here is my work in progress, i am taking my time with this one, mainly because i have put the walls on wrong, so i have to take my time to figure things out as i go 
Looking good! Did you add the latters and cat walks your self?
Rick,
The concrete coaling tower looks fantastic. [tup] I assume you are scratch-building it? The rust seeping through the walls in picture #1 is VERY realistic looking and believable.
Tom
Since i had put the wall on backwards the normal holes that would hold the original catwalks had to be imporvised, so the catwalk goes all the way around, part of it is wood and the rest is the original plastic.
no this model is not scratch built it is the walthers kit, but i reversed the two walls and glued them too well so they cannot be separated without damaging them, so i guess it could be considered scratch built, with all the extra work i have made for myself
does anyone have any idea’s were the lights went? Was there a specific placement for the lights or were they generally put where it was needed?
I have a few pics of an old coaling tower and its lights…I’ll try to get pics up later. Mostly though, I think that they were just placed where they were needed. I remember one at the top over the door vividly, and the rest were spread out to light the catwalk. I think that there was only like 3-4 max!
Edit: I was trying to find some online until i had time to scan mine up, but it is supprisingly hard to find close ups! Anyway, here is one. Look closely at the top, and you can see two lights, but none on the way up. The picture I have is ver similar with two at the top and one at the base, but none along the way.
yes, im having the same problem in finding pictures for lights,i know were i would like to put them, but i don’t think they that saftey minded back then. thank you for responding, and i m very sorry but i can’t seem to view the picture you have provided.
Sorry, I forgot to post the link. Also, note the conduit on the outside. All the ones that I have see have that going to the lights, and that makes since considering they are concrete.
Ok, here are two pictures of a coaling tower in GA. However these were only used to refuel locomotives. Notice how there are only lights over the top door, and that top walkway. There is also one down low. It may be hard to see in that second picture, but there are no lights on that side at all! I saw some closer pictures on the web, and they show that there isn’t even any conduit for lights.
If I were doing it, I would probably put one light on that very top section, and maybe one more over that door in the second photo. I’m not sure that I would do one at all for the level in between. Then perhaps one on the back side for the stairs leading to the ground, but then again I might not even do one there. I doubt that I would do any on the outside catwalk at all.
It seems that they only put them close to where they ran the conduit. If you needed a light and it was near the run of conduit then great…otherwise bring a lattern (note the one down low on the conduit, but none on the backside).
i never thought about the conduit wire, so i could put the wire wherever i wanted with that theory,and run as many lights that i thought be safe for my crew to work [swg] Thank you for those nice coaling tower shots, helps with weathering.
seems a yard shot snuck in
Wow! Nice pictures! Yeah that sounds like a plan. Now that I see the other picture I would add another light over that door. There always seems to be a light over the doors. And let me know if you need any more pictures of that coaling tower (or better resolution). One day I hope to get shots of the other three remaining ones in GA.
And let me say that I am thoroughly impressed with that first picture. I think if you could
“dirty” up those railings (like you did with the yellow ones), and maybe figure out a way to make them look a little less straight, then I would have a hard time telling that from the real thing!!!
i just put those railings on today,and i wanted to get some outside shots-it was finally a nice day with sunshine and high of 52
Great job ! I did the same in N scale & though I wasn’t planning on attaching all the parts… since I model the early '90’s, it’s to represent a relic of the past more than anything else & the scrap man came along… I couldn’t anyway since not all the parts panels were inside. I had two panels of the same thing.