Cement Factory

So I have decided to put a cement factory on my layout. I have found some good reference material here: www.lehighnw.com/canada/PlantTour/PlantTour.htm#10 and I have started building the preheater tower. Here is my pattern that I am using based on the preheater in the link. I selectivly compressed it because at scale it would stand 10.5 inches high, i took it down to six and took out a window here and there. I am repeating this pattern on all four sides and adding the embellishments to the outside and I hope to slip this frame over a pipework maze inside.

I used red for the actualy frame so I could see it better when I am cutting it out of styrene.

Here is the frame of the preheater it will slide over all of the detail work inside

A picture with the engine next to it for scale, the structure is 6 inches tall

Zac, Nice job. That is about 100z ft. It is not going to look out of place or over bearing on your layout is it? For the most part a key to layout enjoyment is trains, and scenery. Buildings shouldn't become the focal point of the the layout. Of course this is your layout and you can do what ever you wish. If it was me, at the very least I would eliminate the top floor. Unless you are trying to be faithful to the prototype, I think this is the way to go. Who will know the difference in the end? I know you have compressed it, but to my eye is still looks a bit tall. m2cw Cheers, Jim CCRR:)

Zac,

That's a HUGE plant! We have a cement plant in the west end of our city. It absolulety dwarfs everything around it. Such a plant would definitely be the focal point of your layout. Good work with the styrene

sounds like the enormous size is appropriate. Definitely some bldgs scale very large in Z.

Socalz44 wrote:

Zac, Nice job. That is about 100z ft. It is not going to look out of place or over bearing on your layout is it? For the most part a key to layout enjoyment is trains, and scenery. Buildings shouldn't become the focal point of the the layout. Of course this is your layout and you can do what ever you wish. If it was me, at the very least I would eliminate the top floor. Unless you are trying to be faithful to the prototype, I think this is the way to go. Who will know the difference in the end? I know you have compressed it, but to my eye is still looks a bit tall. m2cw Cheers, Jim CCRR:)

I did a lot of thinking about size. The scale size if I were to do prototype would be 10.5 inches high. Since my tallest "mountain" in the back is only 24 inches high that would have been a little awkward and the rest of the building would have taken up 3 ft of linear space (my whole layout.) at 6" though i think that it will be a nice contrast between man made structures and natural made beauty. Also I am going to light it up with a ton of fiber optics to almost make it the focal point of the track when the lights are off. I just think the architecture will throw some nice shadows and give my track a more prototype appearance.

Here is my crusher mill base, I need to get to the hobby store to get some more styrene like ladders and railing and such. Oh and a lot of pipes.

I think you are doing a fantastic job, I like the height also.

Good job Zac. Things like the height of structures, in relation to their surroundings, is very much a matter of personal aesthetics, but from my perspective I think you're on the right track. Maybe you might consider having nearby structures or geopgraphical formations gradually stepping down from the height of your cement works, just so that it doesn't look quite so stark.