I have about finalized the plans for Chrysolite Metals (mine, mill, and smelter) which will be scratch built. Here is the plan view.
Front Elevation
Side Elevations
And the Interior:
The mine is a typical shaft. The Mill design very roughly follows that of the Mayflower Mill Located west of Silverton Colorado, just in flow scheme only. That mill produced lead, copper, zinc, silver, and gold. The smelting section is generic and includes a rotary roaster to convert sulfides to oxides with the SO2 going to the future acid plant (Apex Chemicals). Then there is a reverbatory and blast furnace to smelt the concentrates. Not unheard of, but not very common to have a mine mill and smelter all in one complex. Also of course, its very selectively compressed.
The street was originally going to go down hill and cross the tracks on the ground. But that was too steep. So now, its going to go up over an overpass. Here is the cardboard rework.
I tried to put a radius on the transitions on the profiles and scribed the cardboard sub base to bend with the radius.
Its going to be tricky right turn onto that ramp for truck drivers in model land!
Cardboard profiles for the outer edge. Thinking of adding a chemical storage tank next to the building. Maybe out of this former caulk tube. I wonder, looks ok? Taller? No Tank?
The cardboard from my new mountain bike came in handy.
When Hobby Lobby cleared out their train stuff, I bought all their retaining walls they had left for cheap. I had some parts leftover from the bridge abutment so, thought I would break up this side a little with a culvert for the town's drainage system. Also, brought out some old cars from my teens that I had weathered with wood stain (which I wouldnt recommend becuase they look like they are covered in oil :).
Got the new rock work in. Beginning the coloring, ground cover, and ballast. I need to move my background sheet a little I think.
Scenery progress. More old buildings from years ago, temporary.
Got the highway overpass and ramp roughed in!
Under natural lighting from tube skylights.
I plan on starting work on the mine mill smelter next. Probably the town streets at the same time.
eric
Just stumbled upon you thread. Amazing little layout you are working on. The level to detail is inspiring to me as I have begun my new "temporary layout". I will be following along.
Best Regards, Big John
Kiva Valley Railway- Freelanced road in central Arizona. Visit the link to see my MR forum thread on The Building of the Whitton Branch on the Kiva Valley Railway
Thanks canazar. Greetings from the four corners! I used to live in Tempe when I went to ASU...
I noticed something about myself when I decided my layout was temporary (even though its been basically permanent, LOL). It gives me a license in a way, to go for it, and not worry so much about messing something up.
Regards,
e
?????How big is this table? I know it said 4x4. But WoW it looks a lot bigger.
Hi wilson.
The track plan shown in post #1 is the current plan. It is 4'-6" x 4'-6" and has a 24" main line radius.
I think thats great you say it seems larger than it is. Perhaps its the exaggerated vertical dimensions?
I rescued some cabinets and a counter top from a remodel I recently went through.
My work space went from this:
To this!
this is some fine modelling!
the work space looks great too...
Hi -E-C-Mills
Thats it I quit a layout the same size as mine a temporary one at that.
And ten times better than my permanent one
Keep it up this is very interesting.and informative
Are those roundhouse freight car kits?? haven't seen any of those for years.
regards John
Thanks 304 and John.
No way! You cant quit!
Yeah, I have some model railroad cars and kits all the way back from the 50s. Some of those old wood and metal car kits my dad built (and freinds have given me). I recently bought the roundhouse kits off ebay, a couple of 36' box cars. Also the accurail kit. Trying to build up the shorter and 1910s - 1930s era stuff.
Yup, its mostly old stock and fairly low budget for me!
Hi -E-C -Mills.
It's low budget yes but a very High quality build.
Who made the tractor flat cars I rather like those.
You do realize that your going to have to do a John Allen and in 3 layouts time each geting bigger .
That this little gem will have to be in it somewhere
Faridays tank question answer yes it wants one well I think so ,and it would probably have PCB in it would not be permitted today but back then yes it would be used.
John Allen was awesome! I wish I had a basement!
Ok, tank or tanks it is. Full of all kinds of nasty stuff!
The flats are some of my newer rolling stock, from roundhouse, ready to run with those nice metal wheels and kadee style couplers. About 30 or 32 feet long. I do like them too. My only complaint is that there is permanent casting on the tops for holding the tractors in place. So if you take the tractors off, the holding blocks, stay. I was more interested in the flat cars themselves than the tractors. But still, kind of cool.
Ive noticed in the fall, the rabbit brush (of which there is an endless supply of around here) turns to seed. The flowers on them pop open and I thought, hey, I wonder if those would make good weeds?
Chrysothamnus nauseosus, chamisa, rabbit brush
Here is a flower. I sprayed it with hairspray.
At first I was more interested in the seeds, maybe they could be used like grass tufts. But after pulling them apart, the thing that holds the seeds in looks more interesting.
Here is one of the holders (I dont know what to call it) and a couple seeds to the left. Both unpainted in the natural morning sunlight.
I tried to paint some with acrylic but that looked real bad! I had some old leftover cheap green spray paint in the garage, glossy even! Would probably look better with flat.
They are a little delicate to remove from the painting board. Tweezers can crush them. At first I drilled holes in the plaster and planted them with their little base stem. But then, it was easier to break off the stem (they were coming off anyway) dab a little white glue on the very base and just place it on the layout.
Building the foundation for Chrysolite Metals mine mill and smelter.