I want to scratch build a cement plant, but I don’t know much about them and need some information. Firstly, what raw materials are used in making cement and how are they transported to the plant? If materials are transported by rail, what types of cars do they come in, and how is the material moved from the cars to the Bulk Storage Building. And how is cement powder moved from the silos to the covered hoppers. Also any other information, plans, pictures, etc would be helpful.
Thanks
Ben
Portland Cement Method can be googled. I was going to type in stone, sand etc but that is for concrete. You will need a roller kiln and a ball mill to help finish the portland. Cement is what is added to the mix for the concrete.
Silos hold the cement, they are unloaded into truck tankers with a sprout. Usually there is a little bit of air used to either vibrate the thing or bubble it to make it flow. There is usually a scale under there so they know when to quit. Some of the best can measure out to 80,000 pounds gross within 20 pounds.
Usually it’s the rail car (Two bay covered hoppers) that deliver TO a facility that transload onto tanker trucks like the one in Hope Arkansas or work with a majoy facility like the one in Lime Kiln Maryland (A cookie if you find that little burg)
I worked at Aetna Cement in the 60’s. Clay was brought in by open gons and unloaded by overhead crane. Limestone was brought in by Great Lakes boat (a big boat). Materials were distributed by conveyors all over the plant. The finished cement was stored in 125’ high silos and shipped by rail and truck. Plant is part of Essroc today, but they only grind clinker brought from Canada to make the cement. Rest of plant is disassembled.
http://www.calportland.com/Colton/howcementismade.htm
http://www.calaverascement.com/whats_new/redding.htm
The plants I have seen appear to receive coal and ship cement by rail. Some concrete plants use waste chemicals to fuel the kilns and may receive these by tankcar. I know that some plants have their own railroad to move materials from the mine to the plant, but I think most move the material by conveyor or dump truck.
www.cement.org/basics/concretebasics_history.asp
The above gives some basic data about the producton process. I think you would find that many cement plants are close or even next to a quarry. I am planning a cement plant for my layout (all still in planning stage) based on the Lonestar Cement Plant at Bonner Springs, Kansas, along the UP main line west of Kansas City. You can find some photos of this facility on the web if you google Lonestar Cement or Bonner Springs.
For photos, etc., you might try searching online for the Ash Grove cement plant in Durkee, Oregon, USA. It’s a large, modern facility with extensive rail traffic, served by the Union Pacific RR. It appears to have an associated hillside quarry.
I used Mapquest to find the cement plants at Inkom, Idaho and Devils Slide, Utah. Both show plants in relation to their associated limestone quarries. However, since both towns are very small, they don’t rate the high res photos that allow you to see the plant details. You can pick out both plants by looking for the tops of the silos. In both cases the plants are south and east of the Mapquest star.
dd
Thanks for everyones help so far. I haven’t started modelling yet, but I’m gonna do some more research with the help you’ve given me, and then I might have some more questions.
Ben
The only thing I know about cement plants is that Al Gore once mistook one for the largest tobacco plant in Tennessee.
Fortunately, you can zoom in on the plants at Colton, CA and Victorville, CA. The Victorville plant even has a railroad running to its mines off to the northeast.
Both the Colton plant and the Victorville plant can be viewed in spectacular detail at Local Live.
The Colton plant is south of I-10 about 2-miles west of I-15, southwest of the Rancho Ave/I-10 (San Bernadino Fwy) interchange.
The Victorville plant is northeast of Victorville along Historic Route 66 north of I-15 (Barstow Freeway)
There is a rail served concrete plant in West Sacramento, CA, south of Highway 50 (BUS 80) between S. River Road and the Sacramento River.
Could someone who’s close to a cement plant located on the Union Pacific take some pictures of a particular covered hopper series for me? I want to scratchbuild a Mopac 2-bay covered hopper used in cement service. Road numbers are MP 706500-706799. It is a pullman-standard 11-rib roughly 2980 cuft covered hopper. I need end shots in particular and any other shots anyone is willing to share.
Thanks,
Nate