So I am under a crunch to get my Walthers Coke Retort (HO) ready for the Mad City show. After some fetching redesigning of the coal flood loader to get the conveyer belt to fit in the space alotted to the structure, the structure looks too plain.
I would like to add the ladder and cage set of Walther add on details available to there DPM similar kits, Any opinions on it?
Also I am trying to find some catwalking to place on top of the main collection pipe. I have seen the stuff, but my searchs of the Walthers catalog and the LHS has come up blank, any ideas or suggestions.
For any of you who have build the old Coke and Quencher kit that did the detail work on the top of the Coke Ovens, what scale track did you use? I have tried 100 and 83 but that seems to be too large and the one gentleman I saw that had done this I asked every question but what track size to use.
Lighting: This is going to be the first kit that I add lighting to. It screams for it, especially in the upper works of the structure. I can hide the battery in two places. Under the retort and inside the coke ovens, and I know where I want to place the lights and how to get the wire’s there and hide them, but I don’t know what lights to use, diodes or wheat, or for that matter the size either.
One other thing I forgot to ask about. I have the floor of the retort done, but I am looking for some pics of gauges and dials to mount down the center of the upper works. I have done a pretty hard search of Google and Yahoo, but haven’t found much. Any other suggestions. I was thinking of something like ENIAC or UNIVAC. Even thought they have nothing to do with Chemical processing the image of something like that would scream “CONTROL CENTER”
You can also do a search on the Walthers site for “safety cage” and come up with some nicer ones…
How about roofwalks for freight cars? If you search for “roofwalks” and get past the freight cars, there are several manufacturers who make them. Or, you can get some etched diamond tread brass and make your own. In either case, you’ll have to provide handrails, or OSHA will be all over your mill…[:)]
LEDs will last longer and draw less current, but might not give you the color you want. If the lights will be visible, I’d use the 1.5v micro incandescents. Otherwise, you can get surface-mount LED’s that are quite small.
Using “white” or amber LED’s could look like those high pressure, what are they, metal halide, high pressure sodium, whatever they are. The same type of lights used in streetlights, security lights, etc. The white LED’s would look like the “blueish” type streetlights/security lights, and the amber LED’s would look like those “orangeish” lights.
For catwalks and other detail bits you can try Plastructs’ web site. They have lots of stuff you don’t normally see advertised. Other sources would be Tichy Train Group (i think) and Central Valley has some ladder/step stuff listed on their site for reasonable money. J.R.