Hornblower,
There's not much more frustrating than wasting time/money on a commercial product and concluding afterward that you can do better kitbashing or scratchbuilding.
I finished putting the fence together for the oil/ammonia dealer. The next step is securing the mesh with CA. Perhaps I will make fences for other industrial areas. Agreed that most industries can use the fences and they look quite realistic.
All: NO more Google map images! I have already lost untold hours doing that, lol.
~Lee
Just to add, in modern times, just about any industry can be modeled this way. Just a little down from the rail gate add a drive entrance and business sign. If you spend much time on the map programs you can find industries along any track that are completly hidden from the road. It's an intentional design concept. Like this example. From the road just a nice drive. Yet from the air shows an extensivel rail service.
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.6017973,-82.7606136,1057m/data=!3m1!1e3
jim
kasskaboose
Actually, I just sprayed it with silver paint to represent galvanized. Oh yes, I think the solder represents the cast metal caps quite well.
Happy trails
Lee
I have several industries that will need chain link perimeter fences as well as track sections that need to be separated from adjacent properties. With this in mind, I purchased a couple of the Walthers chain link fencing kits on sale. I'm not too impressed with these kits. First, the plastic poles have quite a bit of flash on them so you spend a lot of time cleaning these up. Second, the kit includes lengths of approximately .020" soft wire for the horizontal fence tubes. Unfortuantely, this wire is coated with a rather gritty black substance that adheres rather poorly to the wire. If you glue the as supplied wire to the plastic fence posts using CA, the wire will not stay glued to the plastic posts as the black coating comes off the wire! If you try to scrape the black crud off the soft wire, it is anything but straight by the time you get it clean! The kit then provides a large sheet of tule for use making the chain link. Since the kit builds fences of a fixed height, you might think Walthers could cut the tule into strips of appropriate width. No such luck! By the time I assembled one section of fencing about six inches long, it looked like it had been run over by a truck a few times. Not really the look I was going for. On the plus side, I did discover that using Micro Mark PSA glue made it much easier to attach the tule to the plastic and wire fence frame.
I recently bought some .020" music wire to replace the soft kit wire. Hopefully, I'll be able to make some straight fence sections using this stuff.
Hornblower
yankee flyer Hey I'm not sure how long chain link fence stays straight around a commercial property. It tends to get beat up. I used coat hangers and nylon screen wire glued to the soldered hanger wire. The price was right ($00.00) Lee
Hey
I'm not sure how long chain link fence stays straight around a commercial property. It tends to get beat up.
I used coat hangers and nylon screen wire glued to the soldered hanger wire. The price was right ($00.00)
Nice photo and great idea about the coat hanger. I presume you paint it gray afterward?
Steven Otte From the subject line, I thought you were going to ask about industries that can be represented with nothing more than a spur track and a section of chain-link fence. That can be a great way to model a high-traffic industry in a small footprint... have the spur pass through a fence with an identifying sign, and then disappear behind some trees, as if the building itself is farther along the track. Maybe depict it on the backdrop, but it's not necessary. Some possibilities might include a power plant, an auto (or auto parts) plant, a gravel pit, an oil refinery, a paper mill, a coal strip mine... basically, anything that might conceivably own a lot of empty property around its physical plant. I remember a layout we published in the magazine that depicted a dynamite factory that way. Makes sense, since you'd want a lot of buffer space around such an industry.
From the subject line, I thought you were going to ask about industries that can be represented with nothing more than a spur track and a section of chain-link fence. That can be a great way to model a high-traffic industry in a small footprint... have the spur pass through a fence with an identifying sign, and then disappear behind some trees, as if the building itself is farther along the track. Maybe depict it on the backdrop, but it's not necessary. Some possibilities might include a power plant, an auto (or auto parts) plant, a gravel pit, an oil refinery, a paper mill, a coal strip mine... basically, anything that might conceivably own a lot of empty property around its physical plant. I remember a layout we published in the magazine that depicted a dynamite factory that way. Makes sense, since you'd want a lot of buffer space around such an industry.
--Steven Otte, Model Railroader senior associate editorsotte@kalmbach.com
yankee flyerI'm not sure how long chain link fence stays straight around a commercial property. It tends to get beat up.
There are guide lines and "Good Neighbor" policies that most companies follow.
Here's the rub.
The public view is well maintain but,the business side -the docks and plant area not so much since the fence can be hit by 18 wheelers maneuvering into the docks or by careless forklift drivers that takes scrap skids(pallets) to the fence line for pick up by a company that rebuilds those skids.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
kasskaboose This past weekend the NMRA James River division had a very good presentation on this very subject if you want a copy of the presentation PM me with your email and I will forward it to you.
YGW
I really don't know why You spent so much time trying to straighten 18 gauge wire...which will still be flimsy after installed...it's a softer Brass. You could have purchased straight harder brass rod and a more suitable size, like 3/64'' or 1/32'' that is just as easy to solder to and are much stronger than wire. Many sizes come four 12'' to a pack or if You prefer 36'' lengths and they don't cost an arm & leg: Or copper rod, if You prefer.
http://www.ksmetals.com/
Take Care!
Frank
This reminds me of the patter spoken by the San Diego Zoo bus tour guides back in the '60s. As they approached the perimeter fencing, they would point out that the highest chain-link fences were next to San Diego High School!
Strength in diversity!
Most places have some kind of perimeter fence to mark their property line. Once inside of that there may be another fence around a more secure area where hardhats or other safety items must be worn.
j........
That caught me too, then I remembered the thread on Walthers tank cars.
Chain link fencing can be found around anything and everything, including some schools, and private yards. Any place you don't want the general public wandering through. Any type of industry, especially the back where loading, unloading, etc would be going on. Anything with tanks (the kind that hold stuff, not the kind on tracks with guns) would look right closed in.
Actually, look at any local National Guard Armory, where there ARE tanks with guns, would positively be enclosed.
Just drive around, and look where they are.
Mike.
My You Tube
Ed,
Anhydrous Ammonia tanks.
Although, depending on era.........
Ricky W.
HO scale Proto-freelancer.
My Railroad rules:
1: It's my railroad, my rules.
2: It's for having fun and enjoyment.
3: Any objections, consult above rules.
kasskabooseWhat about a food distributer with adjoining AA tanks?
Anti-Aircraft tanks?
For some reason I am not familiar with AA tanks... please pardon my ignorance
Ed
After some discussion and review, I made some wire straight to build a chain-link fence. Thanks all! Any suggestions on industries to put that around? Yes, I know it's 'my layout' but thought to create somewhat realistic scenes.
I plan on putting it around a small oil/ anhydrous ammonia (AA) dealer in the 1980s. What about a food distributer with adjoining AA storage tanks? Is putting the fence around the entire yard also suitable or just the intermodal area? It makes sense to put the fence around flammable industries.
Thanks!