Box factory model research and planning

Here I go again with another structure.  This will be a box factory with belt driven machinery powered by a steam engine.  I will fully detail the interior which means that building this will take some time.  In the past I have put interior details in several structures only to find that once they were placed on my layout the interior was difficult to see.  This time I hope to avoid that problem by placing the structure at the edge of the layout with the wall on the layout edge removable.  In the past my structures with interior detail had all or part of the roof removable.  The photo below shows a foundry pattern shop with belt driven machinery viewable through a removable roof section on one side.  As you can see the result was not satisfactory.

 The shop is located about 16 inches from the edge of the layout.  I built this over twenty years ago and it has a nice coating of dust.  I more recently built the Yorke pool hall/bordello kit, with the bordello on the top floor and the roof removable.  Full details in that including figures as you might imagine.  It has been popular with (appropriate) visitors but they either need to be tall or use a step stool for viewing.  Other structures with some degree of interior detailing are lighted and rely on what can be seen through windows or open doors - again not a good solution.  These hard to see interior details,  while fun to build are not very effective.  For the box factory I contemplated having the whole structure removable from the base but after thinking about that for a while I decided that approach could have problems.

My first job will be to select and construct some appropriate machinery for the inside.  I have a good number of cast metal machines and machine kits to select from.  Then I need to design a floor plan for the interior.  The line shafting will be installed parallel to the edge of the layout so as not to interact with the removable wall.  I may also install some lighting to help with the viewing as the roof will put the interior in shadow.  The site on the layout that I have selected is not large so the main building will only be about 30 x 36 scale feet - I guess they will only make small boxes.

Below are two vintage photos of belt driven machinery in the Union Twist Drill company shop - bigger than what I will be making but gives some idea.  My ceiling will also not be that high.

Another photo of similar vintage shows a locomotive machine shop with all of the machinery really crammed in together.

That should give you some idea of where I think I am going with this.  I will post progress photos from time to time.

Give some thought this Memorial Day weekend to our veterans, our troops and those who have given their lives to protect and keep this country free and safe.