A small michigan industry for a HO layout

[JANGAJONGA]

i need 1 more industry to complete my layout .my layout is based on michigan industries and i already have a grain elevator lumber yard abandoned mine and thats about it. keep in mind this is a 4by8 layout so it would have to be small. Thanks

[odave]

Not sure what your era is, but there's a construction/landscaping wholesaler in Waterford called Red Lava that wouldn't take that much space - I plan on putting something like it on my layout. They are served by CN and get open hoppers containing a variety of rocks and other materials. They have a movable conveyor belt that they put under the hoppers to load concrete material bunkers. Modeling it could involve just a stub-ended spur with a couple of bunkers next to it, and maybe a small shack as an office. You could put a front-end loader, dump trucks, and other equipment nearby. Here's a bird's eye from Live Search Maps

Team tracks can also give you a lot of potential traffic in a small space. Just stick a ramp/dock next to a spur, and a place for trucks to drive up and load/unload.

A propane/fuel oil dealer wouldn't be a space hog either.

[JANGAJONGA]

Thanks i am modeling the modern era

[GreatLakesRailfan]

I can't think of a Michigan prototype off hand, but my layout (eventually, once I get the structure out here- it's at home in a box of buildings right now) will have a warehouse with an indoor rail spur. To save space, you could use building flats next to a backdrop to simulate a much larger structure- maybe an appliance warehouse or a rail-to-truck distribution-type center or something...

[BB]

How about a place for tank cars, such as Walthers Interstate Fuel & Oil. I don't know if it fits your modern era. I have had this kit for probably five years now and it's still in the box, as in still has the plastic wrap around the box I think. Lame

[Todd Cline]

You could have a "rail-to-truck" transload facility. Typically any bulk material from covered hoppers, sugar, flour,plastic, cement, etc. Just a short siding and a few trucks and a small office bldg. There are at least 2 of these in Grand Rapids. Many more all over the place.

[AARR]

I like team tracks too because you can use a varity of cars.

I also like interchanges. I have 5 on my 6x10 layout. I switch them like any industry. All sorts of cars come and go between the different interchanges.

[Fred]

A scrap yard doesn't take up much room (or it can be quite large as well), can fit anywhere including on a curve, doesn't need any big bldgs and uses either gondolas or open type hoppers.

[TrainWatcher]

I like team tracks too because you can use a varity of cars.

I also like interchanges. I have 5 on my 6x10 layout. I switch them like any industry. All sorts of cars come and go between the different interchanges.

WOW, so you do like a Progressive Rail type operation Don??

A small auto plant may work, if you have a spare corner..... all you need as a few tracks...

Or i agree with a small intermodel/Triple Crown type operation......

[Crow T Robot]

Any small industry how about the Kellogg's or the Cherry Growers up in Traverse City. I think they are just a simple spur siding.

[GrandTrunkFan]

I was thinking about a auto parts plant, what is more Michigan than something automotive?

[esprrfan]

I was thinking about a auto parts plant, what is more Michigan than something automotive?

Be sure to put weeds in the parking lot next to the "For Sale" sign. Don't forget the weed covered tracks
Perhaps next to the sale sign you could put a sign saying " Another way NAFTA Benefits you"

[GrandTrunkFan]

I was thinking about a auto parts plant, what is more Michigan than something automotive?

Be sure to put weeds in the parking lot next to the "For Sale" sign. Don't forget the weed covered tracks
Perhaps next to the sale sign you could put a sign saying " Another way NAFTA Benefits you"

Sad but true. The great thing about a model railroad is he can model much happier times. So a thriving automotive related business could be a good extra customer.

[esprrfan]

Towards the bottom of this thread

http://www.railroadfan.com/phpbb/viewto ... ilit=Delta

Theres a few ideas, Sauders you could take lumber in on bulkheads, flats or boxcars and ship out finished product in boxcars. The fertilizer place in the last picture don't even have a dedicated track, but rather just uses the siding in addition to the obivous tank cars you could also spot hoppers and boxcars here.

I too agree with Don, you can't beat a team track or two, just so many uses there one at Edgerton Ohio always has cars there mostly lumber. I always have a single or double team track "industry". Don's also right with a inter change track.

Theres no better way to make it look like your cars really go somewhere instead of just "appearing/disappearing" on the lay out. My last layout's interchange used a corner and was a single track that could hold 6-8 cars. The juction with the other rr crossed my main at 90* so I even had a tower there. I used it like Don does. At the begining of a session a local would take outbounds (cars being rotated off the layout) and pick up the inbounds.

The only (my preception) wrong with a autoplant it even with selective compression it's still good size plus you have huge cars like 86' boxcars and or autoracks. However at Fairlane yard theres a 3 track yard next to the main with the autoramp 1/2 mile off the mains which you could "model" by just a stub going off the edge of your table. How it used to work in the yard switcher would bring loaded racks up from the yard and spotted in "main 3 track" yard. I

[AARR]

esprrfan - this is the first time I saw the maps and pictures you posted at that thread of Delta. Nice!

[Gov. Crappo]

Flat Rock Sand and Bagging would be a nice 1 track industry....they used to get hoppers of sand and cement and ship boxcars of bagged product ..track is still in place but unused ...their plant is right at the Telegraph underpass of the CNNA in Flat Rock....couple of silos for storage couple of lumber yard type open buildings for packing and wrapping bags (good for super-detailing someday with the different machines used for bagging and pallet stacking) inground scale for semi's and lots of ground clutter for detail....in a "thriving" model railroad economy FRB could ship by trucks and trains to all kinds of booming local building buisnesses

[AARR]

It's ironic that Flat Rock Bagging still gets steady rail service at their Sparta plant

[JANGAJONGA]

thanks i like the cherry growers and kellogs kinda thing but it has to fit in right next to a grain elevator so i think a auto plant might look a bit too out of place but i like hearing the different suggestions

[rob]

how about sand, csx ship a lots of it.

Rob

[GrandTrunkFan]

how about sand, csx ship a lots of it.

Rob

Plus, youd have blocks of golden kitty cat hoppers! And on the auto parts plant idea, I didnt realize you were modeling a rual area.