Anderson Coke Plant

[Matthyro]

Here is the coke plant named after my friend Dick Anderson, a NARA member.
It is based and an excellent article writen by Dean Freytag that is spread through the April,June,and August 1991 issues of model railroader. Deans model is in HO. Mine is N gauge.
What the coke plant does is crushes coal then burns it in ovens until coke is formed. The coke is then drenched to cool it down. After the process is complete it is delivered to the blast furnaces of the CISCO steel plant.
Dick created this business opportunity in the industrial city of Abercom which is served by the MAT railroad. Dick has had years of experience in the coal industry and it is through his knowledge and leadership that the Anderson Coke Plant has become a thriving industry

The first structure is the coal crushing tower followed by the coal bunker. Coal is delivered by an electrical hopper system that picks up coal from the bunker and delivers it to the top-loading ovens. Each oven has three feeding hatches. All gasses from the oven are piped to a high chimney seen in the background. Once the coke is ready, the front door of the oven opens and a pusher unit moves the coke out the back door into a hopper and it then moves to the quenching tower where the red hot coke is cooled by a flow of water. From there, it is ready to transport to the blast furnaces.

 

[Matthyro]

A closer view. Coal is delivered in the foreground. The dirty yellow unit moves along in front of the ovens and when the coke is ready, it drives a pusher to move the coke into a hopper at the back. Above the ovens you can see the catenary track for the electric hopper unit which delivers coal to the ovens.

 

[Matthyro]

Next up are two pictures of the coal bunker showing a bit more detail.

 

[Matthyro]

The quench tower is used to cool the red hot coke to the point where it is still warm enough to air dry. A pump house is used to deliver water to a tank that is is connected to the tower. There is a wood grid in the tower that prevents soot and other dirt from getting into the atmosphere.
Here is a view.

The next picture shows the electric hopper unit that delivers coal from the bunker to the ovens.

 

[Matthyro]

These pictures show the unit that moves on a track in front of the ovens and its sole purpose is to push the coke out of the back door of the ovens.
The metal beam jutting out of the unit is on rollers with a pusher plate on the front end. The crew open the doors of an oven thats ready then this unit moves in place and the pusher beam is activated to push the coke through to the waiting hopper.

The foot print is 29 inches by 7 inches.
It is made out of 95% cardboard with some dowels, toothpicks and other assorted stuff I had lying around. I didn't spend a penny on this structure.

 

[kettlestack]

Robin, that is a superb model you've built and the detail of operation is just great. Back in the good old days here in UK the production of coke by "cooking" coal released coal gas which was stored in a gasometer and fed many a town and city.

How long did it take to make the model? ... the detail, particularly the staircases, are absolutely terrific. my attempts at staircases always seems to go up in a sideways sort of way if you see what I mean .. . all those coke oven doors too... fab!

Errol

 

[Tyson Rayles]

Awesome Robin, just plain awesome. Fantastic work!!!

 

[WM-N-fan]

Impressive

Very impressive. Was it scratch built? On my layout I use a couple spare buildings to represent one (coal tower, smokestack, and a model power gravel co. . I'm lazy. One day I'll kitbash an HO one.

 

[Matthyro]

Thanks everyone for your kind comments. Yes it is totally scratchbuilt other than the wheels under the yellow pusher unit which came from an old loco I had.
It took me two weeks to make this model. I only do these structures while I watch sports or movies on TV. Other spare time I am still laying track on my layout.
I must apologize for the poor quality of the pictures my old cheepie digital camera takes. I was thinking about getting a new digital camera but spent the money on a DCC system instead.

 

[roryglasgow]

Fantastic work, Robin! And I learned a lot about coke operations from your posts! Thanks!

-Rory

 

[WVRR]

As usual, Robin, you have a gift for scratchbuilding that few of us can even touch, but you seem to come by so naturally. It is one awesome structure. Very nicely done and very well detailed. I too would like to know how you work with the stairs? Again, very well done, you make me gasp in awe at the structures you build
Ed