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Which Industries To Model
Allan posted:
“I’ve decided on N scale for my new layout which has the potential to be 2ft-3ft deep in places in my 8ft x 10ft space. I also decided to model the late ’90s to the present day, but haven’t yet decided on an industry (industries) to incorporate. I had thought of logging & lumber, but there are probably better options these days. Ideas are definitely appreciated! Thanks in advance!”
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3 Responses to Which Industries To Model
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Logging is always an option. Rather than having it as the focus of the layout, use it as an industry being served. So you might have one area for logging and a close but separate mining operation. These would need a yard for storing empty and loaded cars and “townie” industries like warehouses, fuel depot, sawmill if you have room for one, a general store for provisions and other businesses to support the industries.
Or you could focus on an industrial area that would be receiving the utilizing goods from off-layout. Mills, metal works, trans-shipping warehouse, lumber yards, etc. Industries could be anything that takes in raw materials and produces manufactured materials that need to be sent out. A mill that takes in logs and ships out finished lumber to lumber yards. Or possibly a pipe company that takes in steel and ships out pipes of various sizes.
And if you have the space, perhaps a small town warehouse or Railway Express station for receiving goods for local shops and deliveries. The possibilities are endless.
I used a steel mill in Hastings, Victoria for a Roll Mill factory industry idea on the right side of my layout with flat car loads, and a tank-car filling gantry with a petro-chem back-drop on the left side.
Other industries you might consider are the ones that fill hopper cars, eg, grain silos, coal elevators, ore processing plants.
Depends on the rolling stock you have, too.
For the roll mill, I have an incline into the plant, and a magnetic de-coupler embedded in the “factory floor” to enable loaded flat-cars to be disconnected and then roll down a small incline through a turnout to a buffer stop. The turnout is then thrown and another loco pulls the flat car onto an exit track to the yard where trains are made up.
In my planning stages I made up a list of exactly what you’re looking for, too. Unfortunately I can’t upload it, but I clipped out the text. (There are images in the document,
Rail Rolling Stock
TANK CARS
Carrying: Liquids – fuel, wine, chemicals,… Gases,
Loading/unloading facility – Gantry, stairs, pipework
COVERED HOPPER
Carrying: sugar, grain, sand, cement
Loading/unloading facility – grain silos
OPEN HOPPER
Carrying: Coal, ballast,
Loading/unloading facility – Hopper tower to fill
FLAT CAR
Carrying: Large bulky loads, poles, pipes, machinery, containers, steel billets
Can have end-walls
Loading/unloading facility – cranes
GONDOLA
Carrying: high-density cargos as steel plates or coils, or of bulky items such as prefabricated sections of rail track. Scrap metal
Loading/unloading facility – Cranes
STOCK CAR
Carrying: Livestock
Loading/unloading facility – Yard and ramps
BOX CAR
Carrying: Packaged goods, freight pallets,
Loading/unloading facility – Warehouse and ramps, forklifts for pallets.
Food for thought?
Mark The N-Scale Nerd” Thornhill
Dale and Steve what great ideas. Much appreciated.