Automobile manufacturer layout

[sinebar]

I see they make a lot of autocarriers so has anyone modeled an auto manufacturing layout? I wonder if walthers makes buildings for this.

 

[DaWolf85]

I see they make a lot of autocarriers so has anyone modeled an auto manufacturing layout? I wonder if walthers makes buildings for this.

tbh, there's not much to see. Just a big warehouse sort of building.

 

[Larry]

Walthers use to make all the buildings for an Auto Mfgr.'ing plant w/a dealership. They may have some left in stock. Someone else here on the forum that deals w/walthers can tell you for sure.

 

[DaWolf85]

Walthers use to make all the buildings for an Auto Mfgr.'ing plant w/a dealership. They may have some left in stock. Someone else here on the forum that deals w/walthers can tell you for sure.

I know there are a lot of kits that with a little bit of modifications can pass easily for an auto manufacturing plant. And a few more that don't need modifications. The Walthers catalog has a lot of them.

 

[Trucklover]

Walthers use to make all the buildings for an Auto Mfgr.'ing plant w/a dealership. They may have some left in stock. Someone else here on the forum that deals w/walthers can tell you for sure.

Walthers used to make the FORD series of Cornerstone Series kits back in 1999, but have long been out of production... I myself am still trying to get ahold of 2 of the Tire Plant kits and at least 2 more of the Auto-Distribution Facility kits. Ebay is a good place to get the FORD series kits, but they can sometimes skyrocket in price....

If enough demand comes in for the kits, they will do a re-release on the kits... This means if alot of people wanna see them released again, they need to backorder them

I myself (being a Walthers dealer) have bunches of backorders on the FORD kits, but myself alone is not enough for Walthers to do another run of them....

Here is a link to the 1999 Press Release of the Walthers FORD Kits: http://www.walthers.com/exec/page/press/1999/auto

 

[sinebar]

Walthers used to make the FORD series of Cornerstone Series kits back in 1999, but have long been out of production... I myself am still trying to get ahold of 2 of the Tire Plant kits and at least 2 more of the Auto-Distribution Facility kits. Ebay is a good place to get the FORD series kits, but they can sometimes skyrocket in price....

If enough demand comes in for the kits, they will do a re-release on the kits... This means if alot of people wanna see them released again, they need to backorder them

I myself (being a Walthers dealer) have bunches of backorders on the FORD kits, but myself alone is not enough for Walthers to do another run of them....

Here is a link to the 1999 Press Release of the Walthers FORD Kits: http://www.walthers.com/exec/page/press/1999/auto

Thanks for the links. Those kits would be exactly what I'm looking for.

 

[Trucklover]

Well i spoke with my Walthers rep this afternoon after i posted this, and these have ALL been discontinued, and therefor cannot be reproduced for another run. I guess only retired kits are eligible for re-releases... Kinda a bummer

 

[IronBeltKen]

Some of those Walthers kits, especially the stamping plant and the assembly plant, could easily be scratchbuilt using Evergreen, Pikestuff and DPM materials.

 

[Beachbum]

Dunno, virtually every large manufacturing plant I see around here looks like a generic Pikestuff steel building. Aside from having a couple varieties of silos or storage tanks, they look just like huge warehouses. Older ones closer into the city have more distinct designs but a number of the Walthers bldgs would be suitable I'd think.

There are exceptions of course, like refineries and steel mills.

 

[nephthyr]

I'd have to agree with the above, get some Pikestuff kits and go kit bashing, you'll end up with a unique industry and have fun in the process! Plus the beauty of kitbashing is that you can have a building that fits perfectly in the space you have!

 

[sinebar]

I'd have to agree with the above, get some Pikestuff kits and go kit bashing, you'll end up with a unique industry and have fun in the process! Plus the beauty of kitbashing is that you can have a building that fits perfectly in the space you have!

I found almost all of the Walthers Ford kits from a local Hobby shop. I was shocked they atcually had them. The only kit they didn't have was the air filter duct works but that is not a big deal.

 

[ChevelleSSguy]

The January 2007 Model Railroader has a track plan article that serves the auto industry.

 

[Trucklover]

I found almost all of the Walthers Ford kits from a local Hobby shop. I was shocked they atcually had them. The only kit they didn't have was the air filter duct works but that is not a big deal.

They wouldnt by chance have any of the kits left would they? I am looking for 2-3 Tire Plant kits and 2-3 more of the Distribution Facility Kits...

 

[tomustang]

They wouldnt by chance have any of the kits left would they? I am looking for 2-3 Tire Plant kits and 2-3 more of the Distribution Facility Kits...

I haven't seen a Tire plant ever. My LHS has either 1 or 2 distribution centers but their price and then shipping is too overboard

Don't remember the price but I'm going back tomorrow anyway so I can give you an estimate

 

[Trucklover]

I haven't seen a Tire plant ever. My LHS has either 1 or 2 distribution centers but their price and then shipping is too overboard

Don't remember the price but I'm going back tomorrow anyway so I can give you an estimate

That would be great Tom, thanks

 

[Blacksheep]

tbh, there's not much to see. Just a big warehouse sort of building.

I can understand where you are coming from but I'm going to have to disagree. Growing up in the area and having a Father who retired from the industry I have seen more interesting buildings and supply facilities than I have the common ones.
One thing that would be awesome to model if I were building an automotive based diorama or layout would be the dock areas by the Detroit River. My Dad had a bunch of our old vacation and holiday movies from the 50's, 60's and 70's transferred over to DVD. Lots of busy stuff, train barges, side wheelers hauling train cars full of automobiles, lots of transfers of rolled steel and tons of suppliers. And don't forget, Windsor Ontario did and still does a lot of manufacturing so that alone would make for interesting supply routes and transfers.
If one had enough space for such a layout I think it could be one of the more exciting industries to model.
If I can ever figure out how to transfer the movies onto my hard drive I will post a few, its good stuff.

 

[IronBeltKen]

If I can ever figure out how to transfer the movies onto my hard drive I will post a few, its good stuff.

I'd definitely love to see them! I'm a SW Michigan native myself, my dad worked for AMC until 1967 when he saw the writing on the wall and took a job with the Federal Gov't D.O.T. One of my pipe dreams was to model the Rouge - but I don't have the space for even a condensed version of that mega-complex. So I settled for just a lakefront steel mill instead...

(Cool avatar BTW!)

 

[JimmyG]

I lived near Detroit and visited the Rouge plant many years ago (about 1968) when Ford was a busy place. They were busy making Mustangs. It was fascinating, even to a 16 year old kid. Watching Mustangs roll off the assembly line, 1 every minute or so was amazing. I wish I had room for that Walthers Steel mill.

 

[tomustang]

That would be great Tom, thanks

PM sent

 

[DirtyD79]

I've seen a few actual assembly plants and they really don't look too fancy. You could probably just repurpose a walthers rolling mill and maybe install roll up doors to build the main assembly building. Then include a few small guard shacks and a small office building or two.