Steel Mill Complex for New Layout

[green_elite_cab]

Ralph, Your pictures of yor layout in the gallery are so cool. I like the the concrete plant the best.:thumb: :thumb:

Green_elite_cab. Thanks for all your help. Now I am pretty sure I am just going to put the blast furnace and Rolling Mill in that corrner and leave the other 2 out. I would like more room over there for tracks and switching.

yeah, just have hidden staging at one end if possible, and you can just pull the inbound Coke hoppers and coil cars. That would look real nice.

 

[TruckLover]

Green_elite_cab, I did not no that the GP15 was still around. I thought that they were long gone. Thanks for the info. Does anyone make models of the GP15-1?

 

[TruckLover]

yeah, just have hidden staging at one end if possible, and you can just pull the inbound Coke hoppers and coil cars. That would look real nice.

Yes, that would be quit nice.

 

[green_elite_cab]

Miles, WOW a 12 track yard, that would have been cool. Maybe I will get an engine with DCC and sound.

becareful, sound is like a horribly addictive drug. It was very hard for me to bite the bullet and except the fact that i can't put sound in my 44 tonner. In any event, I tired to make an Auto rack yard, and was met with the same problem. I could fit it in a foot and half, but it would be between 13-15 feet long.

 

[TruckLover]

jawdrop 13'-15' LONG, NOW THAT WOULD BE AN AUTO YARD!!!jawdrop

 

[green_elite_cab]

Green_elite_cab, I did not no that the GP15 was still around. I thought that they were long gone. Thanks for the info. Does anyone make models of the GP15-1?

Walthers made a GP15-1 in their TrainLine, but it wasn't the best detail wise, and they are hard to find. Ocaisionally there will be one on ebay ( never in Conrail though... :curse: ), and I personally have never even seen one with my own eyes.

Other than Brass, the only other GP15-1 you can get is a Smokey valley kit. If you search for a GP15-1 in walthers, they will have a list of all these parts you can buy for the specific railroad ( for example, the Conrail shell is different than the UP shell) and its more or less $70 for all the parts. Once you have all the parts, i think all you need to do is get any old Athearn or NWSL drive mechanisms for like a GP7, then paint it, and you are done. I've been wanting to get this kit for a while, but i keep putting it off for more important things like DCC and scenery. Its probably a great way to start you up in painting and superdetailing.

 

[green_elite_cab]

jawdrop 13'-15' LONG, NOW THAT WOULD BE AN AUTO YARD!!!jawdrop

I'm considering either a pair of stub sidings, or a "run around loop" loop arangement i saw in Montana with Google Earth, or just putting it as a run through train ( where the autorack train dissappears into staging).

I wanted to model something similar to the autorack yards all over New Jersey where foreign cars are unloaded, but they have numerous storage tracks, and then stubs that come off of them that would fit around 6-8 autoracks per stub. I already knew that was unrealistic to build in HO scale, so i tried to make it smaller, but at that point you would only have 2 auotracks on one stub, but at that point, it just didn't look right. I might look into more about how its all operated. I compromised ine very possuible way, and onmly shortend it all by 2 feet.

 

[TruckLover]

Well I think I will stick to the geeps and big diesels.

 

[TruckLover]

This auto rack yard would be cool to see. Post some pictures if you decide to do it.

 

[green_elite_cab]

Here is the smallest possible autorack yard plan that is still based on a North Jersey protoype. The red track is the Mainline, The blue track is the lead/run around, the purple track is the drop off for empty autoracks ( it can fit about 2 or 3), and the green track is the departure track for full loads. The dark gray area as well as the yellow track and the surround light gray area is the railroad loading zone. The Light gray area surrounded by red is the storage lot. I also drew in the buildings from the Walthers Auto rack transfer facility ( I for got the ramps though, D'oh). The track work and grid is all to scale, while everything else was Freehand in MS Paint.

 

[TruckLover]

I just got an idea, what if I moved the New River Mining Company, Blue Star Ready Mix, and Asphalyt Plant to were I plan to put the steel mill. Then I would have a 2.5' x 6' area to work with for the steel mill. Click the link in my signature for New Layout and it's the last picture in post 15. It's a wide shot of that side of the layout.

I would be able to have the steel mill go back to where the yellow covered hopper and the 4 small containers full of ballast are. That is almost 6' and it's 2.5' wide. I am going to try both locations first and see which one I like better.

 

[TruckLover]

Well you were right, all 4 did not fit and I barly was able to get 3 of them (Blast Furnace, Coke Oven & Quencher, and Rolling Mill). I had to move the Blue star and the Asphalt plant down and take the Bulk Transfer conveyor/Pit away from the concrete/asphalt complex but I am happy with it. There is still 1 crossing in the spot were th 90 degree was only it's not a 90 now, I have to figure out what it is. I ran out of room for one of the tracks so I plan to put a tunnel or bridge that goes almost the whole lenght of the layout (dotted line)

Heres some pictures:

 

[TruckLover]

The buildings are drawn to scale according to the Walthers Dimentions and the code 83 track was used in drawling out the track plan.

Here's the tunnel or bridge I was talking about. It starts over by the New River Mining Company and ends at the coke oven.

 

[TruckLover]

If I do the tunnel, I will just make it go under ground at the enterance and exit and not go all the way. Because of the benchwork, I would have to do a lot to make a complete track run under it. If I do a bridge, it might look a little dumb since it would go the almost the entier length of the layout.

I think Im going with the tunnel idea. This track is for the coke oven and quencher and I could not fit another switch in on the mainline exept for other end of the layout.

 

[TruckLover]

I added 2 more tracks to the above pictures. 1 goes behind the rolling mill and to the storage silos. This track comes out of a tunnel that meets up with the other in the tunnel.
The other track also comes from the tunnel and goes in between the blast furnace and coke oven. There is a slip switch that I put in on this track also that connects to the track running next to the blast furnace.

 

[green_elite_cab]

wait, why are you building the this tunnel again?

EDIT**** sorry, i mixed the quencher and retort in my head.....

The Coke oven doesn't have to be on site either. Often times these businesses situate themselves near where there are many steel mills (often times they don't even belong to a steel mill). they aren't a part of the Blast furnace/rolling mill area. I think you should just either make more space for the coke oven, or remove something you don't want.

or just leave the coke oven out. it doesn't neceisarrily need to be on the layout. The only buildings you need is the Blast Furnace, because thats the one everyone identifies with a steel mill. You should add the rolling mill because its an intersting part of the complex that would be there.

The only other thing you need, is a track with a pit for coke hopper, and a track for the rolling mill. Thats all you need for that corner of the layout. The other steel mill buildings wouldn't be there, they are just part of the process. It would be unreslitic in real life to have a coke oven right there on site ( although the coke ovens try to stay close)

Also, Usually a steel mill has its own little industrial railroad. The main railroad ( in you case BNSF) would only ship cars in bound to the steel mill, and cars leaving the steel mill.
You'd only need a track that goes off behind a building and call it an interchange track.

If you do ever get the space though, i reccomend buying a small swithcer (like Bachmann's GE 70 ton switcher, or an early EMD switcher with a low cab) as these are the locomotives that would have worked on a the insides of a steel mill, not your big B40-8.

so there you have it, 3-5 tracks. 1 or 2 that go over the coke pit, 1 or 2 for the rolling mill, and another track for other inbound cars. thats all you need to put in that corner, and it will probably fit better. save the coke oven for another day.

 

[TruckLover]

The tunnel is there because i could not fit another switch in on the mainline close to the complex. I think that it is ok though. I have desided that im not going to make the tunnel complete under the table. The tunnels will simply start at the tunnel portals, go maybe 6" and then stop. I will put track bumpers down in the tunnels where they stop just so I don't loose any cars. sign1 sign1

Well the only promblem is that I asked my parents and grandparents to get me this complex for christmas and I already started getting the buildings. I already bought the Rolling Mill and Coke Oven & Quencher. I no that the coke oven is not supposed to be on site and it is not prototypical, but I will deal with it and I think it will look great.

For the pit for the coke cars, the coke oven and quencher comes with a pit for coke cars and I also added a Bulk Transfer Conveyor w/Pit (Walthers). So I don't have a problem there becasue there will be 2 pits. I also have 2 storage bunkers drawn out next to the bulk transfer conveyor + the coke oven comes with a big storage container.

I will try to fit anothertrack behind the rolling mill and blast furnace for the inbound cars.

Thanks so much for your help!!!

 

[green_elite_cab]

The tunnel is there because i could not fit another switch in on the mainline close to the complex. I think that it is ok though. I have desided that im not going to make the tunnel complete under the table. The tunnels will simply start at the tunnel portals, go maybe 6" and then stop. I will put track bumpers down in the tunnels where they stop just so I don't loose any cars. sign1 sign1

yeah, thats a good idea, as long as it appears like the tracks are going elsewhere!

Well the only promblem is that I asked my parents and grandparents to get me this complex for christmas and I already started getting the buildings. I already bought the Rolling Mill and Coke Oven & Quencher. I no that the coke oven is not supposed to be on site and it is not prototypical, but I will deal with it and I think it will look great.

You can't fight for a little extra space on one end, lol? How much space could the coke oven/quencher need? is there any room past that rock crusher?

For the pit for the coke cars, the coke oven and quencher comes with a pit for coke cars and I also added a Bulk Transfer Conveyor w/Pit (Walthers). So I don't have a problem there becasue there will be 2 pits. I also have 2 storage bunkers drawn out next to the bulk transfer conveyor + the coke oven comes with a big storage container.

Thats actually a coal pit! the coal goes to the pit, then its transferred from there into the ovens. The big stoprage container is where the finished product goes. There should be some sort of arrangement for the finished coke to dump into high capacity hoppers desinged to carry coke.

You can leave the coke cars out of the whole layout now, and just build a conveyor or something from the coke oven to the blast furnace. Because coke is EXTREMELY brittle, Coke ovens and steel mills attempt to handle it as little as possible, because everytime the pieces clunk together it creates more coke dust, which is very bad for steel making.

I will try to fit anothertrack behind the rolling mill and blast furnace for the inbound cars.

Thanks so much for your help!!!

your welcome!

 

[TruckLover]

"yeah, thats a good idea, as long as it appears like the tracks are going elsewhere!"

Yeah I will make sure it goes far enough down so it is not noticable.

"You can't fight for a little extra space on one end, lol? How much space could the coke oven/quencher need? is there any room past that rock crusher?"

I already have enough room. I measured out the dimentions of the coke oven on the table and drew them out. The concrete plant, asphalt plant and Glacier Gravel complany are all there and fit tight but good.

"Thats actually a coal pit! the coal goes to the pit, then its transferred from there into the ovens. The big stoprage container is where the finished product goes. There should be some sort of arrangement for the finished coke to dump into high capacity hoppers desinged to carry coke.

You can leave the coke cars out of the whole layout now, and just build a conveyor or something from the coke oven to the blast furnace. Because coke is EXTREMELY brittle, Coke ovens and steel mills attempt to handle it as little as possible, because everytime the pieces clunk together it creates more coke dust, which is very bad for steel making."

O that's a good idea, a conveyor from the coke oven to the blast furnace:thumb: :thumb: I will do that.

 

[Gil Finn]

It's coming along, good work.