Model Grain Elevator ?s

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
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I have no idea why, but I have been adding some inner details to My Kanamodels prairie grain elevator model. So because of this I would like some suggestions as to how to mount the four roof sections so as to make them easily removable to view the guts of the elevator. When I simply sit them on top they look like they are just sitting there. I need to mount them more securely for a better look. Suggestions from you experts would be greatly appreciated.

Second, please take a look at the pipes that lead to the various bins on this diagram. Do you think 1/8" brass tubing would be about the right size for the job?

This is my first attempt at modeling the inside of any structure. When I peer in through the truck entrance door I like what I see so far. I have a Nikon D5000 but not a lens that will do the job. I think the wife needs another lens for her camera this Christmas.[:-^]

Thanks.

Brent[C):-)]

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I use black foamcore for a lot of structural purposes. Is it possible to mount each of the roofs to a piece of it that fits snugly into the top of the structure?

Another tricks I use is the flying rafter/trim piece along the edge of the roof. Add them or make the existing ones deeper to better hide the seam?

1/8" tubing is about right for the grain chutes. Rix and Walthers make kits of outdoor elevator parts that could also be adapted.

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Brent,

There is really not to much ‘interior’ to a typical wood crib style grain elevator. There would be 2-3 large internal bins along each side, and the ‘elevator’ floor would occupy the center. On the elevator floor is the actual grain elevator ‘leg’ to move the grain up to the to cupola where is is dumped into a ‘Gerber’ that distributes the grain to each of the individual bins.

The back side if the elevator floor might have an office and the scales that weighs grain as it is brought in by the farmers. Larger ones may have a shorter bin that does not go all the way down to the floor, and has a discharge chute with a scale and a ‘bagger’ to bag feed for re=sale. All of the full length bins have discharge chutes to he ‘pit’ so the grain in the bins can be run back up the elevator and the Gerber will direct the grain to rail outlet loading tube for loading in grain cars.

Here is a web site with a very good explanation and diagrams of a typical elevator:

http://esask.uregina.ca/entry/grain_elevators.html

BTW, I have noticed that the latest version of Google Chrome browser seems to not make web URL’s ‘hot’ when I copy them. I have been pasting them into MS-Word and then copy/paste to the MR forum. Has anyone else run into this? And is thee a work-around?

Jim

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http://esask.uregina.ca/entry/grain_elevators.html

Jim

Yes I noticed this as well. you can manually add

[u r l ]

at the beginning of the address and

[ /u r l] at the end (no space between letters)

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Try : Alberta Grain Academy and Museum, it’s in Calgary. click on ‘‘TAKE A TOUR’’ scroll down, there is a photo of a very large model grain elevator with one side open to see how they operate, lots of detail.

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Gidday Jim, As a technological Luddite I thought it was just me. My Son who took pity on his “old man” showed me how.

Copy, then paste on to your post, then highlight , click on the Insert/edit link on the tool bar, then click on the insert in that box.

Have taken the liberty to make tatans link “hot”.

http://www.grainacademymuseum.com/take-a-tour.php

Having just read what I wrote I don’t think I have a future as a technical manual author, better stick to the day job.

Cheers, the Bear.

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Just as added weight can make a freight car track better sometimes adding a bit of weight can make a removable roof section (either of a structure or something like a caboose or passenger car) “set” better-- assuming it otherwise fits accurately. Indeed weighting an entire structure can assist in making the structure snuggle closer to the ground and not appear to be resting on it.

Another option would be to make the roof panels from clear plastic and light the model from within. Indeed you could go even further – does anyone make corrugated plastic sheeting in clear plastic? Because if they did, given your ambitious project I would be tempted to make one entire side of clear plastic corrugated sheeting and then very lightly weather it so from some angles it would at least look solid even if see through.

Dave Nelson

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Thanks for the replies guys.

Mike I tried gluing some dense foam rubber on the roof and gently inserted it and it worked like a charm. [tup]

Jim, you are right as far as the simplicity of these elevators. Pretty much all that can be seen from the top is the distributor and pipes. The number of bins varies from elevator to elevator. I am thinking that for the tower part I will make the whole bin/piping part able to slide in and out once the roof is removed. That will make it easier to build. There are numerous photo’s of the inside office/unloading areas on Google Images and some good You-Tube videos. A simple desk is about all the furniture you see in most. The big wheel(s) used to control the distributor looks like it could be the brake wheel off a freight car.

Dave, I may build a diorama some day and just have cutouts in the roof and walls to view the innards. I have always been fascinated by these prairie sentinels. When I was a kid we use to drive to our Ontario cottage from Vancouver. It was a long three day drive and looking out the window we would pass elevator after elevator on that endless trip across the Prairies. It never occurred to me to model the inside of a layout structure until I joined this forum and saw others doing it…

Thanks everyone.

Brent[C):-)]

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