I’m currently building an HO layout focussed on Lime Kilns around 1920-1950 (Lime Ridge, Qc on Quebec Central Railway). It was a few miles spur line that was desserving a few lime kilns then shipped the lime on the main line to a local plant.
I can’t find information about lime kilns from that period. A lot of old structure from the 19th century and early are found on the net and this forum provide excellent infos for a modern plant, but nothing for this period. Is a stonecrusher necessary?
Also, what would be the cars used to serve this kind of plant. I’m modelling the spur line, so the traffic I’m interested mainly is between the lime kiln and the cement plant. Lime have to be protected from rain. I presume it was moved by boxcar in this period.
Matt
There’s a book titled Rails to Penn State about a Pennsylvania short line whose main customer operated, in your time frame, the two largest rotary kilns in the world. The book is not difficult to obtain from usual sources. It has many drawings of the plant and its track arrangement at different periods and much information about movements. Including important things like carloads per day and car types.
As I recall, they did have a rather large crusher. Processed lime was moved in boxcars and in large canisters in gondolas.
Thanks for the fast reply, I browsed the book in Google Books, found few pics and it’s exactly what I was searching for. BTW, this railway has an interesting story, it’s worth getting the book.
Matt
I would suggest going to the Library of Congress. (the US one-- online.)
type the url www.loc.gov
watch for the colorful banner that says American Memory and click on it before it changes to something else.
You will get a long list of series of collections. Click on “cities…” (it may also mention architecture)
Now you get a shorter list of collections relating to cityscapes and architecture. Click on “Historic American Building Survey” H.A.B.S. Most of these were collected during the 1930s Depression as a make-work project for photographers, architects and draftspersons.
Then it that collection, search for the kind of structure you want. I entered “lime kiln” and got 37 entries. Each one has a collection of photographs from all angles by a photographer who was specifically trying to document the scene and who had official access. There will be data on when photos were taken and maybe when building was built. Data sheets… in some cases, architectural plans.
Enjoy, courtesy of your friends in the USA.
Wow, the Building Survey accessible on Internet! I remember my architecture classes were often talking about this important survey. Few years ago, one of my teacher decided to do the same thing with students during summer vacation. I learned more trying to understand a 300-year old building than on 5 years on class bench. Unfortunately, our work was considered as useless by the City and the University so they fold up the program… It’s a shame Canada doesn’t have any decent building survey. Fortunately, USA and Canada share a common architectural & industrial background.
Thanks again.
Matt
Hi Mark!
This PDF is amazing! It gave me a lot of idea for the worker’s townsite because I only had old topographic surveys of it.A lot of interesting little structures to scratchbuilt.
I found a 1876 illustration of my prototype yesterday and it fits the Californian example even if separated by more than 4000 km.
Thank you again…
Matt,
Go to bing.com/maps/ and look up Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. Using the bird’s eye view feature, follow the CN branch (ex-WC, exx-FRVR, exxx-C&NW) southeast to Marblehead which is just north of Eden. There is a spur track that leads off to the west to a large quarry that has been there seemingly forever. You will see several old kilns that have been out of service since probably the 1940’s, as well as a newer, rotating steel kiln. There are also other quarries in that part of the state since it lies along the Niagara Limestone Escarpment. Oakfield, Brownsville and Iron Ridge are a few that I remember, although I don’t know which are still in operation. In any case, they all have / had buildings that dated well back in time as well as more modern structures.
Hope this helps.
John Timm
Thanks John!
It’s funny how places names in North America are all the same. On my prototype, the nearest city is Marbleton and near you example, it’s Marblehead…
Your example is interesting because it’s still served by rail. I’m really surprised to see that old-fashioned kilns survived well into the first decades of 20th century. Also, the buildings southeast to Lime Road looks to be from the early years of this quarry.
I appreciate everybody’s help on it. I’m actually building the layout since a week and I’m improving the track plan each day to input the new discoveries. I’ve decided to make a point-to-point layout with the stone crusher at one end and the kilns on the other (both ends connect to make interesting switching with empties and loaded cars).
Matt
Check out the May/June 2009 edition of Narrow Guage and Shortline Gazette. Includes history and building techniques used to build a S scale lime kiln based on a Santa Cruz prototype. Also includes a two page photo of an entire lime kiln.