As a friendly jab at my wife's employer (they make food-like products sold in gas stations), I've begun construction of the first industry on my layout. I got the idea while waiting to pick her up from work one day - I watched a tanker truck deliver what I assume was liquid CO2. Outside of the plant, there is a large vertical tank, the tanker transferred something into this tank. It was interesting to watch, and one thought led to another, and I decided to build something that such a process would fit. The result was "Mistere Meats", a manufacturer of meat-like products, whose slogan is "Our secret recipe is so secret, even we don't know what's in it!". I envision all sorts of in/out traffic - multiple forms of livestock, assorted goods, chemicals, etc... I've finished the rough shell of the building (it's a backdrop structure), using Walthers modulars kits. It took three tries to get a brick color that I was happy with. Next step is painting and installing LOTS of windows.
That's a good looking flat Tracy. It's got an interesting roof line. Is that going to be it's location? I like the name and story as well.
Yep, this will be its location. I didn't want a simple flat "boring" roof line, so I varied the height of the building sections. I also inset parts of the building so that it's not all one single flat structure. If you look at the lower-left corner, and at the entire right-end of the structure, you'll see what I mean. Also, where the street passes underneath the building, I inset the wall a little to look like it was built to allow room for the bridge.
Nice idea & well done. I've got 2-3 of those in mind for my scenery, but that's a ways off................
Definitely an eye catcher, with all the other scenes on the layout turning out so well, I'm looking forward to seeing what you have planned for this one.
I am a big believer in oversizing industries and using flats like that. The rough in looks great. I also love the corny names. I used the same Mr. Ree Meats monicker, and also on my "snack track" I have "Sam n' Ella's Food Products", "Yorinna Pickle" and "Wise Crackers."
A-HA! THAT was the place that supplied my college with that bad dorm food I suffered for 4 years..............lol............. Back when I was in Okie State, we referred to mystery meat as hamramlambandbear. Nice concept for a model, by the way.
haha! Make sure you have a tank car of Asphalt, and a hopper of Crushed Glass on your ingredients delivered track!
Tracy - it looks neat! It took you three tries to get the brick color right? How long will it take to get you to tell us the secret?! Suggestions: Put a water tank on top - if it has a tank, it must have a roof. If it has a roof, it must have depth. Use brick sheet to fill in some of the windows Put black construction paper behind the windows to make it look like there is a dark room behind them. Leave one large door open or partially open with a bit of a shadow box room behind with a stack of pallets, barrels, sacks of dehydrated water, or similar to show that there really is depth You don't need my ideas for it to be good, just sharing some thoughts. Terry
A very interesting structure indeed! I always try to use some whimsical names for businesses or industries... it's fun to do. Batch & Lizem Canneries Art's & Nick's Extermination Co (we had Nick & Arthurs restaurant here in Miami... LOL) Sal Monella's Italian Bistro Toh Meins Chinese restaurant I like the look of the structure and Terry has made some good suggestions. I just wonder about Terry's idea for sacks of dehydrated water... wouldn't that be empty sacks or sacks of steam? Perhaps elements of water... sacks of hydrogen and oxygen? I just had to LOL when I saw that...
Here's what I have planned: - tanks of various sizes on/around the building - some windows open, some with "something" visible behind them, some lighted, some with ventilation fans - some of the large doors will have shadow boxes behind them - there will be a partial fire escape (notice that there are two doors high up on the building) - the service door on the lower-left corner will have an overhead light - there will be a roof, with at least one billboard or sign As for the brick color, I used four colors of acrylic craft paints (like from Walmart or Michaels). Burgundy, tan, white, and black, on a plastic cottage cheese lid, randomly mixed with each brush "load", then applied to the building. After installing the windows, I'm going to apply a thin black wash, and then finally will detail the mortar lines.
My favorite Walthers modulars kits are the roof details and the storage tanks. There is also a detail kit offered by Green Max which might be useful. You could also add all kinds of piping, smaller and bigger ones (with isolation). I have several factories, and plan to build more, but they are far smaller than yours. There I intend to add lots of these details.
I like the building. I am puzzled at the bridge placement. What is the plan for the bridges to span? How does the plant go over this item, or does it not?
I'm basing it on this, only with a taller structure and a plate girder bridge in front. Basically, I need a way to disguise that street going off-layout, and this seems like a good way. I'll be putting a mirror behind it all to give the illusion that the street continues.
I like it a lot. I like the description of the stomach fillers- although nothing ever caught my eye more than Dinty Moore's Potted Meat Product.
