(poll) What is the most difficult and easiest type of industry to model.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by bwtpwb

I am just starting, so they all seem difficult to me!!

I'm with you on this. But I should add that there is a lot of knowledge available in this forum all one needs to do is ask.

[Anonymous]

Easiest: Grain Elevator, team track

hardest: Oil efinery? Steel mill? Harbor?

[Anonymous]

if u want to consider railroads an idustry like i do they can be both simple and hard depending on the complexity

[Texas Zepher]

I agree with John Colley.

Easiest by far is a team track. Just any old track, curved or straight ,laid out in a field where a wagon or truck can back up to the flat or box car. If you want to get really fancy you can add a dock. I saw one in St. Louis, vintage 1980, that was a track run over the top of a demolished building. There was a Frisco box car sitting there with chain run between two posts in front of it that said, "no parking loading zone". The sign looked like someone doodled it with a magicmarker. I think, hope, I got a picture of it.

Hardest - Steel Mill. Specialized buildings, specialized equipment, size, volume of cars in and out. Most of the ones I've seen people try to do on layouts look, well, like toys.

I also considered an open pit mine because of the size, or perhaps an operating ship to train container loading dock.

[Fergmiester]

The most difficult,I think would be a working brewery or in this case a micro brewery[:o)]

[PennsyHoosier]

Easiest-- the PennsyHoosier Micro Brewery (as if I need ANOTHER hobby!).

Hardest--shutting down the PennsyHoosier Micro Brewery.

Both are "life sized," so to speak.

[Anonymous]

I have to say this:

Real Estate!

Acquiring space for HO empire.. err.. trains is very very difficult sometimes.

[Anonymous]

Easiest: Generic one box-car a week warehouse

Hardest- Steel mill

[Anonymous]

I'll toss my hat into the ring,

While many people have said steel mills would be the hardest to model, and while complex and large, in my opinion any petrochemical plant would be more difficult, due to piping, cracking towers, and the numerous storage tanks with the associated piping involved.

Having seen and toured both types of facilities, my vote goes to petrochem, but both are daunting endeavors if modeled realistically. Steel mills do enable one to run a more varied number of car types.

Just my opinion.

SRVfan

[Jetrock]

Easy industry: An interchange! Any type of car, no structures at all necessary, foreign roadnames a plus!

[ericsp]

QUOTE: Originally posted by bpickering

QUOTE: Originally posted by ericsp
I agree that a realistic oil refinery is the hardest industry. I am planning on building a 24,000 barrel/day refinery on my layout. I have years of research invested in it. Good thing I don't need any permits.

What, are you single? [:D]

As Maxwell Smart would say "And loving it."

[Bikerdad]

Easiest?? Since I don't really consider a team track to be an INDUSTRY, I'll have to pass on that. Probably sports betting. Just put a small nondescript building next to the tracks with a couple of cars in front, and voila, done.

Hardest? Shipyard. Probably as complex as petrochemicals or steel mills, with the added complication of both the ship(s) and water. Shipyards take up lots of space, have fun cranes and gantrys, etc. One good thing about a shipyard is a lot of different loads can go into one.

[jkeaton]

Easiest: LCL freighthouse (great for those modelling up to the steam/diesel transition).

Hardest: Oh, boy, there are many. Shipyard (I really like this one!) Steel Mill. Aluminum smelter. Oil refinery. Chemical plant. But each, if you're interested in the industry, would be worthwhile to do.

Jim

[danmerkel]

Easiest? How about no industry at all??? MODEL RAILROADER did an article on an "industry" that was nothing more than a spur that went through a gate then behind a hill... presumably to go to a remote location. This could be used for coal, timber, or any industry that didn't sit trackside. I think theirs happened to be an explosives factory... on one wants that close at hand.

A little fancy track work and you could fool them with empties in & loads out trains as well.

Hardest? That would depend on the definition... an oil refinery would be tough to do model wise, a steel mill would require lots of tight trackage, a quarry would require a huge amount of space, auto assembly would require lots of trackage as well... it's a tough call.

dlm