a tendency to wreck whatever room they happen to be playing in, I built a scrap yard, & called it the "S, Rose & M. Lenore Wrecking Co."
All of my kids love having their names on the layout! It's kind of endeared the hobby to them, even if they don't directly participate in it. It has also really added to the creative challenge for me. I've really enjoyed coming up with the names, & making the signs, etc...

 

[kettlestack]

Charlie, I know the feeling they get when they see their names on things. It adds that special something doesn't it.
But the wrecking Co??? I hope you don't expect to change their ways with that little quip... (coz you're wasting your time) They will take it as a challenge to wreck bigger and better!

Well, in between wiring my control panel I've been painting the Cornerstone "Merchant's Row" ... when finished there will be a number of store names going up on it with friends "ownership".

Hmm, I wonder who will own the "N" gauge specialist store or the Kangaroo Steak House

I can see I'm going to be busy using Paint Shop Pro making the signs and perhaps the window dressings.

Thanks for all your suggestions, I like them all but can't use them all!

Errol

 

[Mike R]

I too,use family and friends names on businesses...my bake shop is "Betty's Buns"...and my sister-in-law kind of likes it.
A Dry Goods and Mercantile store named for a work buddy, has a clear window in it, printed "The Drapes of Roth"[which I stole from an old Alan Sherman 1960's satirical album.
regards/Mike