This will probably never make it into the pages of MR, but it’s “dream” enough for my own purposes…[swg]
I’ve finally installed the trio of ‘signature’ structures for my steel mill-centered Iron Belt layout: a blast furnace, an ore bridge [a.k.a. traveling overhead crane] and a Great Lakes ore boat. Though the layout is still far from “complete” - i.e., ready to accept locos and rolling stock - I still consider the setup of these structures a major milestone, due to all the tweaking that was necessary to make them fit in their limited space. NOTE: The MDF sheets used as backdrops are only there on a temporary basis, to hide tools and other debris for the duration of the photo shoot.
[To accommodate you dialer-uppers, I’ve simply embedded links to the image files so you can click on them one-at-a-time to view them without having to wait until midnite for all of them to download.]
We’ll start with a panoramic view of the forward end of the SS Marquette, with the open clamshell bucket silhouetted against the ‘blue sky’ MDF backdrop hovering over the ore stockpile. At left is the rotary dumper, which receives unit trains of bituminous coal for the coke ovens (not yet installed). The ore and limestone are received by water from mines in Minnesota and northern Michigan.
Next we have a close-up view of the outbound staging track for emptied coal hoppers. Each individual car, after being dumped, glides down the exit track via gravity and onto the dock track. As soon as ten (10) empty hopper cars have accumulated on the dock, they must be cleared - moved to an outbound staging ya
Very impressive, Ken. A large expanse, big machinery, lots to take in. It should look super when you are finally calling it a layout…although looks very realistic right now!
Lots of time and energy there, detail on everything is nice[^] Lots of work there, definitely a labor of love. Wish I had room for that kind of stuff, but boats don’t float in the desert very well. I can appreciate what you’ve done, I live in Erie PA. and have been down around the flats many times looking at the industry, Astabula, Ohio for the ore loading dock there.
Laddie…looks great,as always detail ,detail , detail . I give it two thumb’s up!!!
Is that ore boat a Bearco model ? I love the Iron Belt,simply love it.
P.S
Although I might have a biased opinion about steel mills…still two thumbs up.
Well,I picked up the hardboard,1x4’s,and the rest of what I need to cover the block and *** I did what I could to help you keep that up front parking spot at HD. Now if we don’t get the 4-7” of that white stuff tonight like they are saying I will have tomorrow to work on it. If it does come then I will have to plow the dealership and then see if I can get some of it done.
Hey, [#welcome] back Ken and I did hear that Zoe was wondering what was going on when you came in the back door,you could have used the front,no one would have minded.
I can think of only one word for the pics WOW!!! [^][8D][bow][bow]
Well that’s about it and it is almost time for Stargate SG-1 and Atlantis.
Talk to you later
The boat is actually a Sylvan hull and afterhouse, with a scratchbuilt forward house and hatch crane. But if I had known about Bearco 5 years ago, I’d probably have gone with one of their models - they have really improved the old Voco line quite a bit.
Thanx Will for the ‘vote’[;)]. No need for envy, my other MRR skills (tracklaying, electrical etc.) have languished because of excessive focus on these things during the past 5 years, and the mill track itself is leftover from my old house and under chronic “slow orders” - plenty of skeletons to be found in this closetgarage!
Ken: I just took a look at the rest of the pictures. Again that ore bridge is fantastic. Did yo model a specific one or is it a freelance?
Patrick; The ore boat is a modified Sylvan model. Ken had an artilcle in a mag about it. I can’t remember which one but I have it somewhere.
Ken I hae drawings in the basement somewhere of a Great Lakes Towing company tug. I’ll look for them and see about sending you copies. I haven’t seen any kits or huls that could be used for a start so I guess it would be a scratch building job.
Thanx Kevin, everybody’s kind words have left me pretty speechless too![:I]
Thanx Carl, I guess since you grew up in Chicago you’re no stranger to this sort of thing - lots of steel mills in the Calumet river industrial district!
Dude thats an amazing layout, wish i had one like that. Guess childhood memories can inspire alot of people, like me. My new layout will be the QR mainline through Charters Towers QLD. Just like everyone else I’m speechless over the quality of your layout.
Mitchell
![[Click HERE to view track plan]](http://trainweb.org/ironbelt/layout_sm_20051105_w_access.gif){kind=link}
