How to model an ethanol plant in HO scale

Model Railroader Prototype information for the modeler
1

Hello, members:

How does anyone model an HO scale ethanol plant? The reason is because one of such a plant, as of this post, is under construction, and I have no idea of what one looks like. If you have any answers or suggestions that I could follow, please let me know.

Thanks in advance,

Kelly Dunlap

2

http://www.google.com/

search term “ethanol plant”.

Here is one link to start out from: http://www.distill.com/usa.html

One of the links is Central Minnesota Ethanol Coop:

http://www.centralmnethanol.com/index.cfm?show=10&mid=9

Click on “about us” - aerial picture of plant.

Plant is described as being in little falls, 30 miles north of saint cloud, on hwy 371.

Click on “home” - address of plant (17936 HERON ROAD, LITTLE FALLS, MN 56345)

go to http://www.mapquest.com/, enter address to see where this is. Little north of the split between US 10 and MN 371, between 371 and the river.

Go to e.g. http://maps.live.com/ to see overview high res satelite and aerial pictures. Go to little falls, MN - move map to right area, zoom in.

You can also search http://images.google.com/

Here is one picture found: http://www.fageninc.com/eng/images/projects/littlefalls.jpg

Repeat with other plants until you have a collection of prototype etanol plants images and maps to look at.

Good luck!

Smile,
Stein

3

Howdy, Kelly. [#welcome] to the forums.

For a couple of really good photos of what appears to be a typical ethanol plant, Google Badger State Ethanol. The home page has three clickable photos:

  • Ground level - good view of some details of silos and the bracing of the main stack. (Too good view of the company’s roadside sign.)
  • Aerial - “Out the cabin window,” overall view from about 1000 feet, entire property visible.
  • Closeup of the company office building - interesting, if you’re trying to model it.

The plant looks fairly similar to the one referenced above.

Hope this helps.

Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - where ethanol could only be found in beer, whiskey and sake bottles)

4

One thing to consider is the location / geography of your plant. Ethanol plants use a lot of water so your model plant should be near a lake or stream that it could draw water from.

5

None of the ethanol plants around here are near a lake, river, or stream.