Steel Mill

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

My GN ore train needed a destination. So here its is: a steel mill.  I've been working on this one for about a year.  The Walthers kits are a great starting point. Ditto Dean Freitag's Making of Steel book. Now I have my largest customer for the Heartland Division.

I have seen other steel mill building posted on the forum from time to time.  Those people or any others with steel mills may wish to add photos to this thread.  Perhaps the thread will be a source of inspiration and ideas for model railroaders considering a steel mill project for their layouts.

This will be my first post.  In the first photo is the interchange between the steel mill branch and Blackhawk, a town located on my Heartland Division.  One of the mill's grubby old, second hand Baldwin's is at work shoving some limestone to the high line.  Next, it will haul a few inbound loads of scrap metal and coal down the branch line.

The branch line runs behind the coke oven which will be in my next post.

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

Coke Oven:

The Walthers kit was the basis for my coke oven.  I scratch built extra structures and machines for this facility. Coal is delivered  and dumped to a conveyer to be moved to the crusher. Oversized lumps are broken in to smaller pieces in the crusher. Next, the coal moves to an overhead tipple from where it is dumped into a lory to move it to to the batteries of ovens. My lory is freelanced and the holes at the top match those of the overhead tipple's bottom. Hardly visible behind the ovens is a machine that tends the ovens and also shoves the coke out of the ovens.  That machine rides on HO track.  I started with an extra passenger truck to have wheels as part of this machine. The close up photo shows a machine I scratch built with the intent of making it look like one pictured in Dean Fritag's book. It rides on the narrow shelf of the coke oven on N scale track. I used a frame with wheels from an old Euorpean freight car model as my starting point for this machine.

I'm presently using a difco side dump car for my quench car.  The locomotive is a Roundhosue EMD 40. I like the little engine so much that I hate the idea of weathering it. Coke is moved in the dump car to the quencher.  Following that, it is pulled back and dumped between the oven and the quencher. I scratch built a hoist and also a conveyer to take the coke to a tipple. From there the coke is dumped into coke cars to be hauled to the high line behind the blast furnace.

Next post will be of the balst furnace.

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

Blast Furnace

The blast furnace is the Walthers kit which was all I needed for the project.  I did add a few small details.  Also, I added an overhead gas pipe to transport surplus gas generated by this facility to other parts of the steel mill.  I have flickering lights wired inside to simulate flames. Inbound material (ore, limestone, and coke) is delivered on the high line behind the furnace.  Outbound hot metal is shipped in the three types of hot metal cars I have.  Some I made out of very old craftsman kits work best because they have metal parts making the cars heavier than plastic models.  Slag and dust are also hauled away.

Next post will be the electric furnace. (It might take a while for that becuase I'm doing other stuff now. )

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

The Electric Furnace:

 My electric furnace was made by mostly following directions. Exception was I made a scratch built overhead crane.  Also, the one wall is held in place with velcro so you can see inside.  Inbound hot metal and inbound scrap metal are delivered here.

Next is the rolling mill but I'll be away for a while and come back for that.

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

The Rolling Mill.

I made this structure from two Walthers rolling mill kits.  I did not use the interior structural steel pieces. Instead, I built a wooden frame.  That way I saved the structural steel to make the outbound loads in the mill gons.

 

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

These are the last two photos.  One is an overview of the mill.  The other shows how i laid thetrack.  The sharp curves and #4 switches represent typical mill tracks. The switches are ones I bought second hand and work fine.  The push pins were used to hold track in place as I aligned it and then nailed it.

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

THANKS FOR LOOKING.

HAVE FUN !

[Lillen]

Thanks for posting!

 

I was just looking for a way to construct something similair. Albeight not as grand. So thanks for much inspiration on my way to something inspired by you!

 

Lillen

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

You are welcome, Lillen, and thank you, too.

[superbe]

Gary,

It is just tremendous. Be carefull or you'll burn yourself.

Bob

[GMTRacing]

Gary,

    Nice shots and super work. How long did all that take - it's really impressive. Thanks for sharing. J.R.

[jimrice4449]

Very impressive work but those hoppers of limestone are going to give you trouble.   Hoppers hit their ld limit a little over half full when hauling rock!   My day isn't complete w/o a nit to pick.

[CSX_road_slug]

Wow! It's always heartwarming for me to discover another steel modeler, I was beginning to think we were endangered species <LOL>

I like how you customized your coke mill conveyor system.  And you obviously know the coorect color scheme for mill buildings: grungy!

I'm a bit curious though: How long ago did you get those kits? Walthers hasn't produced an electric furnace in over 7 years if I remember correctly...

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

Thanks Bob, JR, Jim and Ken for the kind remarks.     Bob, I hope I don't burn!    JR.....  I started the Mill early in 2006.    Jim........ oops about the limestone!         Ken, the kits are about 7 or 8 years old.  I kept them in storage that long.

Happy Model railroading, everybody!

[Anonymous]

Great pics. If you liked Dean Freitag's book Making of Steel you'll love his other one The Cyclopedia of Industrial modeling. That one has a lot of great steel mill related models.

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

Thanks, dirtyd79. I've not seen the cyclopedia of industrial modeling. I'll ask my friend who deals in railroad books if he has one.

I would like to see other models of steel mills and other big industries posted by other members.

Happy Model Railroading!

[tgindy]

What you have accomplished, Heartland Division, is no small task!

In my case, with more limited space, I'm hoping to model just an aspect of steel-making.

As to your quest for other steel mill modelers, look no further than Bernard Kempinski's articles...

http://index.mrmag.com/tm.exe?opt=S&cmdtext=%22KEMPINSKI%2C+BERNARD%22&MAG=ANY&output=3&sort=A 

I have three of the articles that describe the superb Alkem Steel...

[1]  Building A Steel Mill, Part 1 - N Scale Magazine, March/April 1998.

[2]  Building A Steel Mill, Part 2 - N Scale Magazine, May/June 1998. 

[3]  Super Compact Steel Mill - 1999 Model Railroad Planning. 

What makes Alkem Steel so dimensionally realistic is the adaption of HO Scale steel mill kitbashing to N Scale railroading.  And, Alkem is named after Bernard's wife.

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

Thanks, tgindy, for comments and info............  I did refer to # the 1999 Planning story and failed to mention it earlier in the thread. Regret the oversite of not saying so.  I willrefer to other materials you suggested.

N scale would back more sense for limited space modeling.

Happy Model Railroading! 

[tgindy]

Following up on Bernard Kempinski's two N Scale Magazine articles...

Your jaw just drops when you see the pictures, the scope of the entire mill complex with HO Scale buildings and N Scale ladders & fixtures, and the prototype rationale given for modeling a complete mill like Alkem Steel.  In N Scale, the steel complex is modeled as a 3'x10' module (actually two 3'x5' for show portability).  In theory, HO Scale could require up to 6'x20' for the same modeling real estate.

Some smaller steel-related project alternatives are noted...

For example, a merchant blast furnace facility, an electric furnace mini-mill, or a steel interchange yard are outlined as just three small project stand-alone possibilities.

P.S.: Just love the use of background mill structures perspective of the Heartland Division backdrop. 

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

Thanks very much, tgindy, for the follow up on Bernard Kempinski's N scale steel mill. I recall the 1999 planning article was impressive, but what you describe sounds tremendous.  

On my layout, the background you mentioned was an after thought. Much of my mill is on a penensula part of the layout.  Upon building most of the mill, I thought it needed the backdrop to look better. It's not as tall as my main back drop.  If you look over the top of my last picture, the overview, you can see the sky of my main (outer wall) back drop. Glad you like it.

My entire layout is being constructed on sections similar to domino construction descibed by Kalmbach in MR and in a benchwork book.  (I read articles about the Cat Mountain and Sante Fe.) Reason why I'm doing that is mainly because I would like to be able to move the layout if I needed to do so without destroying it. I have a series of "tables" connected end to end. Legs are removable. To move them: cut the track at the table ends, cut wires, cut scenery, and unbolt. To set up again: bolt tables back together, splice wires, and repair track and scenery.  Only worry is my present train room is oddly shaped and one-of-a-kind.

I've moved numerous times before and I have destroyed too many layouts. No more of that for me.

[verheyen]

 Just to warm up an old thread but there are amazing photos of a scratchbuilt steel mill on these German sites. Never mind if you can't read the German. The pictures themselves will blow you away.

 http://www.frankshuette.de/41331.html

Scroll to the bottom of http://frankshuette.livejournal.com/?skip=20 and then when you get to the top click on Nächste 20 (http://frankshuette.livejournal.com/).

 Also http://stummi.foren-city.de/topic,28818,-mein-huettenwerk.html

 Below two teaser images...

 

 

[maxman]

Heartland Division CB&Q

the branch line.

The branch line runs behind the coke oven which will be in my next post.

So, why do I get the "image has been moved or deleted" message?

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

I was surprised to see this old thread re-activated....

I have removed old images in my photobucket. Here are new ones....

The coke oven is separated from the main mill. I am still using a ballast car to substitute for a quench car. Now that Walthers will be producing a model quench car, I may buy one of those.

I'll post the rest of the steel mill in a few minutes.

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

 Here are views of the blast furnace....

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

 The electric furance is on the left. It has a removable wall to view interior. The rolling mill is made from two Walthers rolling mill kits.

The entire project is based on the four main Walthers kits. There was some kitbashing and scratch building. The machines on the coke oven were scratch built.

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

Finally ......... I am really impressed with the stell mill Peter posted. Exceptional modeling for sure!!!

Thanks for sahring, Peter !!!

[blownout cylinder]

Heartland Division CB&Q

Finally ......... I am really impressed with the stell mill Peter posted. Exceptional modeling for sure!!!

Thanks for sahring, Peter !!!

I agree !!

Thank you to whoever reactivated this one --Now we have even more inspirational stuff for Audrey's perusal---and mine too--heeheehee-------thanks Garry--

[spearo]

If you guys are looking for info on how to model an integrated mill check here

http://www.zahkunst.net/mainpage.htm

He is more about the model than the trains but I think it is the best modelling of a mill I have ever seen.