I need ideas


Hawkesburytrain

Hawkesburytrain

Well-Known Member
The area you see is the top of my helix which I want to cover up with some sort of industry.
I would appreciate any suggestions on what kind of industry could be this big.

I want to put my engineering background to work. This building could be a 1-2 year project

View attachment 56105

Here's a picture I saw which got me thinking, I could do something like this.

View attachment 56106

Come on everyone, let your ideas flow
Thanks
 
A structure that large could have more spurs going into it especially into the bottom corner. Put the trucks on either end & put a spur on the front. Make that "void" into a loading dock. That structure is large enough to have loads in & out.
 
how about a small steel mill , or maybe something to do with the automotive industry. A refinery could also work . I cant tell by just the drawing but could a port and intermodal scene work there? All of those would provide you with good traffic.
 
Paper manufacturing is another industry that can take up a lot of space, if that industry is appropriate to the locale for your railroad.
 
Thanks Cajon and Jim
I guess I should of given more details. Here's the layout design:


View attachment 56109

Era is between mid 60's to mid 70's
There will be an entrance to the helix on both side going to the staging area.
The industry shown, will be removed for the tracks leading to the huge building
That area will be about 4" higher than the rest of the layout.
And most important, because of reach, I can't go more than 15", that's why the two tracks are near the edge on the propose top

Jim, I thought about automotive (refinery, intermodal already have). Automotive have very huge buildings, but for scenery purposes, I would need lots of cars and lots of car carriers.
 
Thanks Erik, very good idea but already have it, which is located just at the bottom end of the peninsula you see above (but not showing)
 
Another idea -- a modern brewery (and 1960s-70s counts) can take up a lot of space. I'll admit I like the automobile industry suggestions... Whenever we go east to visit family in PA and DE, we pass the massive Lordstown GM plant in eastern Ohio and I'm always bowled over by how big it is.
 
Thanks Happy

Erik, I think you've nailed it right on..... Brewery

There's 2 beer plants in my area and one Liquor
Those brewery buildings are very HUGE, about 4-5 times the area I have, but if I can make it match with a backdrop, that's what I was looking for. Not much track needed, not much scenery needed.....just lots of trucks.

Thanks everyone for your inputs
 
Hawkesburytrain said:
Thanks Happy

Erik, I think you've nailed it right on..... Brewery

There's 2 beer plants in my area and one Liquor
Those brewery buildings are very HUGE, about 4-5 times the area I have, but if I can make it match with a backdrop, that's what I was looking for. Not much track needed, not much scenery needed.....just lots of trucks.

Thanks everyone for your inputs
Click to expand...

Plus, you could repurpose some empty cans for the grain elevators! ;)

75df2a2badbde00d.jpg
;)
 
How about a Millwork, Door and Sash Company? Plenty of action with raw lumber arriving, wood chips transported away and the finished products shipped via box cars.

Just an idea?

Greg
 
Hawkesburytrain said:
Not prototypical, but all my stuff is Eastern Ontario or Western Quebec
Click to expand...
Yup, I agree brewery. Lots of different types of cars in and out. Fairly large volume. Can easily blend to buildings / backdrop in the rear giving the illusion of a much larger facility.

Is there any thing that would prevent running a track spur or two curved from the front toward the back corner to simulate covered loading? Very similar to the first photo you showed. I mean something other than not being able to stand up in the center of the helix. I mean you show them curved down at the far end, but couldn't there be more curved more toward the center? I am thinking that things like paper in for boxes/cartons, and loaded beer out for completed product would use different covered spurs.
 
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Erik....good idea...lol

Greg, also good idea, but I already have 2 industries that deal with wood, wanted something different. Paper Mills were a huge industry in Quebec (Trois-Riviere area). They had 3 or 4 but now it's 1 or 2, I think.

Iron, spurs shouldn't be a problem as long as I can reach them. The middle part was going to be plenty of beer trucks (loading area). This is going to be a long project, for now I'm waiting for the modifications to my layout to see what will be needed for spurs and how it will be access, because that industry will be elevated, while the entrance (or the exit) to the helix will be a bit lower. I'll need 4" difference between the two, so I'll need to go back how far on the layout and will it affect the other industries. I was told it shouldn't be a problem, will know in 2-3 weeks. (he's away for a while).

Besides...............I have so much to do before even getting there, just some long term planning.

Thanks everyone for your ideas, much appreciated
 
Here's the Anheuser-Busch brewery in St. Louis...

http://binged.it/1QHAszF

The track enters the complex by coming up Dorcas Street (bottom, center). It then splits into a 'Y'. Covered hoppers with grain go to the building at upper right. I don't know what the left part of the 'Y' is for, but I recall seeing tank cars back there.

The brewery used to own its own railway (The Manufacturers Railway Co.), but when InBev bought A-B, the powers-that-be decided to sell it off.

Steve S
 
bud.jpg

Heres a HO brewery that was for sale at Timonium last year. There is definitely the possibility to make it a focal point.
 
Steve S said:
Here's the Anheuser-Busch brewery in St. Louis...

http://binged.it/1QHAszF
Steve S
Click to expand...

Thanks Steve, now all I've been doing is going around google earth and looking at breweries...lol
Saw a huge one and if I was to build it, I would need a 67' x 29' basement just for the building

Jim 68cuda said:
View attachment 56155

Heres a HO brewery that was for sale at Timonium last year. There is definitely the possibility to make it a focal point.
Click to expand...

Thanks Jim, that's exactly what I want to do with all the details, but only 4 times bigger...


marriedshades said:
What's is in the area around city or country if it's country you may think of a feedlot or a sand pit
Click to expand...

Thanks for the ideas marriedshades, another good idea with the sand pit. The area is just before arriving to my yard.

Thanks everyone
 
How about a heavy equipment manufacturer, like Caterpillar, or a farm equipment manufacturer, like John Deere? You could do a manufacturer like Kress Corporation, that makes specialized equipment for mining, steel mills, etc. There stuff is very unusual and a model or two of some of their stuff would be extremely interesting in its own right. Google Kress Corporation to find out about their products. Large buildings with rail service and as much or little detail as you care to add.
 
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