Saturday, June 11, 2016

Model scrap yard planning

First I would like to thank the folks who posted the nice comments on my last posting of the carpenter shop.  I enjoy getting feedback.  I do monitor all comments before they are posted to prevent spam or improper comments.  I also do not allow links within the comments.

My next model will be a scrap yard.   At my last coffee get-together with my model railroad friends I asked them if they knew the difference between a junk yard and a scrap yard - none did.  Basically a scrap yard is for ferrous metal materials as scrap yards were originally intended to supply steel mills.  Junk yards are dumping places for almost anything.  Previously a comment was made when I announced I would be modeling a scrap yard that I should have a lot of old cars in it.  There will definitely be some old cars, maybe truck parts, but I will be including a lot of railroad parts as I have a LOT of those.  I do have a small steel mill on my main layout so this scrap yard can supply it.


Above is a 1940's vintage scrap yard - much larger than I will be making as I do not have that much room.  My area is approximately a 16 x 16 x 20 inch triangle with a railroad track along one side.

I have been somewhat familiar for some time with the Kovalchick Salvage company, which among other things, owns the East Broad Top narrow gauge railroad not too far from my home.  They also own a sizable scrap yard in Indiana, PA.  I believe they had originally planned to turn the EBT into scrap.  It has not been operational for some years so it's future is uncertain.


Above is another 1940s scrap yard photo.

My scrap yard model should be fairly easy to build as it will mostly consist of a surrounding fence, an office shack, and a loading crane by the tracks.  I am also building a Vintage Vehicles Erie B-2 steam shovel kit which I am going to fit with a clam shell bucket to handle materials in the yard.  The rest of the project will consist of making piles of scrap from parts.

Some years ago I made a small junk yard on my main layout tucked under a highway bridge behind a small oil depot.


I call it Piggios junk yard.  The railroad crane in the foreground is an old kit (not sure of the manufacturer) that I modified with a new housing and a steam  boiler.





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