I'm building a desert Shortline that interchanges with a class 1 RR.
Besides "Cement Plants", (too big), what other industries would be found isolated in the desert, with a very small town nearby, (i.e. "VERY SMALL")? This is not the thriving desert community with a big operation. I'm talking more wide open desert spaces type scenario.
Anyone know?
Thanks
BBF
How about a glass factory?
The amount of minerals that can be mined in the desert is long. You could have a choice of various mines from small to very large. Green house industries is another one. Bottled water from deep underground springs. The list is long.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
If you want it to be plausible, then you are somewhat limited to natural resource-based operations such as mineral extraction or an isolated government operation such as a missile test site.
The Southern Pacific's narrow-gauge Keeler Branch is a good example of the former (loading soapstone, sodium carbonate, and talc at Keeler until the end), while the Santa Fe's Boron Rocket Spur is an example of the latter.
Note that one can represent a large industry in a small space simply by placing a flat against the backdrop or having a track or two disappear behind a low hill (perhaps through a gate to a government facility).
More information from you on the era, size, and arrangement of your layout might help others help you with more specific suggestions.
The mid-sized HOn3 layout below is based on the Keeler Branch and has a number of mineral-processing shippers -- but of course it wouldn’t have to be narrow-gauge.
Layout Design GalleryLayout Design Special Interest Group
"The desert" is a very broad set of places. Large expanses of the western US fit that description, but the scenery varies greatly, as do the local industries. Even with only small communities nearby, many industries are HUGE, with workers commuting in from miles away.
Pick an area that interests you and look for what the local economy might support. Don't overlook agricultural customers, as farming and ranching are common anywhere irrigation water is available. Modelers unfamilar with the desert often don't consider more than a stereotypical idea of what might be here. Note that any area may have "typical" customers like food distributors, fuel dealers and so on.
Some industries I can think of from the Colorado Plateau include:
From the deserts of southern Wyoming:
Great Basin
I haven't covered them all, but there are a lot of options. With many of these you can apply selective compression and model only small parts of the complexes. There are other desert regions too, with different mixes of possible customers.
Rob Spangler
We have one near here, the Apache Nitrogen Products in St. David, Arizona. They were previously known as Apache Powder, and made gunpowder and dynamite, but today process nitrogen fertilizer products.
Copper mines were also big here in Arizona, ranging from small underground mines to huge open pit operations.
You could skip the railroad and Model this. Maybe in your town, you could have a rail loading spur. But it would have to be in the 1800's early 19's
Have Fun!
Frank
Frank, note that the 20-mule teams carried the borax to a rail spur.
Since I grew up in the Southern California desert, I know that there can be a variety of different rail-served businesses, as Rob said. But note that the Original Poster specifically stated
Big Boy Forever a very small town nearby, (i.e. "VERY SMALL")? This is not the thriving desert community with a big operation. I'm talking more wide open desert spaces type scenario.
a very small town nearby, (i.e. "VERY SMALL")? This is not the thriving desert community with a big operation. I'm talking more wide open desert spaces type scenario.
If this is the case, it seems to rule out things like warehousing, retail distribution, and plastic plants. Companies don't typically set up their operations so that they must transport raw materials or bulk goods into an isolated location and then also ship the finished goods out -- especially in earlier eras. That's why I suggested focusing on natural resources or some sort of government installation (in later eras)
But without knowing more about the OP's actual era, setting, space available, and track arrangement, we're all just guessing.
Examples:
Elevator, Winnemucca, NV.
Coal loader, Hiawatha, UT.
Feed elevator, Milford, UT.
cuyamaIf this is the case, it seems to rule out things like warehousing, retail distribution, and plastic plants. Companies don't typically set up their operations so that they must transport raw materials or bulk goods into an isolated location and then also ship the finished goods out -- especially in earlier eras.
For relatively recent eras (say 1960s and later, after the advent of interstate highways), these kinds of things can be found in the middle of nowhere. Tax breaks for business, and ready access to a road network, mean all sorts of seemingly incongruous industries can be in otherwise very small towns. They may see bulk materials arrive by rail, and finished product distributed by truck. Warehousing and retail distribution also specifically fit this bill.
One specific example of this is Nucor steel's electric arc furnace mill, on the UP's Malad branch, not within modelable distance of an actual town. Scrap arrives by rail, steel plate/coils/whatever leaves by rail.
Also check this site for the "Northeastern Nevada Regional Railport" near Elko. It's an industrial strip surrounded by nothing, but with bulk transloading, warehousing, manufacturing and so on http://www.eceda.com/Regional-Railport.aspx . It may be too new for the OP but in driving by it I could see some cool layout ideas.
Maybe it boils down to what the OP means by "isolated" and when. Is it someplace far from everything, or just a ways from a major town but still with multi-modal transportation access. Get too far away and the likelihood of a rail line existing to serve the area drops to about nil after the Great Depression unless there's a big mine or something.
zstripe You could skip the railroad and Model this. Maybe in your town, you could have a rail loading spur. But it would have to be in the 1800's early 19's Have Fun! Frank
Frank I still have the 20 mule team model unbuilt and in the box that Grandpa sent away to Borax for in around 1960.
Talk about falling behind on my kits.
wp8thsub Also check this site for the "Northeastern Nevada Regional Railport" near Elko.
Also check this site for the "Northeastern Nevada Regional Railport" near Elko.
Rob, an excellent modern industry. But since it's only a ten-minute drive from a city of 20,000, not really "isolated" in my book.
wp8thsubMaybe it boils down to what the OP means by "isolated" and when.
Agree -- and how plausible he wishes it to be.
Brent,
Memories: Got mine as a Christmas gift from the owner of the company my Dad worked for, sometime back in the 50's, when ''Death Valley'' was on TV. I built the ore wagons and tank water wagon, but only God knows what happened to it and the mules. I recall it being close, if not S-scale.
Believe it or not, that kit or one similar to it, is still being made. I have the info somewhere in my files. On the FSM site, that was discussed a couple months ago.
Take Care!
Byron, I did mention rail spur. A lot of possibilities, for desert Ind.
BTW: If anyone is interested, history of the 20 mule team and what Borax was used for, you will find here:
http://www.scvhistory.com/scvhistory/borax-20muleteam.htm
I remember my dad building the kit when I was a kid. If it's true that it's still available, I'd sure like info on how to get one.
All great ideas....thanks to all.
I should have said, "Generic Western USA", approx era, 1990s to now. Small surrounding communities work at the desert industries, within maybe 30-50 miles maybe? The only industry (or industries) for the local working folk there.
Desert lifestyle etc.
ACY I remember my dad building the kit when I was a kid. If it's true that it's still available, I'd sure like info on how to get one.
I thought I would get rich, rich, rich beyond the dreams of avarice selling my still in the box copy. One look on E-Bay and I decided to put it back in the closet.
Available here:
http://www.muleteamkits.com/
I tried to sell my two cents worth, but no one would give me a plug nickel for it.
I don't have a leg to stand on.
Bad Day At Black Rock Eh?
Try to think of busines's that typically need only one requirement- low cost land, low cost power, or limited manpower/high value products. For example, very few aluminum smelters are located close to sources of ore(bauxite), but they do need acreage and power at low cost to be profitable. Fertilizers, sand/gravel operations, stockyards, etc. do not need lots of people-just plenty of room. If you want to go with high tech industries, how about a rocket motor plant or a carbon fiber plant? Desert areas in the Pacific NW have potatoe and sugar beet processors located on rail lines, but not necessarily in or close to small towns.
Just some ideas to churn on-
Don H.
zstripeByron, I did mention rail spur.
Indeed you did, my mistake.
I have a military base out in the desert on my layout. There is a ramp for circus style loading/unloading tanks and other vehicles.
Matt from Anaheim, CA and Bayfield, COClick Here for my model train photo website
There's a U.S. Gypsum (USG) plant at a place called Plaster City in California, just north of Insterstate 8 between the mountains and El Centro. It's literally in the middle of the desert, and the closest "real" town (if you don't count the state prison) is Seeley, just outside the Naval Air Facility. The USG plant actually has its own small narrow-gauge diesel rail line. I know there are standard gauge rail lines that run out to the plant, but I'm not sure how active they are or what loads go in/out via rail. When I worked at the Navy base a few years ago, the spouse of one of my co-workers worked at the USG plant. I always wanted to take a tour of the plant to check out the rail ops, but never got around to it. Modeling the entire plant would be too much for the average model railroad (as would a cement plant), but it could be done with backdrop buildings and "off layout" areas along the front edge or behind the backdrop.
Dan Stokes
My other car is a tunnel motor
As mentioned to the original poster early on, natural resources operations like the Gypsum Plant at Plaster City are among the most likely candidates. As noted above, Plaster City is a closed narrow gauge line with no direct connection to the Class 1, it only runs from the mining operation to the wallboard plant. Finished wallboard is then loaded into standard gauge cars. So it doesn’t exactly fit the OP’s original stated interests.
Bruce Petty did a neat job on a compact HO scale design based on the Trona Railroad, another almost-in-the-middle of nowhere location with a connection to a Class 1. The associated town of Searles, CA is under 2,000 people, but I don’t know if that is small enough for the OP’s desires.
Here is Bruce’s article on the design which includes the track plan as a .pdf. Note that is it is necessarily highly condensed from the real thing.
cuyama As mentioned to the original poster early on, natural resources operations like the Gypsum Plant at Plaster City are among the most likely candidates. As noted above, Plaster City is a closed narrow gauge line with no direct connection to the Class 1, it only runs from the mining operation to the wallboard plant. Finished wallboard is then loaded into standard gauge cars. So it doesn’t exactly fit the OP’s original stated interests. Bruce Petty did a neat job on a compact HO scale design based on the Trona Railroad, another almost-in-the-middle of nowhere location with a connection to a Class 1. The associated town of Searles, CA is under 2,000 people, but I don’t know if that is small enough for the OP’s desires. Here is Bruce’s article on the design which includes the track plan as a .pdf. Note that is it is necessarily highly condensed from the real thing.
the Trona RR looks good and has some features I am looking for.
What;s the chance of a food factory? Chemical factory if anyone knows?
Dessert... one product, oil, it can be somewhat of a small industry. Military also has weapon testing, training areas, bases. You can have a sand company, ships out sand for different uses. Salt, shipped to northern states for the winter. Mines (coal, gold, etc.)
Kyle Dessert...
Dessert...
Mmmm dessert
Sorry, just something my second grade teacher really harped on. Guess it stuck
Southwest Chief,
If I had a choice...I would prefer, the meaning of Kyle's spelling.
Big Boy ForeverWhat;s the chance of a food factory?
In an isolated desert location? Not very good, if you wish to be plausible. But that is up to you.
Big Boy ForeverChemical factory if anyone knows?
Anything is theoretically possible, but not necessarily likely, unless there is some element or mineral at the remote isolated desert location that is needed in the chemical process. Trona is a mineral, what the Trona Railway ships after processing is a chemical by some definitions.
An alternative is to revisit your stated desire for a remote isolated desert location. It seems to be getting in the way of the industries and traffic that you want. Or allow yourself to do something that is perhaps less plausible.
Big Boy ForeverWhat;s the chance of a food factory? Chemical factory if anyone knows?
A lot of this depends on what your definition of "isolated" is, and how small a town you want to have. I've been thinking in terms of what a typical person may see as isolated. Byron seems to be thinking more of places even desert dwellers deem as remote. Which better fits what you want? What sort of scenery do you prefer to model? Is it sufficient to have an industry that looks like it's in the midst of nothing, but knowing there's a town of a few thousand close by where the workers live (which may or may not be modeled)?
To some, particularly those who hail from more populated parts of the world, someplace like Elko, NV seems isolated. Population is about 18K, but there are no cities of any size anywhere close. The nearest city over 50K is Boise, ID, about 200 miles away. Most of the countryside for over 100 miles in any direction has a density of under 1 person per square mile (i.e. pretty much empty away from the few major roads). As noted above, it has a number of rail served industries that would make good modeling subjects for a modern era layout. The freeway makes truck distribution viable. Maybe it's too big for what interests you.
Try Milford, UT, population about 1400. It's very much in the middle of nothing, with no large towns anywhere nearby. It sits roughly where the Escalante Desert is separated from the Black Rock Desert, both part of the Great Basin. Average rainfall is about 10 inches a year. Union Pacific has a crew change point here (predecessor SPLA&SL essentially established the town), and again there are rail served industries. Aside from the railroad, the big business here is turkey and cattle feed. I posted a photo of an elevator here earlier in the thread. Drive any of the roads leading out of town (especially west) and you might not see another car for a long time. You could locate someplace like this on a branch or shortline instead of on the main if you like.
A few valleys away, the former D&RGW Marysvale branch served at least one turkey processing plant in the Sanpete Valley. There were no really major towns along the branch (Richfield the biggest at around 7500). Again, to many this area would seem isolated and the population density is low. There's a river that sustains agriculture, with everything around it being quite dry. Maybe not sufficiently isolated or enough of a desert for what you want. If you're used to someplace like Appalachia it might feel like a a narrow strip of green surrounded by a wasteland. It's all relative.
Here's the local on the south end of the branch taking some cars to the mine loadout - a small truck dump - at Marysvale (population under 400). The plateau country at the boundary of the Great Basin may or mot not fit the "desert" bill. Cars to and from the turkey plant would stay farther north.
Gotta decide what does it for you.
You could put a rocket fuel plant in the desert. In fact, this shows why that's about the only place to build one.
http://youtu.be/_KuGizBjDXo
wp8thsubA lot of this depends on what your definition of "isolated" is, and how small a town you want to have. I've been thinking in terms of what a typical person may see as isolated. Byron seems to be thinking more of places even desert dwellers deem as remote.
Good point, Rob. I've been making my comments in reference to the original post:
Big Boy ForeverBesides "Cement Plants", (too big), what other industries would be found isolated in the desert, with a very small town nearby, (i.e. "VERY SMALL")? This is not the thriving desert community with a big operation. I'm talking more wide open desert spaces type scenario.
But based on his later posts, that may not be what he actually wants. In any case, I've certainly said more than enough.