Has anyone used straws for N scale pipe loads? I was thinking they would be about the right size. Anyone have any pictures???
Pipe loads?
- Thread starter SD90
- Start date
I was gonna use BIC pens, but straws are cheaper and easer to find....good Idea MIKE! I'll go try that right now!
I'll try it too, just need to get some yellow or blue paint, or rust colored paint if they are going to be metal.
Good idea...i was going to paint them grey as in fresh metal pipes, OR concrete pipes. Since they're plastic already, i'll do 'em up blue, yellow, green, or red (around here, we have green for crap, blue is good water, red is something else and yellow is electrical)
Let's compair results when we're done! :thumb:
Let's compair results when we're done! :thumb:
Quick! What would pipes roughly 7-feet in diameter by 25-feet in legnth be used for?!
I found a HUGE stack of old, dead AA batteries...i was thinking i could use 'em for something. Heavy so i would need to add idler cars and more motive power! PROTO-freakin-REALISM at it's FINEST!
I found a HUGE stack of old, dead AA batteries...i was thinking i could use 'em for something. Heavy so i would need to add idler cars and more motive power! PROTO-freakin-REALISM at it's FINEST!
siderod said:
Culverts under a road or track would be my first thought. Drainage for my poor braincells during an election year would be my second
Straw Pipe loads...
I recall seeing a very well-done pipe load at a show once, although I haven't any pictures. The fellow had done them as a load in an HO gondola. He'd airbrushed the "pipes" black, with a slightly rusty overtone, then had secured them with stripwood, suitably weathered. The load was removable , and he could place it on the layout as well, if so desired.
Although they'd be larger pipes, I think it would still work very nicely in N scale. I'd love to see the results. :thumb:
I recall seeing a very well-done pipe load at a show once, although I haven't any pictures. The fellow had done them as a load in an HO gondola. He'd airbrushed the "pipes" black, with a slightly rusty overtone, then had secured them with stripwood, suitably weathered. The load was removable , and he could place it on the layout as well, if so desired.
Although they'd be larger pipes, I think it would still work very nicely in N scale. I'd love to see the results. :thumb:
Metal finish pipes of a large diameter could represent the outer, steel shell of composite displacement piles.
They are driven into the ground with a cone on the end that displaces the soil to the side. When at the right depth the steel tube is filled with concrete to make a pile for a building.
Since these are usually used for big buildings you would have lots of them so a single flat car load would probably not be enough for a whole factory.
This would be appropriate from the 80s onwards.
neil (civil engineering student)
They are driven into the ground with a cone on the end that displaces the soil to the side. When at the right depth the steel tube is filled with concrete to make a pile for a building.
Since these are usually used for big buildings you would have lots of them so a single flat car load would probably not be enough for a whole factory.
This would be appropriate from the 80s onwards.
neil (civil engineering student)
I've seen straws used for pipe loads on flat cars often. Remember those straws that had an inch or so of corrugations so they would bend? When you stretch them to their maximum extended size, they represent the corrugated steel pipe used as culverts pretty well. The fact that they're short doesn't matter as only a bit has to stick out of the earth. Paint doesn't stick to them real well tho, but if they're not disturbed this isn't a problem.
Gary
Gary
siderod said:
Just be careful where you place them, as they may eventually leak
and corrode I like thin wall brass tubing, it's fairly cheap, is really round (and stays that way), and won't shed it's paint from flexing when handled.
Straws work OK
Yes Mike straws do look OK in N or HO.
It just so happens I used several three days ago and painted them concrete.
The small diameter pipes are straws and the larger ones are brass tubing to give a bit of weight to this HOn3 D&RGW pipe gondola.
Here's a photo of what they look like.
Errol
Yes Mike straws do look OK in N or HO.
It just so happens I used several three days ago and painted them concrete.
The small diameter pipes are straws and the larger ones are brass tubing to give a bit of weight to this HOn3 D&RGW pipe gondola.
Here's a photo of what they look like.
Errol
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pipes
Concrete pipes generally come in 4' lengths. A line of pipe is made by connecting sections to get the desired length. Each section has a straight end and a belled end to make them easy to connect. Concrete pipe is very heavy, you would need a crane or excavator to put it in place. Sizes range in diameter from 15" to 72".
A plant that produces concrete pipes would make a good industry for you layout. Inbound shipments could include concrete, sand, aggregates, and steel (for reinforcement). Loads of pipe could be shipped out (probably on gons or flat cars.
As for using straws, I have used flexible straws with the corrugations compressed to simulate corrugated metal pipe in N-scale. I don't see any reason why you couldn't use the rest of the straw for metal or plastic pipe. You might try Tamiya paints if you have trouble getting the paint to stick to the straw.
John
Concrete pipes generally come in 4' lengths. A line of pipe is made by connecting sections to get the desired length. Each section has a straight end and a belled end to make them easy to connect. Concrete pipe is very heavy, you would need a crane or excavator to put it in place. Sizes range in diameter from 15" to 72".
A plant that produces concrete pipes would make a good industry for you layout. Inbound shipments could include concrete, sand, aggregates, and steel (for reinforcement). Loads of pipe could be shipped out (probably on gons or flat cars.
As for using straws, I have used flexible straws with the corrugations compressed to simulate corrugated metal pipe in N-scale. I don't see any reason why you couldn't use the rest of the straw for metal or plastic pipe. You might try Tamiya paints if you have trouble getting the paint to stick to the straw.
John
My pipes are done, as are the rail loads i mentioned. The straws made great loads, BUT i could NOT glue them together...SO, as i was soldering my rails together, it hit me! Solder the straws. I held 2 togheter and heated the ends...PERFECT!! YAY! So i did the rest...now i have 9 45-foot long pipes and 18 20-foot long pipes! The 9 are in 1 stack, and the 18 are divided into 2 stacks. Make nice loads, stacked 3,3,2,1.
Pics as soon as my camera starts working again...soon i hope, needed new batteries
Pics as soon as my camera starts working again...soon i hope, needed new batteries