Industry ideas for a specific scenario.

[Texas Zepher]

The scenario is as follows.  In a mountain valley there is the junction of a standard gauge "through" railroad (transcontenental wanabe) and a narrow gauge serving the high country. The time period is 1890-1900, so there is no truck transportation.  Only rail, wagons, and mules.

Many companies moved to this prime location depending on the standard gauge for the receiving of products and the narrow gauge to ship products on up into the mining districts.  Likewise it is  a good place to process raw materials coming down the narrow gauge from the high country, before shipment to markets back east on the standard gauge. 

The industries I've thought of which are appropriate for such a town are: lumber mill, foundry, mining equipment supply, stock transfer, coal transfer, mining equipment supply, dry goods warehouse.

What are other industries that would be appropriate here?

[Packers#1]

Maybe a company that takes logs from the narrow gauge and transfers them to the standard gauge. That's my best (and only) one, hope it helps.

[GMTRacing]

Not industries, but the other stores you'd need: Sheriff, newspaper, telegraph office, saloon, hotel (maybe several), stable/blacksmith, church, barber shop/dentist, doctor, stagecoach/wagon stop and of course the rail depot and station. J.R.

[Geared Steam]

1. Sawmill/lumber to supply supports and beams to the mine. If you have room have a logging train or railroad to bring logs to the sawmill/ sawmill cuts beams/ sends to mine.

2. A scale to weigh the ore cars from the mine.

 

[jrbernier]

Inbound:  Grocery Supply Company, Furniture, Kerosene & Lamp Oil

 

Jim

 

[lvanhen]

In such a town you'll need a few "professional ladies" and a suitable abode for them to conduct business!!

[joseph2]

Cattle,maybe sheep.

[lvanhen]

No, just women!

[tomikawaTT]

Not industries, but the other stores you'd need: Sheriff, newspaper, telegraph office, saloon, hotel (maybe several), stable/blacksmith, church, barber shop/dentist, doctor, stagecoach/wagon stop and of course the rail depot and station. J.R.

You forgot the most important building in town - the one with the purple-painted door and the red porch light.

[For the historically challenged, Pam's Purple Door was one of the last such establishments closed when Deadwood, SD, decided to clean up the image it presented to flatlanders - er - summer tourists.]

Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)

[csmith9474]

One thing that comes to mind (although the railroad was standard gauge), was the Colorado Midland bringing gold ore down from Victor/Cripple Creek to the processing plant in Colorado Springs.

[joseph2]

Oops, I meant the narrow gauge would have a seasonal movement of livestock from fall to spring pastures. Livestock would be sent out on the standard gauge.  Joe

[Beach Bill]

How about a produce/grocery warehouse (all those processed victuals such as barrels of flour need to be shipped up the hill).

Maybe an ice house - Ice could be cut or harvested up in the high country and stored in the ice house near that main line for servicing the through refrigerator cars.  This provides an excuse to run all those nice colorful reefer cars on that standard gauge.

With all that mining equipment needing transfer, a small crane would be a good additon at the transfer point.

Bill

[BRAKIE]

Duel gauge freight house for all those Sears & Roebuck mail orders which would include stoves, ice boxes,furniture etc.Inbound buggies,wheels,feed, seed,autos.

[Dallas Model Works]

In such a town you'll need a few "professional ladies" and a suitable abode for them to conduct business!!

I was going to mention Bar Mills' Wicked Wanda's but you beat me to it!

 

[Texas Zepher]

Inbound:  Grocery Supply Company, Furniture, Kerosene & Lamp Oil

Those are good ones.  Except maybe kerosene, isn't that a petrolium derivative. Or did they extract it from coal.  Lamp oil would have come from whales in this time period - correct?  It would have probably come in barrels in box cars rather than "tank" cars.

Cattle, maybe sheep

Yep I knew what you ment.  It is a good one, that is what I meant by stock transfer.  I guess I should have said livestock transfer.

One thing that comes to mind (although the railroad was standard gauge), was the Colorado Midland bringing gold ore down from Victor/Cripple Creek to the processing plant in Colorado Springs

Since it is a transfer of narrow gauge to standard would they have carried it on down, or would hte processing plant been right there.  They wouldn't want all that gold getting lost in the transfer.  That is sort of what I was thinking of when I said "foundary".  Maybe smelter would have been better term.

How about a produce/grocery warehouse (all those processed victuals such as barrels of flour need to be shipped up the hill).... an ice house .... for servicing the through refrigerator cars. ....a small crane would be a good additon at the transfer point.

I considered the groceries under dry goods.  The produce could work in conjunction with the ice house.  Have the ice hose and cold storage in the same building. I don't know if icing a reefer train high in the mountains is a good idea or not.  I had a small crane planned at the freight station/team track.

Duel gauge freight house for all those Sears & Roebuck mail orders which would include stoves, ice boxes,furniture etc.Inbound buggies,wheels,feed, seed,autos.

Had the freight house, didn't really consider it an industry.   I had thought about the feed & seed and sort of rejected it.  Not much farming here so the only feed would be for livery stables, or is there another reason there would be one of these.   Ah yes, parts for buggies and wagons - blacksmith supplies.

[bogp40]

Wheelright (carriage, chassis and buckboard), blacksmith, glass, coal/ oil etc.

[Texas Zepher]

glass

? I need an explaination of that one.

coal/ oil etc.

I had coal transfer.  When did oil start?  It was "discovered" in the 1860s but how big was it.  I guess that is 40 years to catch on.  For some reason I was thinking 1910 is when oil got big.?  What am I thinking of - must be gasoline!

[bogp40]

Glass. Furnace/ kiln for sheet glass products, glass containers, bottles etc. Most glass was transported to about late 1800s, not sure when industry was just starting to grow beyond major cities.

[csmith9474]

[

One thing that comes to mind (although the railroad was standard gauge), was the Colorado Midland bringing gold ore down from Victor/Cripple Creek to the processing plant in Colorado Springs

Since it is a transfer of narrow gauge to standard would they have carried it on down, or would hte processing plant been right there.  They wouldn't want all that gold getting lost in the transfer.  That is sort of what I was thinking of when I said "foundary".  Maybe smelter would have been better term.

As far as the Colorado Midland goes, that was a lot of their business till the final days. I was surprised to learn that the ore was transported to the Springs when I first started researching that particular railroad.

[canazar]

Could always throw in a team track.  I have a couple of those on my layout and use them, what I refer to was "wildcards".  Allows me to use any car, any make or style if I want to break from the norm and my usual industries. Could make a nice spot with a dock and enough room for 2 or 3 cars, use when needed or urge strikes you.

Since you have a interchange, could be also double as a RIP track for the railroads...

Just throwing some ideas out.

 

Take care TZ.

[MStLfan]

Your freight house / team track / transfer crane would not be complete without a loading dock. Maybe cover it partly with a roof (no walls), depending on climate.

Depending on volume put out by the mines, either direct transfer of ore or a stamp mill to reduce the volume?

Beer and whisky distributors.

Private teamtracks? More than one of everything if you have room for it.

Transloading of stone (ballast / limestone)

Your choice: narrow and standard gauge track on one side of the freight house etc. or each on a separate side.

greetings,

Marc Immeker