There's a SIG group specifically dedicated to steel on yahoo groups. It's called (surprisingly enough) "steel". It contains both modelers, photos, layouts, and real steel industry veterens for prototype information. I consider it an invaluable resource.
The dean of steel modeling would be "Dean Freytag". A good professor of steel modeling would be "John Glab" of Peach Creek shops. His 4x8 layout was featured in MRR. He also plans and puts together the yearly "Steel mill modelers meet" which is hugely popular among fellow steel modelers.
As to myself, I have 2 blast furnaces, a 3 kit long rolling mill, 1 electric furnace, 1 coke plant, 1 scratch built/kitbashed open hearth (3 rolling mill kits long), 1 ore crane, 1 vulcan manufacturing, and 1 plant car shop. (And a blower house on the way when Walther's ships them) I fit it nicely using #5 turnouts and about ~60 sq feet. My inspiration was Sparrows Point Blast Row in Baltimore shortly after WWII.
I know csx_roadslug is a fellow steel modeler as well. He's always been of great help to me when I asked his opinion about my own layout.
Don - Specializing in layout DC->DCC conversions
Modeling C&O transition era and steel industries There's Nothing Like Big Steam!
I am glad you posted a thread on steel mills. I've just started constructing a model railroad centering around a steel mill and a blast furnace. The models will be the new ones from Cornerstone and I plan to build it in stages since I really just want to take my time. My railroad is a 16'-2" long table shaped like a 'P'. The loop end of the table is 9'-0" wide with the "tail" portion about 4'-0" wide. It's on the tail end of the table I plan to use the Blast Furnace and the Mill. The loop portion i was planning on modeling some factories to receive the products from the mill. My alternate plan if i can't make this look right is to use a Mine or Coke Retort to create the ore to the blast furnace. Since I really have no other experience in the steel industries I can use any information I can get on the shiiping and receiving operations involved with the steel industries. As I get a little further on my table I will post a couple of photos. By the way I am new to the hobby but I had a trainset as a kid that my father built on a 4 x 8' sheet of plywood, it never worked correctly so I am in constant fear that my will end the same way.
Thanks
Beaten to death ? Hardly, I did a search for "steel mill" in all the forums and there are only 5 threads directly related to steel mills in the last year. None of them are asking to see other peoples mills but, maybe just asking about a particluar portion or operational ideas.
Congrats Tom on getting you wife to finance your mill. How did you do that? My wife came down the other day (after I practicaly begged) to witness the first run of a loco on my layout and she said,"Wow honey, that train is going rally fast". Fortunately I realized early on in our relationship that she would not "get it" when it comes to my trains.
I'll have to post some pics of my own to get this thread going.
Beaten to death or not, the steel industry was one major player in RR traffic. My wife has convinced me (maybe demanded is more accurate) to include one on the layout. I have done alot of looking on the Library of Congress website at steel mills in their hayday. I found loads of pictures ranging from distant general views to up close detail shots and drawings of the facility layout and furnaces. The fact that Walthers is pushing their line of steel mill buildings is somewhat encouraging as well, even if it is a bit pricey for the blast furnace. My initial thoughts have placed a mill not far from the railyard (not far as layouts would go), with a few smaller industrial buisnesses in between and some more industry after the mill to make a large urban industrial district. I have alloted a max distance of 44ft for the whole scene and will reduce that distance if I can. It would be nice to have a 2nd blast furnace as well as a large open hearth furnace . I really need to decide if I want to bring the ore in by rail or freighter. The freighter would be neat but would eat up alot of depth (I would want a couple hulett unloaders and bridge cranes), where as rail service would require alot more yard area. I have pondered making this as a penninsula so access would be greatly improved and a bit more depth could be added but this would also limit me on the length. I suppose I'll have to ask the wife. It's much easier to build something like this when you don't have to second guess yourself and just "build it". She's going to be financing the steel mill part of it anyhow (her present for me for something).
While your intent has merit this topic has been beaten to death on numerous occasions and may account for the lack of responses.
I recently saw a few old steel mill threads reactivated and noticed that there were quite a few questions from forum members on steel mills. So, in an effort to identify some steel mill modelers and hopefully disseminate some info on mills, let’s here from you guys;