Hello. I'm gonna scratchbuild my elevator in HO. How tall should it be so I can capture the height and feel of a massive elevator in a small space? Thanks Jorge
About 4 feet would give you a pretty massive feeling.... Just kidding.... I'm in N scale, but I know the Walther's ADM Grain Elevator is 9 inches tall which translates to 120 scale feet in height. If you wanted the same in HO you'd build it somewhere in the neighborhood of 16.5 inches tall.... [ 27. February 2003, 17:28: Message edited by: Hoss ]
Let me say this though....that is for the type of grain elevator pictured below. There are different types of grain elevators....many of which are not 120 feet tall.
The one shown below is only 6-5/8" tall in N scale...which translates to roughly 88 feet in real life. If you wanted one similar to it in HO you would build it approximately 12.18 inches tall.
Anyone have pictures of the trackside facing of these (or prototype) elevators? I want to scratchbuild one in N scale, but don't have prototype references yet. Thanks, David
David, see if you can find a copy of the April 2002 Railfan & Railroad magazine. There is a great Ted Benson article "If it's Friday, this must be Moosejaw" about his run through Western Canada to photograph the grain elevators while they still existed. Good photos of prototypes, including one on the cover. I think R&R advertises back issues for sale.
Most of those (concrete) are in the 100 - 150 foot range. The elevator in my hometown (Newton, Kansas) is 250 feet tall. I've been on the roof on the headhouse many times working on radio systems. When you say massive, you might want to think in terms of that kind of height. Charlie
Let me suggest that you move your layout to the 1930s-40s. You can use the IR boxcab made by MDC , if you are into DEs as a couple served in the Bronx. The prime reason to move in time is the south Bronx was full of freight cars then, because highways had not improved to the point they dominated merchandise traffic. If you are interested in grain handling there was the Wards Bakery (marketed in 50s asTaystee Bread ) using combinations of Walther's "Red Wing Flour" and buildings like the "Smallman St. Warehouses" or something similar from DPM . There also was "Old London Foods" S.W. of Ward's that received flour by street running rail (even after Borden's bought them well.into the 1960s), until the traffic into the area was embargoed because of crime, and the cops inability to protect the cargoes from raiding bands of locals. After that nothing except the meat reefers to Strassburg and the other wholesalers located around" the Hub" ( i.e. 1 to 2 blocks E. of 3rd Avenue from 147 to approx. 156 St. along the NYC's freight spur off that came off the Harlem Division at 160St. and Melrose Ave east of viaduct) that came in as a block with NYPD cover ran into the area . This was a fascinating piece of manufacturing, warehousing , and especially food wholesaling processing prior to and for a decade or more after WORLD wAR 2. There were several yards served only by barges , belonging to Erie, Jersey Central and others , as well as the major New Haven and New York Central yards that were served directly by rail. The Raiilway Express facility alone was represented by a covered brick warehouse that was one block wide by four long . The unusual round Grossmac Warehouse(s) (actually transfer sheds) which iare in several railroad magazines over the years were on the Erie's and I think DL&W yardsites. Another advantage to moving in time is not only the extraordinary diversity of things to be seen , that are gone forever railroadwise( e. g. they pumped the Roma Wine multi-dome tankers uphill off the depressed railroad cut into the basement of Italian-American food wholesaler and a couple of blocks south vinegar tankers pumped into side walk tanks similar to what are used today at 7-11 and FoodMarts for gasoline) ) , but the shorter freight cars of the era allow you to get more in. .regardless, whatever you decide to ...... Good- Luck, PJB
