My N scale Steel Mills final trackplan

TruckLover

Mack CH613 & 53' Trailer
Hi guys, I was talking to my grandpa about starting my steel mill finally. You might member this plan that I did a while back for a smaller layout that was going to go under my HO layout

Steel_Mill_Part_-_NO_RL.jpg


well I was talking about it and my grandpa wanted to help me build the layout. I said well where are we going to put it because we have to build it at his house and he said well what bout in your room that you have at our house. I was like okay :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

I also mentioned makeing a bigger layout table for the steel mill, he said that was a good idea since the plan looked a lil crambed in there. I made a layout the size of my HO layout that I currently have at my house (which by the way has nothing on it at this point, will be taken down for my new layout) so i said why not just use my old HO layout table for the new N scale Steel Mill, already have the benchwork built and everything, he said sure, would make it easyer and we could start on it sooner too :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

I came up with this N scale plan to fit on my HO layout in RTS and here it is:
CokeOven.jpg


The tracks are all labeled so its pretty self explanitory. Up in the warehouse tracks is a Heavy Duty Overhead crane to unload/load flatcars and gondolas for the warehouse and there is also a loading dock for boxcars right next to the warehouse
  • Blast Furnace = 2 Walthers kits bashed together to make a HUGE building. I have the blast furnace already built but it is only one blast furnace kit, I want 2 of them bashed together, going to sell the one I have now and buy 2 more kits and bash them together
  • Coke Oven and Quencher tower = Walthers kit which I already have built
  • Electric Furnace = Walthers Kit
  • Rolling Mill = 2 Walthers Kits bashed into one long mill which I also already have built.
  • Warehouse = 4 Walthers Allied Rail Rebuilders kits bashed into one long warehouse building. Concrete loading dock is right next to building and an overhead crane is in front of the warehouse.
  • Coal Mine = 2 Walthers New River Mining Company kits bashed into one large mine
What do you guys think of our new plan? I showed it to him and he said he loves it and cant wait to get started on it.

Layout table is 6'x2.5'x12'x2.5' with small extention (coal mine) measuring 15"x4'
 
Have you checked out Google Earth for a steel mill? I quickly put in US Steel Corporation in Ecorse, MI and got a great satellite picture. It seems the building are more clustered than on your layout plan. You might get more space in your yards for all the special cars if you move the buildings closer together and switching could become more challenging.
 

TruckLover

Mack CH613 & 53' Trailer
Have you checked out Google Earth for a steel mill? I quickly put in US Steel Corporation in Ecorse, MI and got a great satellite picture. It seems the building are more clustered than on your layout plan. You might get more space in your yards for all the special cars if you move the buildings closer together and switching could become more challenging.

I have seen some mills on google earth, even thought bout duplicating the set-up of one of them but I like designing my own too much lol

As for putting them closer together and haveing more of a yard, ill have to think bout that, its going to make it look like even more of a spagetti bowl then it already does right now lol. I kinda like how the buildings are spread apart, will give the idea of a HUGE plant I think
 

TruckLover

Mack CH613 & 53' Trailer
I added a grain elevator in using the Walthers ADM grain kits, theres 3 kits combined for this elevator. Grain elevator is in the bottom right corner next to the coal mine.

I also took the ties out of the tracks to better see it lol

admgrain2.jpg
 

TruckLover

Mack CH613 & 53' Trailer
lets say 12 years Gary, Ill go 6 for my HO layout and 6 for my N scale layout :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

This layouts going to be alot less progress tho, member its going to be at my grandparents house and my grandpa wont work on it that much unless im there. I dont live there but I do visit there at least once a week :mrgreen: :cool:
 

DrGeologist

Canadian Down Under
Hi,

I’ve recently started on an ambitious N scale steel mill project and I just joined zealot.com the other day. I must say that your work is top notch and very inspirational. I may have to pick your brain from time to time as I progress with my layout.

I’m wondering if you’ve put any thought towards what kind of engines you’ll get to do all of the shunting around your mills, pushing ladle and thimble cars around?

I’m especially curious about the coke oven and blast furnace.

With coke ovens, it’s my understanding that the coke is “pushed” out the side of the oven, it’s not clear to me though how this coke ends up in hoppers after being pushed out.

With the blast furnace, the Walthers kit has the high line, where I assume the material is dropped below. Again it’s unclear how this gets into the trolley to be hoisted to the top of the furnace.

I’ve also recently joined the yahoo ‘Steel’ group. I’m still waiting on ‘officially’ being admitted, and I’ll likely ask all this there as well.

Thanks in advance for your help.
 

bigsteel

Call me Mr.Tinkertrain
Hi,

I’ve recently started on an ambitious N scale steel mill project and I just joined zealot.com the other day. I must say that your work is top notch and very inspirational. I may have to pick your brain from time to time as I progress with my layout.

I’m wondering if you’ve put any thought towards what kind of engines you’ll get to do all of the shunting around your mills, pushing ladle and thimble cars around?

I’m especially curious about the coke oven and blast furnace.

With coke ovens, it’s my understanding that the coke is “pushed” out the side of the oven, it’s not clear to me though how this coke ends up in hoppers after being pushed out.

With the blast furnace, the Walthers kit has the high line, where I assume the material is dropped below. Again it’s unclear how this gets into the trolley to be hoisted to the top of the furnace.

I’ve also recently joined the yahoo ‘Steel’ group. I’m still waiting on ‘officially’ being admitted, and I’ll likely ask all this there as well.

Thanks in advance for your help.

sorry to steal your thread trucklover,i hope you don't mind if i provide some info :mrgreen:

DR.G
when coke is literally pushed from a coke oven its is high enough in the air that it falls straight into a "quench car" which is a specially built hopper that is extra insulated and this car is sent to a quench tower where the coke is cooled by jets of water to keep it from burning away like coal would.this car is then sent to a transfer point to be moved by crane,conveyor,etc into regular hoppers called coke express which i just a fancy name they gave to them.

for the "highline" on a BF the ore,coke and lime are dumped from above through a grate to below the line to a pit where a "skip car" is which is just a simple little bucket on wheels that runs up the skip line to the top of the furnace where it tilts and lets all the material dump into the furnace hopper which allows stuff in but no gasses out.
hope this all helps you out :thumb:

and again,sorry for hijacking your thread TL i just couldn't hold back :rolleyes:.--josh
 

TruckLover

Mack CH613 & 53' Trailer
sorry to steal your thread trucklover,i hope you don't mind if i provide some info :mrgreen:

DR.G
when coke is literally pushed from a coke oven its is high enough in the air that it falls straight into a "quench car" which is a specially built hopper that is extra insulated and this car is sent to a quench tower where the coke is cooled by jets of water to keep it from burning away like coal would.this car is then sent to a transfer point to be moved by crane,conveyor,etc into regular hoppers called coke express which i just a fancy name they gave to them.

for the "highline" on a BF the ore,coke and lime are dumped from above through a grate to below the line to a pit where a "skip car" is which is just a simple little bucket on wheels that runs up the skip line to the top of the furnace where it tilts and lets all the material dump into the furnace hopper which allows stuff in but no gasses out.
hope this all helps you out :thumb:

and again,sorry for hijacking your thread TL i just couldn't hold back :rolleyes:.--josh

hehehehehehehe dont worry bout it Josh. I couldnt have explained in better myself :thumb: :mrgreen:
 

TruckLover

Mack CH613 & 53' Trailer
Hi,

I’ve recently started on an ambitious N scale steel mill project and I just joined zealot.com the other day. I must say that your work is top notch and very inspirational. I may have to pick your brain from time to time as I progress with my layout.

I’m wondering if you’ve put any thought towards what kind of engines you’ll get to do all of the shunting around your mills, pushing ladle and thimble cars around?

Thanks!! :mrgreen: :mrgreen: Feel free to ask me all the questions you want.

I was planning on running small engines like geeps and small SD's in the mill. For the mainline and the yard and mainlines ill have big diesels :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
 

DrGeologist

Canadian Down Under
for the "highline" on a BF the ore,coke and lime are dumped from above through a grate to below the line to a pit where a "skip car"

I didn't notice on your BF thread, but does the Walther BF kit include a grate below the highline? ,or is that something one would have scratch together?

I ask because I've got two BF's on order, and I would like to make my layout look as seemless as possible from minimg the raw materials to exporting the finished product.

Thanks again.
 

bigsteel

Call me Mr.Tinkertrain
I didn't notice on your BF thread, but does the Walther BF kit include a grate below the highline? ,or is that something one would have scratch together?

I ask because I've got two BF's on order, and I would like to make my layout look as seemless as possible from minimg the raw materials to exporting the finished product.

Thanks again.

im not sure about the wlthers BF,josh should know since he built a N scale BF from walters.im scratching my own which is only a backdrop structure with no highline.as in the imaginary world its on the other side of the BF through the backdrop.--josh
 
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