If you are looking for a familiar industry that takes only a little effort to work in to any layout, consider the Burma-Vita comapny, makers of Burma-Shave (and some related products). Their factory never employed more than 35 people at a time, so it would ship via LCL. Nearby, however, is the more interesting building - the plant that makes the roadside signs ! This would take in paint and lumber in winter and ship out boxcars full of signs in spring. A few cars of signs would ship out during summer and winter. For grins, place a set of Burma-Shave signs along the track.
EX: Remember this / If you’d / Be spared / Trains don’t whistle / Because they’re scared / Burma-Shave
Burma-Shave signs were posted along roadways from 1927 to 1963. During World War Two, the company used billboards in cities (since gasoline and tires were rationed and nobody could just drive for fun). Many had drawings of the signs on them, or used shorter slogans.
EX: A pretty pin-up girl stretched out between signs that say “Makes / Misses / Mrs.”
Burma-Vita was based in Minneapolis, but poetic license could place them anywhere in the country. If you do not put the factory on your layout, you could have a boxcar full of signs travelling to a local warehouse for storage, or just travelling through. The engineer who reads his waybills should get a start and a laugh.
I have a book entitled, “The Verse By the Side of the Road” that supposedly contains every Burma-Shave slogan used over the years, and even some that were considered but rejected.
I found a copy at my public library. I copied their list into my computer. One of these days I’m going to create a fake ad across the top of my webpage featuring little roadside signs…
I also have read Burma-Shave: The Signs and The Times which has some other goodies: