Steel Mill Scene in a corner

[beiland]

EAF, Electric Arc Furnace structure

Here is a building that I was NOT even going to include in my steel mill scene originally. First I thought I would not have room for it, and secondly it was in a bit of disrepair (the interior components were loose, some overhead beams were detached and/or broken. And the whole thing had a bit of a lean to that was not normal).

As I learned more about the subject of making steel, and not just iron, my thoughts changed to 'can I put this thing in my plans' ? Funny thing is now I am spending quite a bit of time on rehabilitating the structure, and actually making it a working part of my railroad.

Rehabilitation:
This building came to me as part of an estate sale, so it was already assembled. The first step was to un-glue the existing structure, so I could get things rearranged and realigned. Fortunately it had been glued together with some sort of glue that left the joints a bit brittle, and thus broke apart in an organized manner along the original kit parting lines. Then I just had to clean up those parting surfaces with files and sand paper,....(the flimsy roof trusses were the toughest).
The foundation of the building was a bit out of square. I suspect the original kit came with a foundation sheet of plastic, but mine did not have that piece, so I needed to construct one. But wait a minute, I needed to determine the track plan for mine,... that looked like it was going to be different than the original kit. Mine was set up similar to the original kit where the torpedo car delivery track was on the right hand side,...

I needed that torpedo track over on the opposite left hand side,..

I had also had problems understanding how Walthers had expected the torpedo car would unload to a ladle. The gentleman above had improvised his own unloading detail with a floor depression for the ladle on its side, ..but I rather doubt that is how it might be done. I have provided a 'pit' for my ladle(s) to sit in while getting hot metal poured into them (not the correct car in this photo, but you get the idea)

Torpedo Car Unloading

Now the original raised platform for the electric furnace that set over the torpedo track had to be moved to the opposite side. But when doing so the spout from that furnace would be too close to the back of the building, and that support wall needed to be rearranged. I eventually had to cut the floor of that elevated furnace off, then place the cut off on the opposite end to space things out more correctly,...

The overhead crane also needed some readjustment (replacement). We couldn't have the crane operator sitting up over that VERY HOT torpedo car, so the crane cabin has to be put on the opposite side,.... Not only that but I am seriously considering placing 2 cranes in that building,..like this fellow did
Photos of aberdeen furnace
Electric Furnace & Rolling Mill

 

[beiland]

Here is my semi-finished EAF. It still has some of its temporary wood cross bracing that both keeps things in square and holds up part of that center flooring until the furnace structure gets bonded in permanently.

The flooring is only the first layer. The track hugging second layer will be added later, then the furnace platform will be glued in.


The door openings in the rear will be covered with small mirrors that will make those tracks and cars on them appear more expansive. More lighting will be added, and perhaps a bright flashing one to look like splashing liquid steel.


There will likely be at least 2 locomotives working the steel mill. One will be bringing scrap steel gondolas to the scrap piles just outside the EAF, and will also be bringing cut up scrap to the supply track inside the EAF. That loco will also be able to access that center track that moves the loaded ingots or cradle cars of hot steel to the rolling mill. The rolling mill(s) could be that one on my layout, OR some of those ingots or covered cradle cars might be taken down that access track on that side to be delivered to another off-site rolling mill of a different type.


The other steel mill loco will be working the other tracks of the mill, primarily the blast furnace,...to include bringing in its raw supplies to the highline tracks, removing the slag cars to their dumping area, and moving the torpedo cars to the EAF.


Lots of potential activity in a relatively small area, and a variety of different cars and several locos.

 

[beiland]

Mirror & Fence Backdrop for Steel Mill


For the past several days I've been working on ideas/details of my backdrops for the steel mill corner.


1) Mirror for Blast Furnace
I had already decided I was going to do some sort of mirror arrangement to make it look like I had at least 2 blast furnaces in a row. Two of my concerns were the width of that mirror, and the 'straightness' of that mirror.


a) I wanted that mirror to reflect the high-line tracks to suggest multiple car loads of raw materials coming to the blast furnaces, but I wanted to limit its reflection of the EAF next door.

So I limited its width to just even with the outer highline track. In this mock up the mirror would look to need cutting in several segments to clear that upper deck. But I think I can solve that by making the mirror a pure rectangular shape that fits into a slot I will make in the plywood upper deck, then cover a portion of the reflective surface up there with either a paper image or paint of some sort.

b) As I was playing with this mirror idea I was also looking to determine how exact I need to be to get the mirror perfectly perpendicular to the tracks and deck of the steel mill. Turns out I really need to be as exact as I can get it, or otherwise the tracks distort off straightness and elevation in their reflection. That means I need to trim the upper deck plywood deck very exact, as it will be supporting the upper portion of the mirror. And I already re-cut the lower track segments so they would allow for straightness, while ending right at the mirror surface to look truly continuous.


Here you can see the distorted elevation of the track,..

BTW, I do realize that this is NOT the recommended method of employing a mirror,..being that I can see my own image in it when seating in certain aisle locations. But it is the best I can come up with to give me that 'second blast furnace' image. Plus I hope that the bast furnace image will just overpower my reflection.

 

[beiland]

I've got a mirror blocking the mainlines behind the blast furnace, and a sheet pile fence behind the EAF.

My sheet pile fence will be either a computer printed out image glued to this new 'plastic wall', or it might even be a new plastic wall constructed of sheet pile plastic.

(BTW, did you see the idle/stowage track for one of the steel mill switchers)





This fence is high enough to mask even double stack container trains. The pins at intervals stick thru holes in the plywood deck to maintain that curvature. Those vertical pins can be made to look a part of the fence.

These are the two mainline tracks behind the mirror and fence.

 

[beiland]

That whole steel mill scene is located on a 4x8 sheet of plywood that fits over in that corner of the room, and being 4 foot deep at much of the area it made it very difficult to get to the mainline tracks and crossover turnouts back against the wall.


So the solution is unbolt it from its steel beam framework, and move it out onto my work bench in the carport so I can work on those rear tracks,..

And that also allows my access to the staging deck underneath it in order to finish up the last section of my staging tracks,..

 

[beiland]

I'm working at a relaxed pace, so it may appear that I am not making rapid headway with my construction process. But I am trying to really get this track work very correct, as it won't be that reachable at a later date,...at least not without interrupting a lot of things.


Here are 2 situation where I wanted to have as broad of a radius and flowing curves as I might get with my compact track plan,...connecting into the mainlines.


This first photo is of the crossover turnouts that connect the staging access track on the left with the outer mainline. I think this is smooth as one would want for a junction that I expect to use extensively.

...viewed from the other end...

The second situation is that of connecting the freight yard tracks with the inner mainline,...

Just for the fun of it I wanted to confirm that fence barrier was spaced correctly to allow for very long cars with long overhangs,..

Then here are those long cars coming up (or going down) from staging.

 

[beiland]

from another forum...
That track work looks as smooth as any I've seen. A job well done.

I must admit I was surprised to see the size of the cars you were checking clearances with. Given the compact design of your layout and the amount of track that you have in your space, I would have expected that you would not be running many cars over 50'-60' long.

Kudos to you if you're able to use that kind of equipment and everything runs reliably!!
Paul

Challenge
I used those long cars in lieu of those long steam engines I hope to run. Didn't want to drag out those steam engines for this sort of check. I figured if these guys can fit, very likely my steam engines will,..then its just a question of if the inline drive wheels of those steamers will negotiate the radi,..that I have tried to limit at a minimum of 24 inches.


Perhaps I won't be running that many of those size freight cars, but I do expect to have at least one full train of auto carriers like the big guys. There are a few tracks on the layout that just will not except certain long cars or engines,...and those will be so designated as so.


I have one spot on the layout that is extremely tight for such long cars (and passenger cars as well). Its on the very upper level of the helix where the track makes a loop coming back thru the backwall of the main room. I forget the details, but I do recall it was VERY tight,....a real challenge. We'll see if it really works out in the end.

 

[beiland]

Removable Deck Sections



I have posted a few photos above of the corner deck piece removed and placed on my outdoor work table (the one that supports the steel mill complex).


That deck piece has a number of turnouts over on the far side (against the wall) that I plan on operating manually with a system of metal rods within plastic tube guides. This would be an extremely difficult construction process were it to be done 'under the layout'. But I can flip my deck piece upside down or on its side to get at both the turnout control system, and eventually the feeder wires. So here are a couple of views of the deck piece lying on its side,..

Sure makes it easy to work on,...BUT


I have experienced a number of irritating dimension and installation problems that is making me think twice about this manual turnout control choice for this corner? Several times I have found myself asking 'why didn't I just install those Peco turnouts with their stock solenoid motors' ?? Oh well too late to change plans.

 

[beiland]

Turnout Control System

...a few details of my 'system' under this deck section.
In this photo you will see 2 strips of metal down on the lower rt hand side,..

These are channel alum strips that control 2 turnouts each that make up a crossover pair. I had originally tried using a flat steel strip, but was not happy with its flat shape holding capabilities, nor the difficulties in drill the very small holes in its 2 ends to accept those brass tube verticals,...here they are side by side..

I was able to use some threaded rod and clevis connectors from model airplane supplies to make a clean attachment to the throw-rod/channel.

NOTE 1: These work very smoothly once I got everything centered up properly,...but that took a little doing as my actual install location didn't want to match up with my mocked up location. It was only off by less that 1/16" on one of the pairs, but that was enough to cause binding. I was beginning to think I had a couple of Peco turnouts with slightly different overall lengths from one another. But now I think it was my unequal vision eye sight that is causing me problems (cataract surgery with two different focal lengths).

NOTE 2: At the point where my staging access track joins with the mainline track, there is another pair of crossovers,...one std long Peco combined with a dbl-curved Peco. I did NOT try to make a single control rod for this pair, as I learned my lesson trying that in another location on the layout. Rather this pair are operated independent of one another.