NEW VIDEO SERIES ON COAL TRAIN OPERATIONS: Destination power plant!
- Thread starter djstrains
- Start date
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The world's tallest smoke stack (currently being dismantled) is the 1250' Sudbury "Super Stack".
That's a little over 14' in HO scale.
Of course a smoke stack and a cooling tower aren't remotely serving the same purpose in an actual industrial installation.
Really what you're going to model is the unloading shed and conveyor(s) and the actual power plant can be backdrop buildings.
Since trains arrive full, the cars should not be visible after entering the shed, hidden by buildings and scenery.
After negociating the hidden loop they would reappear empty by way of a scenery concealed hole in the backdrop.
Trains could also use that track in the opposite direction, it doesn't matter.
To make things easier for the "hidden volunteer" I would glue a small metal puck inside each plastic load so they could be removed with a magnet.
When that unloading track will be in place it'll be time to figure out the placement of the conveyors, buildings, access roads, coal piles and so on.
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In N scale, a 200' tower would be 15 inches tall.Great video!
Just had to do some math. According to Google, cooling towers can range from 200' to 650' tall. Using an average of those two measurements, a 425' cooling tower would be roughly 4'10" in HO scale and about 3'7" in N.
Think I'll stick with smokestacks!
RhB Michael
RhB Lokführer
Not to mention the huge footprint something like that needs.
Interesting thread.
In HO I think the best approach would be to represent full scale only a few buildings, the closests from the loading shed, with plenty of details, big coal piles and the conveyors partially hidden. Only one end of the loading shed should be visible.
Then using forced perspective toward the backdrop to fool the eye, so the cooling towers could be very compressed or maybe "too far to be seen"...
The best spot should be as deep as possible, ideally in a corner of the room with a curved backdrop. At eye level, standing or sitting so the effect, the forced perspective, could be fully appreciated.
The loading track could first disappear through the backdrop, concealed by scenery or buildings then run along the wall behind the said backdrop to reach a hidden loop, then reappear exiting the loading shed.
Part of the hidden loop should be accessible in order for a hidden "volunteer" to "load" the cars with plastic coal loads.
In HO I think the best approach would be to represent full scale only a few buildings, the closests from the loading shed, with plenty of details, big coal piles and the conveyors partially hidden. Only one end of the loading shed should be visible.
Then using forced perspective toward the backdrop to fool the eye, so the cooling towers could be very compressed or maybe "too far to be seen"...
The best spot should be as deep as possible, ideally in a corner of the room with a curved backdrop. At eye level, standing or sitting so the effect, the forced perspective, could be fully appreciated.
The loading track could first disappear through the backdrop, concealed by scenery or buildings then run along the wall behind the said backdrop to reach a hidden loop, then reappear exiting the loading shed.
Part of the hidden loop should be accessible in order for a hidden "volunteer" to "load" the cars with plastic coal loads.
cv_acr
Well-Known Member
Smoke stacks - even seen in the same video - are just as tall or taller, although the footprints are smaller.Great video!
Just had to do some math. According to Google, cooling towers can range from 200' to 650' tall. Using an average of those two measurements, a 425' cooling tower would be roughly 4'10" in HO scale and about 3'7" in N.
Think I'll stick with smokestacks!
The world's tallest smoke stack (currently being dismantled) is the 1250' Sudbury "Super Stack".
That's a little over 14' in HO scale.
Of course a smoke stack and a cooling tower aren't remotely serving the same purpose in an actual industrial installation.
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cv_acr
Well-Known Member
I imagine that the cooling towers will most likely be on the opposite side of the building from the coal storage bunkers/delivery apparatus anyway.
Really what you're going to model is the unloading shed and conveyor(s) and the actual power plant can be backdrop buildings.
Yes, in such a project the trickiest part is to first install the track leading to the unloading shed then looping back.
Since trains arrive full, the cars should not be visible after entering the shed, hidden by buildings and scenery.
After negociating the hidden loop they would reappear empty by way of a scenery concealed hole in the backdrop.
Trains could also use that track in the opposite direction, it doesn't matter.
To make things easier for the "hidden volunteer" I would glue a small metal puck inside each plastic load so they could be removed with a magnet.
When that unloading track will be in place it'll be time to figure out the placement of the conveyors, buildings, access roads, coal piles and so on.
Affiliate Disclosure: We may receive a commision from some of the links and ads shown on this website (Learn More Here)