BEER!!

[vsmith]

You've done your homework, I'm impressed.

Overall I dont see anything wrong with your layout.

In regards to question #1. Process: Theres a big brewey in Irwindale here that has a rail service. It basicaly is served by a single branch off the secondary track on the mainline. this splits into a Y one leg along the track front to a open dock with an overhead crane and is used for equipment deliveries. the main storage fermentation tanks are parallel to this dock. the second leg goes to a small yard of about 5 tracks where the grain hoppers and boxcars are stored. I beleive that 3 tracks are for shipping 2 for holding and with one right next to the building for loading. The other two tracks (farthest away) are for grain deliveryand I beleive the grian unloading is farther back than the loading dock. In other words, grain comes in at the rear of the siding, mashed, then sent to the fermantation tanks at the front (assuming your mainline is the "front" and this is next to it) then to the loading area at the front of the siding. Dont forget there a lot of this being shipped by truck also but those docks are on the other side of the building.

Bear in mind that most of this operation can only be seen from the freeway.

Question #3: Beer is mostly Barley and Rye, for modeling purposes you can assume a 50/50 ratio these will be your main storage bins, Hops are surprisingly a very small part of the ingrediants but very important they give the beer its flavor. So they only need a small bin and might be inside the building itself.

#4: There are pipes and ducts EVERYWHERE outside of the main building, these pipes would never be buried because of maintainence and health dept issues.

This brewery has a road railer for moving cars around, I would have a dedicated company switcher like MDC's new critter model.

I have lots of stories about Beer, but they dont include model trains...Good luck, Vic

[tpatrick]

nslakediv, that would be Coors. They make it a selling point that their brew stays cold from their warehouse to your frig. It reminds me of about 25 years ago, when I was pilot in the Navy. Coors wasn't available nationwide because they limited distribution in order to ensure freshness of the product. So, anytime a plane flew west out of Norfolk, it was a requirement that the return trip be loaded with cold Coors. The P-3s and the transports flew a lot of westbound "training" flights in those days. I was in helicopters, so Colorado was a bit out of the way for me.

[nslakediv]

I seen a commercial on TV and I cant remember what brand of beer it was, but they said they were the only beer that was shipped in refers, all others are shipped at what ever outside temp was. food for thought. I have plenty of trains and beer stories, I just dont remember them.

[Junctionfan]

QUOTE: Originally posted by jwaldo

I see only one major problem- the plan involves no actual beer [:p][;)]

I agree. That's why I came here.

On that note, to answer your question, for shipping you could use container refers on chassis. Walthers and I think Proto West A-Line makes the chassis for the containers.

[Anonymous]

I see only one major problem- the plan involves no actual beer [:p][;)]

[ericsp]

Beer is also shipped in 60' RBLs.

[Anonymous]

Hello Everyone,

I need help designing a scene for my model railroad. The scene I envision is a Brewery complex designed along 27" of stright track. and the overall sceen being rougly 18" Deep. The complex I am planning is combination of Life-Like's Fairhaven Brewery, Tyco Center Street Series School. some DPM Modular Wall sections. and some Walthers Grain Bins.

As I have it planed the Life-Like Fairhaven Brewery kit will be poisistioned next to the track in the lower left. To the right of that. I had envisioned a grouping of four Walthers Grain Bins placed in a square. (2 bins X 2 bins)Then further right is the Tyco School Building which is the main offices. Then across the tracks from the school Building in the upper right of the scene would be a building made from DPM Modular Wall sections. Moving Left would be 6 more Walthers Grain Bins placed rectagularly. (2 Bins x 3 Bins) Finally, in the upper left across from the Life-Like Kit would be another building consisting of DPM wall sections.

As I have looked at this. I figure that Life-Like kit is the Bottling plant. Where the beer is actually bottled. Then the Tyco School House is the main office building. What space is left along the front of the scene is reserved for employee parking.

Now I have the following questions.

1. Does my layout of buildings create a sence of a brewery complex, and if so, what building would the process start in most likely and how would the production process flow from where it is started to the bottling building.

2. If I need to make changes, what changes would be reccomended?

3. I know that beer is made from the fementation process of malted barely, hopps and rye. What proportion of these three ingredients are needed and do I have eneugh storage beens planned in the scene to hold it until needed.

4. Obviously the product would move between buildings via a pipeline network. However, would this network of pipes typically be above ground or below ground?

5. This is my rail movements I have worked out, are there any holes I need to plug or any movements I am missing?

In- Covered Hoppers of Barely, Hoppes, and Rye.
Once unloaded cars are cleaned.
Out- Covered Hoppers of Spent Mash, Also known as Brewers Grain. and sent to pig farmers for use as feed.
In- 50 Food Plug Door insulated Box Cars of card board for cartons and Boxes.
Once Unloaded cars are cleaned.
Out- Loaded 50 Foot Plug Door Insulated Box Cars of Finished product
Empty- More 50 Foot Plug Door Insualted Box Cars
Out- Loaded 50 Foot Plug Door Insulated Box Cars of Finished product

As can be seen, the town switcher would be kept quite busy through the day.

6. Anything Else I need to know that I seem to have missed?

7. Anyone have any humorous stories involving Trains or Model Trains and Beer?

Thanks Again.

James R. Mitich.