I have been planning my layout and have hit some walls…
i would like to ask you kind forum users four questions;
1.) how do you transition between country and urban scenes on a layout? The way I see it in my head would make it look very odd.
2.) I want to try to fit a small steel mill into an area that is about 8’ square. Is that possible? How compressed would it have to be?
3.) what goods would a small steel mill take by rail? How much of each good in proportion(3 cars of * for every 2 cars of % and 1 car of @)? And what goods go out by rail and how much?
4.) how do you build a drop gate? especially the latches to hold it in place?
thank you for reading. By the way the layout is in N scale.[:D]
A thick row of trees. Mountain or hill with tunnel. Freeway overpass. Anything you can use as a view block.
2 x 4 wouldn’t be bad. I think 102 track plans has a 4 x 8 HO layout that is a single steel mill. Anyway, you don’t have to model the whole thing. Some may be flats against the backdrop. Others can be painted on the backdrop. If you do it right, a mirror could double it–but you can have anywhere you can see yourself or anything except layout.
I’ll let others jump in. I’m told I have to leave.
Well working in a steel mill and being a plate loader I would say plate , (every guage imaginable ) and don’t forget the loads need to be tied down with steel straps every 3 or 4 feet and within 15000 lbs of the cars max weight, coils , some steel mills make coke although I don’t think we ship it by boat ( could be wrong ) , scrap coming in and going out, equipment comes in and goes out on flat cars, oh yes and don’t forget the Domtar chemical cars, some steel mills make backfill for mining from the blast furnace slag pits, timber (rail ties) , pipe if they roll it, not too many in Canada or US do rail anymore most comes from China.