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!

Pidgeon Creek structures from scratch

10502 views
122 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    April 2017
  • From: Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
  • 1,585 posts
Posted by OldSchoolScratchbuilder on Thursday, October 5, 2017 2:57 PM

Added pumps and rainwater to the reservoir. Realistic water layer should cure clear by tomorrow.

 

  • Member since
    April 2017
  • From: Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
  • 1,585 posts
Posted by OldSchoolScratchbuilder on Saturday, September 23, 2017 2:36 PM

A model aircraft carburetor makes for a nice-looking geothermal wellhead.

 

  • Member since
    April 2017
  • From: Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
  • 1,585 posts
Posted by OldSchoolScratchbuilder on Monday, September 18, 2017 11:46 AM

Main rain water holding tank and overflow tank painted white. Water pump parts selected, drainage pipe primed, base plates primed, and another piece of CN container cut for the water pump platform. Ordered a 4' x 8' sheet of PVC foam board which will be cut and ready for me to pick up in a few days.

 

  • Member since
    April 2017
  • From: Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
  • 1,585 posts
Posted by OldSchoolScratchbuilder on Friday, September 15, 2017 7:20 PM

Lots of work to do as I continue to design/build the geothermal plant's front end. The wellhead will be housed inside a structure made from sections of a CN container, currently being primed for painting. Pipes and supports being fitted, primed and painted. Plenty of rails cut for structural supports, towers, even electrical conductors. Having a great time!

 

  • Member since
    April 2017
  • From: Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
  • 1,585 posts
Posted by OldSchoolScratchbuilder on Wednesday, September 13, 2017 12:21 PM

Working on the production wellhead and pipes to the primary high-pressure flash separator and exhaust silencer today.

 

  • Member since
    April 2017
  • From: Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
  • 1,585 posts
Posted by OldSchoolScratchbuilder on Tuesday, September 12, 2017 4:57 PM

Painting and fitting progressing nicely.

 

  • Member since
    April 2017
  • From: Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
  • 1,585 posts
Posted by OldSchoolScratchbuilder on Sunday, September 10, 2017 7:55 PM

First layer of gypsum 'concrete' poured, more primer applied to various parts, shortened gondola having it's paint stripped in heavy-duty oven cleaner overnight, and holes being made in the primary separator tanks for piping and also to run pneumatic lines to animate (really turn) the turbines.

 

  • Member since
    April 2017
  • From: Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
  • 1,585 posts
Posted by OldSchoolScratchbuilder on Saturday, September 9, 2017 12:38 PM

The primary separator will be mounted on a foundation consisting of modified Life-like and Tyco train components: two cylinders filled with Nova Scotian gypsum 'concrete' and two railcar weights, plus a shortened gondola with two flat metal weights. Applied primer to the cylinders, will also paint the gondola.

 

  • Member since
    April 2017
  • From: Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
  • 1,585 posts
Posted by OldSchoolScratchbuilder on Friday, September 8, 2017 5:24 PM

Assembling the primary double-flash separator this weekend. It consists of two vertical flash tanks which are now joined together. Next I will connect the input of the high-pressure separator tank to the production wellhead (not shown), and its brine output to the low-pressure separator through a throttling valve (Not shown).

 

  • Member since
    April 2017
  • From: Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
  • 1,585 posts
Posted by OldSchoolScratchbuilder on Wednesday, September 6, 2017 11:34 AM

Geothermal energy is used to heat and cool five buildings on the Dartmouth waterfront.

  • Member since
    December 2001
  • 3,139 posts
Posted by chutton01 on Wednesday, September 6, 2017 9:16 AM

OldSchoolScratchbuilder
We have a geothermal plant on the waterfront right here in Dartmouth.

Since my profession is indirectly related to power generation and transmission, I have some interest in this topic as you may have guessed. 
The only baseload power generation plant I could find searching on-line as being in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia was the Tuft's Cove plant, which is listed as natural gas and oil fired.  Where is the geothermal plant located?

  • Member since
    April 2017
  • From: Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
  • 1,585 posts
Posted by OldSchoolScratchbuilder on Wednesday, September 6, 2017 1:22 AM

In my geothermal plant design, two rails will enter the facility. Covered hoppers will supply the plant with limestone for the scrubbers, and transport synthetic gypsum by-product from the scrubbers to wallboard manufacturers. Have to add these tracks to the layout so a few adjustments will be required. I bought a Walthers Mainline 59' Cylindrical hopper (Procor) this week. Will buy the other two road numbers by the end of the month.

  • Member since
    April 2017
  • From: Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
  • 1,585 posts
Posted by OldSchoolScratchbuilder on Tuesday, September 5, 2017 5:32 PM

I will use two double flash cycle designs so from the production well-head there will be four vertical separator tanks, two horizontal turbine 'tanks', two condenser units, two sulphur scrubbers, several valves and pumps, and pipes of various diameters to connect all components properly. The transformers at the electrical output will feed electricity to high voltage transmission towers which will span out in different directions from Pidgeon Creek. Today I found the ideal scrubber housings in the back room of the hobby shop - cylindrical loads on old Life-Like gondolas.

  • Member since
    April 2017
  • From: Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
  • 1,585 posts
Posted by OldSchoolScratchbuilder on Tuesday, September 5, 2017 3:37 PM

We have a geothermal plant on the waterfront right here in Dartmouth. All I need to do is design two turbines, two generators, two transformer substations, two scrubbers, two cooling towers, and a lot of piping. 

  • Member since
    April 2017
  • From: Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
  • 1,585 posts
Posted by OldSchoolScratchbuilder on Tuesday, September 5, 2017 3:28 PM

chutton01

I suspect I already know the answer, but I might was well ask anyway...
I looked at a number of different geothermal plants on-line (iceland was definitely over-represented), and could not find any using repurposed railroad tank cars.  Do you have any prototype facility of this type in mind, or are you completely winging the design using the "rule of cool"?
Also, you own property near the Bay of Fundy, and you are NOT modeling a Tidal power plant? Sad.

 

I'm a physicist. I'm designing my own freelance plant using my third year physics text.

  • Member since
    December 2001
  • 3,139 posts
Posted by chutton01 on Tuesday, September 5, 2017 2:30 PM

I suspect I already know the answer, but I might was well ask anyway...
I looked at a number of different geothermal plants on-line (iceland was definitely over-represented), and could not find any using repurposed railroad tank cars.  Do you have any prototype facility of this type in mind, or are you completely winging the design using the "rule of cool"?
Also, you own property near the Bay of Fundy, and you are NOT modeling a Tidal power plant? Sad.

  • Member since
    April 2017
  • From: Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
  • 1,585 posts
Posted by OldSchoolScratchbuilder on Monday, September 4, 2017 7:26 AM

Recently bought over 1000 pieces of used track for the metal rails. These rails and tracks will be used in several applications including support structures, truss bridges, high power transmission towers, gondola loads and much more. The bundle to the right in the picture contains 100 brass and nickel rails.

 

  • Member since
    April 2017
  • From: Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
  • 1,585 posts
Posted by OldSchoolScratchbuilder on Sunday, September 3, 2017 4:49 PM

Tanks for geothermal power plant stripped and primed.

 

  • Member since
    April 2017
  • From: Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
  • 1,585 posts
Posted by OldSchoolScratchbuilder on Saturday, September 2, 2017 5:00 PM

Today I cut all the wood into 4" logs. The logs in behind are West Jeddore driftwood for structures. 

 

  • Member since
    April 2017
  • From: Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
  • 1,585 posts
Posted by OldSchoolScratchbuilder on Saturday, September 2, 2017 4:58 PM

Down on the shoreline the Fundy tides have reshaped the caves at the bottom of the rugged cliff. It was a great day for our 38th anniversary.

 

  • Member since
    April 2017
  • From: Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
  • 1,585 posts
Posted by OldSchoolScratchbuilder on Saturday, September 2, 2017 4:55 PM

Cut a load of wood from the woodland section of our property.

 

  • Member since
    April 2017
  • From: Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
  • 1,585 posts
Posted by OldSchoolScratchbuilder on Saturday, September 2, 2017 4:50 PM

Road trip to our Bay of Fundy property yesterday to cut wood for rail ties. Our hay field was cut and bales loaded for feed.

 

  • Member since
    April 2017
  • From: Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
  • 1,585 posts
Posted by OldSchoolScratchbuilder on Thursday, August 31, 2017 9:32 AM

A few more tanks to paint and then I work on all the pipelines and support structures.

 

  • Member since
    April 2017
  • From: Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
  • 1,585 posts
Posted by OldSchoolScratchbuilder on Wednesday, August 30, 2017 8:02 AM

The National Oil tanks have been stripped, primed, and repainted White for the geothermal plant.

 

  • Member since
    April 2017
  • From: Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
  • 1,585 posts
Posted by OldSchoolScratchbuilder on Saturday, August 26, 2017 11:59 AM

Bought this today at the hobby shop because it looked similar to my converted tankers. Definitely close enough for me.

 

  • Member since
    April 2017
  • From: Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
  • 1,585 posts
Posted by OldSchoolScratchbuilder on Friday, August 25, 2017 1:18 PM

The past, present and future.

  • Member since
    December 2001
  • 3,139 posts
Posted by chutton01 on Friday, August 25, 2017 1:05 PM

So, is the premise that the processing plant brought tank cars to repurpose as storage tanks? Because they don't look like any purpose-build stationary storage tank I've seen.
Also, what era was this set in again? Those boxcars date it to the 1970s or later.

  • Member since
    April 2017
  • From: Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
  • 1,585 posts
Posted by OldSchoolScratchbuilder on Friday, August 25, 2017 10:06 AM

Getting ready to place a big order of MRC transmitter/receiver equipment for all lighting (Light Genie) and DC diesel locomotive sounds (Loco Genie). Will now have a 100% DC layout with all the sounds and special effect thanks to MRC's innovative solutions for HO scale.

  • Member since
    April 2017
  • From: Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
  • 1,585 posts
Posted by OldSchoolScratchbuilder on Tuesday, August 22, 2017 4:07 PM

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!