Power Plant Scene & Saturn V Rocket Launch Scene


beiland

Well-Known Member
I had a hard time finding this old posting of mine. It was well hidden in an old subject thread about dioramas.

When I first returned to this hobby, I visited a number of modular railroad displays.

As I began to formulate some ideas that I did not see on many, or any occasions, two came to mind...as a diorama or modular section. I also thought these might be 'educational' to both kids and some adults. (There are a lot of folks that have no idea of where our electrical power comes from)

Power Plant Scene
A coal fired power plant with coal piles outside. Maybe a newer style turbine addition being added to one section. Across the river a newer nuclear plant under construction with all the attendant construction cranes and flatcar loads of transformers, etc. Plus bridges over the river, and spur tracks, etc.

Saturn V Launch Scene
I don't ever recall seeing such a scene. My interest grew from both growing up in that era and the lack of kids knowledge about it , (and some pics of liquid oxygen cars I'd seen). So I asked myself , "how did they get the liquid oxygen fuel into the Kennedy Center for the Saturn V moon rocket?". Turns out Florida East Coast RR was on some sort of managed strike at the time, so most of the fuel arrived by truck to be stored in big tanks under ground.

WELL, how about if we play with that history a bit and have fuel arrive by rail! ...the new transport age being assisted by the old transport age of railroad. Liquid oxygen cars bringing in the fuel for the Saturn rocket. And in a newer vein the solid rocket boosters being brought in for the Space Shuttle Rocket. Lots of switcher action with special NASA switchers, BIG models, etc.

Can you imagine the look in kids eyes when they saw a 5.5 foot high rocket (Saturn V in HO scale) on a diorama/module.:eek: Might make them want to learn more about this great accomplishment in our history, and consider science futures. :cool:

Only liquid Ox cars I ever saw were made in brass...and very expensive. I found that the 62 Athearn tank car was almost exactly the right size to kitbash...never finished, but started on two. (BTW, I have a sheet of printed plans I could send to anyone interested...or maybe I could post them over on a separate thread since they are 47 years old, Oct 1963)

Well that posting is a little 'dated'. BLI came out with some MARVELOUS cryogenic tank cars I was talking about, made in plastic. i even purchased a few undecorated ones i could convert into NASA versions

The power plant subject came up on another thread just recently, and that is what prompted me to look back for this posting. I just don't recall seeing a lot of good power plant scenes that might cover a broad era of their use.

As I mentioned before not a lot of young folks even know where and how our electrical power comes from/is generated. I wanted to create a whole scene with the older style coal plant (with coal piles sitting along side the delivery tracks). then perhaps some ongoing construction to a portion of that plant with turbines sections (peaking and otherwise) being added to the plant.

Then over the river bridges (source of cooling waters). a nuclear plant under construction. I had (have) collected lots of various transformer delivery train cars, and lots of various style construction cranes This could be a pretty exciting scene to visit, particularly with today's multiple flashing LED lights on construction equipment.

Don't think I'll have room for such a scene on my new layout, but it would be fun.
 



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