After reading the lates MR and once again being impressed with and inspired by the work of Pelle Soeborg, I've decided to build a Mojave-like town on one side of the tracks and a Monolith-like cement plant on the other. Looks like the only commercially available cement plant that I was aware of (Walthers Medusa Cement) is no longer available in N. Has anyone built a cement plant on their layout? Pics would be great. Incidentally, here's a great panoramic view I found online of the Monolith facility in Tehachapi... Monolith Cement Plant, Tehachapi Pass - Fullscreen VR Panorama Russ PS- I saw there have been discussions on this before, there just getting upwards to 3+ years old and a lot of the pictures are no longer hosted.
N scale Monolith Cement plant on the Belmont Shore Club layout. This facility was scratch built in styrene by Dan Kamakubo. It is about 15 feet long and is three-quarters size for N scale.
Better move the plant up the hill west a bit! The little plastic residents wouldn't enjoy a cement plant across the tracks. I've always wanted to build a model of the Davenport ca. plant. It's a compact facility with fuel coal inbound and cement outbound. One neat thing is that it's built going uphill from the tracks so a lot could be represented as a photo backdrop and just the near structures actually built I'm building up a train of coal hoppers and cement cars so maybe someday?.....dave
Wow....now that's what I'm talking about, Flash! Yeah, it will be close to downtown. But it's the best I will be able to do. Russ
I love modeling the cement traffic as well and have done some more recent research, only to find that indeed there are no commercial kits in N scale now. I have read that one can use the HO scale kit and bash the pieces... Here is the one I am slowly working on for my layout, doesn't take nearly the space!
jsoflo, in case you didn't know Highball Graphics makes N and HO scale decals for Ciment Quebec. I had two that I did up using IM 2 bay hoppers. Sold them on Ebay when I decided to switch from modeling New England to South Florida.
KBreck, thanks for the tip, but yes, I used their decals to do 4 Atlas 2 bay Ciment Quebec hoppers, love the way they look! Thats for the home layout. For the FEC One trak group I am presently working on 10' of modules to model Medley, FL where most of those Ortner hoppers get filled for the trip north. You should try to join and come down in September for the convention! my best! Jan
What is the purpose of that facility? Is that a local distribution center for cement that's shipped from a plant? ....dave
I'm not in that area but I believe that is exactly what it is. I believe that the cement hoppers come down from Quebec on the CP and are transferred to Guilford which takes them over to Bow where its mixed and put in trucks. Again, having never seen it in person thats a guess based on how the traffic flows and what it looks like, anyone else that can weigh in?
If it's a plant for making concrete it will have sand and gravel stocks somewhere too. If it's just for cement re-distribution here might not be more than the one structure? I guess I could call the number in the photo and ask them? Is that the French speaking part of Canada?....dave
I wasn't aware of that. I guess I'll hold on to the Medussa Kit I've got in my box of stuff that I haven't opened yet. I like cement operations too. I think the smaller plant like the Medussa kit is the way to go unless you've got the space like Flash or some of the others here. I'm not sure if Im going to put it on the layout, but I don't know what I'd do with all my two bay covered hoppers if I don't. Maybe Walthers will re-run it the kit sometime soon. I'm sure there are several people that would buy it. I'd like to get a second one and make a larger faclity out of two kits.
Good thread. I have a kit bashed Medusa cement plant that I just placed on my layout, but I had no understanding of the operation. This thread helps a lot. For cement mixing, did anyone see the Athearn cement trucks? They're not due out until August.
I looked at Bow New Hampshire on google earth to see if I could find the plant. No luck but I did find something interesting at 43-08-10 N by 71-28-30 W. What are those odd shapes ? Looks like they are in water? Maybe logs tied in rafts? But they all look almost exactly the same shape??......dave
If you have to scratchbuild it, it looks like there are not very many complicated shapes. I build a lot of industrial complexes out of basic shapes--there's just a lot of them. I have complete supplies of dowels and PVC pipe, which make silos and tanks. I often use old pieces of rail (c55 preferred) for open air trussed structures. The only thing I saw that might be tough to build are the movable conveyors, but these might be available separately.
Hello, Here is my version of an eastern PA cement plant, supposedly '60s era, at the end of the upper level branch line. As Mr. Nolan says it is mostly simple shapes. Six stub tracks, about 10'6" long with approaches. This does not represent any specific plant, the plant I would have it represent was not set up in a linear manner. And of course I know more now than when I built it. Oh well. MCB
