I’m building an industrial complex; to be precise it is the Walthers Empire Gas Works set. I’ve built the coke retort, gas processing plant and storage tank and have them on my layout. What would the ground cover look like between these buildings? I have them clustered around a track for inbound coal loads for the coke retort. Would the Company have paved the area in between the buildings with concrete/asphalt? Or would it be gravel? Or would it be dirt? The timeframe is mid-1950s in Chicago. Any ideas?
Kind of depends on company pride and how old the plant. Probably it’s just oily looking dirty gravel. Concrete is expensive so it would be used at a minimum, perhaps at an entrance into a building. Asphalt does not hold up well to heavy vehicle traffic and wouldn’t be in good shape for long, especially when exposed to freeze - thaw cycles. I would use something like Woodland Scenics fine cinder ballast and finely sifted soils of different shades of dark colors, scattered in different areas.
i’d say gravel and if there is a fence, maybe just a patch of grass on entry to the site
perhaps a concrete drive-way and then gravel carpark etc.
james
[#ditto]
I would probably stay away from Woodland Scenics fine cinder ballast or use it sparingly, as the color is too uniform. I’d use Highball’s N scale cinders and real dirt for most of the ground cover with a few weeds thrown in here or there. After the dirt is glued down, I would follow up with some oily black stains in places. Just remember to not make your ground cover too uniform.
Dale Latham
I like Dale’s recommendations. Commercially available ballasts and ground covers are expensive. When doing large areas of yards and industries use sand (Play Sand etc) for the overall base coat and texturing… The sand can be stained w/ washes. Then doctor the areas with the cinder, ballast, WS soil and spotches of weed and ground foam.
Bob K.
I use a mix of Woodland Scenics fine ballast.
This one is iron ore and brown. The slope is covered with Coarse Earth and Burnt Grass turf.
This one is cinders, brown and dark brown:
Nick
What do the people do on the ground? If no-one goes there it might be weedy (subject to pollution stunting the weeds)… then again it might carry trucks between parts of the works in which case you want heavy duty concrete. It could be a car park. It might even be an unofficial baseball mound…
Think out the “history” and life of th site.
And have fun!
I have a similar type of heavy industry on my layout – a pipe factory. I just used beach sand that I can get for free. (Of course, I live near a beach). I did wash and sift the sand carefully before spreading it on my layout.
I added gravel (Woodland Scenics fine ballast) for a road leading to the yard, but the yard is just bare dirt with a few patchy weeds, oil spills, and random junk.
Good luck