Factory examples

This photo shows an example of the general type of factory building I will be modeling.  The photo shows the Chicago factory of the N K Fairbank company with a nice view of the adjoining rail yard.  The fairbanks company manufactured soap among other things though I do not know what was manufactured in this particular factory.  This photo is from the 1890's.

There is an elevated "fence" along the right side between the rail tracks and the factory.  It looks to me like it was a string of billboards facing the factory.  It was common in those days to have strings of billboards blocking views they did not want to see and it also gained some advertising revenue.  There appears to be a track gang working just below the bridge where the photographer took the photo from.   I suspect this is all gone now.

My model factory will be crammed into an area about a scale 62 square feet with layout room walls on two sides (so it supposedly goes on further).  Construction is under way.

Factory model

My next model will be a four story factory in a corner of my layout extension next to the platform scale company.  I have not yet decided what the function of the factory will be.  I am working on the design and have made a tentative mockup to determine size and general appearance.  The photo below is the inspiration for my design.   I will not be modeling it in total detail, but more in general.

There will be an alley through the center of the factory, and one or more elevated walkways.  Making the factory model tall will help to disguise the inside corner.  I will also install a large square brick smoke stack in the corner atop the factory, again to help disguise the corner.  This factory will not be rail served.

This will be another brick model and will have a flat roof.

Gas station model

I have mostly completed the gas station model - still some details to be added but I wanted to get something up since it has been a while.  The model is built on a two part styrene base, the bottom layer being the whole base and the top layer only the concrete front area.  Since the base is quite thin it has a little warp which will disappear after it is glued down on the layout.

The building is totally scratch built from wood with commercial clapboard siding and a Campbell shingle roof.  The pump area has a base casting of unknown origin from my stash and is slightly modified.  The pumps are I believe Chooch detail parts.  The work ramp on the right is made from wood.

The right side view.  There are some tires and some shelving with tools on it.

Above is the left side and rear view.

This is a very small gas station which will be placed in my industrial area of my layout extension.

And here is the model with additional details including a figure at the back pumping oil from a barrel into a bucket.  There are a number of auto parts scattered on the ground (or at least things that look like they might be auto parts. I also added some more vegetation and some weathering.

Gas station model planning

My next model will be a small town gas station which will go on my layout extension, probably between the blacksmith shop and the diner.  In the 1930's (my era) these small gas stations / service stations were built in a wide variety of designs or even no design but rather just part of an existing business such as a grocery store or hardware store.  One near where I live is known as the Red Door Store.

As you can see the gas station function is merely an add-on.

Above is an old photo of another add-on gas station function along the main street of a small town.

Years ago gas stations were usually known as service stations because they provided service such as pouring your gas, cleaning your windshield, and checking your oil.

There are a very small number of gas stations that still provide such service but they are rare.  Of course there were downsides in those good old days such as much less reliable cars, often related to those awful carburetors.  Gas was much less expensive in those days but incomes were also much smaller.  I recall in my early days of driving spending only 25 cents per gallon for gas in one locality, though I think they had some sort of gas war going on.

My model will be a stand-alone gas station with a wood ramp on the side for simple repairs.

I do have a larger gas station  on my main layout - again in a small town.

This was a kit by a small kit manufacturer - Ed Fulasz, almost all using hydrocal walls and components.  A nice kit but I am not a fan of that medium.

Platform Scale Company model complete

I have completed the Platform Scale Company model (unless I need to make adjustments).  I have named it the Teichmoeller Platform Scale company for my friend who gave me the White Ground kit, some parts of which are incorporated into this model.

The platform above has three standard platform scales - all from kits with minor modifications.  I plan to run a track spur up to this platform.

The platform on this side has a scratch built larger platform scale.  I also added figures and some other details.  I did some weathering on the tarpaper roof so it does not look so new.  Next it gets installed on the layout.

Now comes the most difficult task for any model I build - trying to decide what industry I will model next and gather some research.  Actually it is all fun.

Automatic post office

I picked up this post card years ago.  It is an advertisement for "Mailomat", an automated means of mailing letters created back in the 1940's.  We could use a modern automated version of this now to replace simplistic mailing functions at the post office.

It notes that it helps to catch earlier planes and "trains"  A remnant of the old Railway Postal Service "RPO" era.  The last RPO run was between Washington DC and New York in 1977.  Some time ago I collected RPO marked postcards.  I also worked years ago with a guy who used to work on an RPO car.  He had some interesting stories, but it was hard work.

I have one RPO mail-catcher on my layout at a small station.

Another interesting photo is this early reinforced concrete gondola car built around 1919.

The concept was to save on the cost of steel during the war years (WW-1).  While I guess they worked OK, I suspect the weight and the poor results in wrecks caused their demise.  I also guess they were difficult to repair properly.

I have essentially completed the platform scale company, and I am working on platform scales for the loading docks.  I will post some photos of that later this week.  Meanwhile I am thinking about what to build next - always a challenge.

Platform Scale co. bldg #3

This building is not totally complete but almost.  Still needs weathering and signs as well as a few more details.  It also needs the loading platform on the left side where it connects to the other buildings.  This structure uses several parts of the Whiteground kit such as the board & batten siding, wood strips, styrene windows and the corrugated metal roof.

The foundation brick is from embossed cardstock material from my stash.  I decided to add a vertical boiler exposed at the corner and used the hydrocal stack from the kit.  The boiler is cast metal of forgotten origin.

The access porch for the personnel entrance is not complete.  I decided to post this structure as it is since it has been a while since I posted.

I am finished working for tonight so further progress will wait until tomorrow.

Flat car loads 1919

Here is another diversion from my structure build.  It is four vintage photos of 1919 flat car loads.  The original photos were small so the results are a little grainy.  The first one shows a vacuum shelf dryer on a flat car.

It is only a partial view but you can estimate the load size from the man standing in front of it.  These dryers were used for a wide variety of products including rubber compounds, paints, dyes, vegetables fruits, etc.

The above car is carrying revolving screens used in various industrial plants.

And here are two cars loaded with cast iron pipe.  I found the bracing method to be interesting.

And lastly a car loaded with caustic soda pots.  Again the bracing method is interesting.  I wonder if they took any precautions to prevent them from filling with rain?

I have maybe hundreds of old railroad and industrial photos to draw from in my old industry books.  Hope you like them.

Building #3 of the platform scale company is progressing slowly.  I keep changing the design as I go (as usual).