I am new to model railroading, in the sence that it is not a oval around the christmas tree that I have decided to take on.
I have decided to build a shelf style layout around my basement so that I don’t take up the whole room and alienate my wife and children from thier uses of it as well. I have downloaded the free railroad planner called SCARM and I am trying to layout a blast furnace. Specifically the Walther Cornerstone N scale model. But I cannot find a footprint anywhere to accurately lay it out on the program.
Has anyone actually built this model in N scale that I can talk with about the track plan for one?
Just an idea, if you can’t find an N scale blast furnace you could get away with the HO model which will scale out more appropriately for an N scale furnace since the HO model was somewhat reduced in size. The HO model has been re-released so may be easier to find, I’m not sure of the availability of the N version but they may be out there.
The footprint of the HO blast furnace is 27-1/4 x 18-3/8. It’s in the details that would make it plausible for N scale. Figures, vehicles, ladders and railings.
It looks like the N scale footprint is 19-5/8 x 7-1/4+
If you are interested in steel mill modeling, which you could dedicate your whole layout to, I suggest getting a few books on the subject. There’s one by Bernard Kempinski that has some good information and can be found on the auction sites for a reasonable price.
I have several pictures of the N scale WalthersCornerstone model. The reason i asked about a footprint was for the track itself. I am trying to plan the track for this model while learning to use SCARM. I was hoping someone had a plan that had this model, or a specific way the track was laid out.
If I were you, I wouldn’t rely too much on track planning software for getting the tracks right for industries. Just allow enough room for the over all industry. Then when you are building the layout, get the industry kit, and then put the tracks in place as needed.
The only tracks “at” a blast furnace run under the casthouse floor for the hot metal cars. Tracks could run on any side as topography and need dictate.
As a general rule for ANY scale, use the widest radius that you can afford to fit in a given area.
Even though it may be a yard you will be shoving as well as pulling cars and the wider the radius (and higher the switch frog no.) the happier your operating session will go. Truck mounted couplers are the norm in N scale and the tight radius there tends to torque the truck and want to derail.
OTOH in a steel mill the cuts of cars will be very short so this will be less of a problem but you still want to avoid sharp curves as much as possible.
Cuts of cars can run into the hundreds. Inland steel coke plant was four miles out on filled in land. In lake Michigan. Those coal trains would run at about two miles an hour through the length of the plant tying up every route for traffic. A real mess for up to half an hour. Hot metal cars are pretty much incapable of really tight curves with multiple trucks under them. Last thing you want to do is run a car on the ground carrying 2-300 tons of molten metal.