Trains.com

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Your opinion on my lumber yard

2878 views
15 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    November 2015
  • 723 posts
Your opinion on my lumber yard
Posted by UNCLEBUTCH on Monday, May 20, 2019 6:45 PM

 I built this lumber yard building,useing what I felt were appropiate dimensions.

It looks OK with HO Otto standing there. But when I add another building and a truck, its looks under size.

What do you think ? finish it or startover

  • Member since
    January 2009
  • From: Bakersfield, CA 93308
  • 6,526 posts
Posted by RR_Mel on Monday, May 20, 2019 6:53 PM

Looks OK to me.  Best as I can remember the lumber yard I went to in the early 60s was about that size.  I think they stored up to 10’long boards in those type bins.  Longer boards were stored on the opposite side on pipe shelving.
 
 
Mel
 
 
My Model Railroad   
 
Bakersfield, California
 
I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
 
  • Member since
    December 2008
  • From: Heart of Georgia
  • 5,397 posts
Posted by Doughless on Monday, May 20, 2019 7:10 PM

Probably a bit short height wise, but I don't think the height of the bins mattered much since the lumber would be stored in lengthwise piles.  Otto would have to be about 7'6"" to bump his head.  

If it bothers you, you might find a place for it more in the back to give a little forced perspective.

- Douglas

  • Member since
    May 2010
  • From: SE. WI.
  • 8,253 posts
Posted by mbinsewi on Monday, May 20, 2019 7:58 PM

I think it looks OK.  If anything, maybe make the railing out of smaller stock.  It looks a little "chunky", with more than one railing, there is usually a toe kick on the bottom, and usually 3 rails.

As far as the building itself, it looks like my LLY, except through the years, they added on to it, making it longer, much longer.

That building in front of the trucks looks great.

Mike.

  • Member since
    April 2019
  • From: Pacific Northwest
  • 780 posts
Posted by SPSOT fan on Monday, May 20, 2019 10:22 PM

To me it looks nice, but I would agree with what others are saying about the railings on the second floor. They are a bit chunky, and not very straight. I would redo those but I think the rest of the building looks great! I like the saw cutting the wood in the left side of the first picture!

Regards, Isaac

I model my railroad and you model yours! I model my way and you model yours!

  • Member since
    August 2013
  • From: Richmond, VA
  • 1,890 posts
Posted by carl425 on Monday, May 20, 2019 10:34 PM

I always compare the size of the industries to the capacity of my freight cars.  Since that truck bed is probably around 16' long, it's about 1/5th of a flat car, and the flat car can be stacked higher.  Comparing the size of the truck bed to the size of the structure, I'd guess it could fill the truck about 4 times.  So that's less than a flat car of capacity for the structure.  I'd say that's too small.

This obsession goes back to when my dad told me that my Gruesome Casket Company couldn't even hold one box car worth of stuff - damaged me forever.

I have the right to remain silent.  By posting here I have given up that right and accept that anything I say can and will be used as evidence to critique me.

  • Member since
    February 2001
  • From: Wyoming, where men are men, and sheep are nervous!
  • 3,384 posts
Posted by Pruitt on Tuesday, May 21, 2019 6:56 AM

I would agree with carl425, Unclebutch.

If you have the room, I would expand the shed by several bays at least. Doubling the number would not be too much.

In many circumstances, over-compressed industries are a necessity on a model railroad due to space limitations. But far too often over-compression is done simply to pack more industries into a given space, resulting in industries no bigger than the single car siding that services them. This may work for a team track ramp, but not for most other industries, so what we wind up with is a very unconvincing model scene.

In my opinion it's better to go with slightly larger industries, even if it means fewer industries on the layout.

  • Member since
    October 2018
  • 117 posts
Posted by Bigjim7 on Tuesday, May 21, 2019 7:35 AM
Looks great. Love that saw' where you get that. I would only add some gravel on the ground' maybe a fork lift and yard clutter. Good job.
  • Member since
    May 2010
  • From: SE. WI.
  • 8,253 posts
Posted by mbinsewi on Tuesday, May 21, 2019 7:40 AM

For a comparison, I have this kit, still in the box:

From the Walthers web site.  Using the option pictured on the bottom picture, each shed is 63' x 26', the walkway for the second level is 10' high from the base, and the total height of the lower storage and upper storage is 20'.

The kits makes 2 of these, or you can join them for one big barn, as in the top picture.

Atlas also has a popular lumber storage building that just about everyone has, including me.  I have 2, but I didn't did them out for measurements, just the Walthers kit.

I think your looks good, I would revise the upper railing.  Yours looks about the size of the Atlas model.

If you got the room, make another building, and put them end to end.

Back in the OP's time period, didn't most lumber come in box cars? and not todays big center beams?

I also think if each level of your building is filled with lumber, it would be more than 4 of those truck loads.

Mike.

  • Member since
    February 2017
  • 189 posts
Posted by Deane Johnson on Tuesday, May 21, 2019 8:03 AM

Yes, the railing being out of proportion has a negative effect on the structure, IMO.  I rather think the top rail would be flat on top of the posts which would be one way of scaling down it's effect.

Another thing that might be adding an out of scale feel is the size of the corrugations on the roof.  They would seem from the photo to need to be more delicate in size.

  • Member since
    May 2010
  • From: SE. WI.
  • 8,253 posts
Posted by mbinsewi on Tuesday, May 21, 2019 9:16 AM

Another comparison, Smile, Wink & Grin  I found my Atlas lumber buildings.

This building is 40'x20', the walkway is 8' above the base, and the height of the lower and upper storage areas is 15'

Smaller than the Walthers.  

Mike.

  • Member since
    January 2004
  • From: Canada, eh?
  • 13,375 posts
Posted by doctorwayne on Tuesday, May 21, 2019 10:13 AM

I think that the storage shed looks good, and while I'd agree that the railing needs a little fine tuning, I don't think that the shed is too small:  there's no track showing in the photo, but there is a truck, indicating to me that the yard is not necessarily rail-served.

Many small lumber yards were not near tracks, and their supplies would come in on trucks, perhaps from a team track within the same town.

I included a small lumberyard, based on a real one which wasn't rail-served, on my layout, but mine is rail-served, sharing the spur with a local coal-dealer...

The prototype also had a couple of larger structures, which I didn't have room to model, but the ones shown are pretty-much to-scale.  The outdoor lumber piles are also prototypical, and I learned the art of regularily re-piling them to promote proper air drying, in a time before kiln-dried lumber was common.

Wayne

  • Member since
    November 2015
  • 723 posts
Posted by UNCLEBUTCH on Tuesday, May 21, 2019 10:23 AM

 I can now see that railing is wrong, easy fix.

My building is 38X18, 18 high. Close to what Mike has shown.

The building wasn't really compressed, as there is no prototype.

I understand what Carl is saying,and I thouht I had it right.

The dimensions used were what ,in my mind seams realiistic. But its still looks off.

I think I'll have to rebuild, bigger. This one will become somthing else.

Thank you all,most helpful.

BTW the saws are built from odds and ends.

  • Member since
    October 2007
  • From: Fullerton, California
  • 1,364 posts
Posted by hornblower on Tuesday, May 21, 2019 2:00 PM

I think it looks about right but if you really want to try again, consider placing this building against the aisle (facing away from the viewer) with a larger storage building on the far side.  

Hornblower

  • Member since
    November 2015
  • 723 posts
Posted by UNCLEBUTCH on Tuesday, May 21, 2019 4:15 PM

hornblower

I think it looks about right but if you really want to try again, consider placing this building against the aisle (facing away from the viewer) with a larger storage building on the far side.  

 

That may work,depending on where it ends up.

What I'm thinking; Is to add on a bigger build of different material to reflect a newer recent remodeling.      thanks

  • Member since
    March 2002
  • From: Milwaukee WI (Fox Point)
  • 11,426 posts
Posted by dknelson on Tuesday, May 21, 2019 9:32 PM

I am reminded that the lumber yard in the town where I grew up was rail served BUT the lumber yard itself was a few blocks from the track - they'd send a truck over to unload the boxcars of lumber.  So you never compared the height of the freight cars to the lumber shed itself.

I like the corrugated metal roof. 

Dave Nelson

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Users Online

There are no community member online

Search the Community

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Model Railroader Newsletter See all
Sign up for our FREE e-newsletter and get model railroad news in your inbox!