Well, at least Lexi is very careful when lounging on the model....She was on and off without anything being misplaced...



( click_to_see_hi_res_version )

The Brown Hoist project that I was building for a client has been completed.

In addition to the images here there is also video on Youtube as well:

If you desire custom items built for you, please email me to discuss at zahkunst@hotmail.com

Remember to click "HQ" for better quality.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIuHuNPU2UI





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Here's an update on the Brown Hoist Project. To re-iterate, I was asked to build a Brown Hoist from a Kibri Crane kit 7442 with heavy modification for a customer.

In the previous entry you can see the prototype items which were form Lorain Ohio.

Below you see the Brown Hoist in its current state. The green parts are all kitbashed together from the Kibri Crane kit, the white is scratch built, the bridge plate arm is from an N Electric Furnace kit, and the top trusses are Faller Bridge parts.

To mimick the movements of the crane shown in the prototype image the arm is designed to be movable fowards and backwards while the crane cab and clam bucket will be fixed to the arm. So in essence 2 positions will be possible.

1. Dumping the material into the trolley of the crane.
2. The cab out foward and above the ore boat unloading the ship.



( click_to_see_6_progress_images leading up to this stage )

I have taken another contract with a client which is to build an N scale Brownhoist for a dock scene. As many may know there are no Huletts in N scale unless you build them completely from scratch. Many mills used brownhoist technology as an alternative to Huletts such as Lorain Ohio, Chicago Southworks, and Sparrows Point so why not have a brownhoist instead?

I may adapt this prototype to my own mill in the future depending.

Here are some historic images that reference different configurations. I will update when the bownhoist is completed. If you are interested in something custom built send me an email: zahkunst@hotmail.com




( click_to_see_2_more_variations )

I completed a bridge crane for a client this month which duplicates one of my previous prototypes. It was built in the same manner as my prototype on my layout with only a few minor tweaks such as paitning the railings and stairs first to streamline the assembly process. If you are interested in something custom built send me an email: zahkunst@hotmail.com





( click_to_see_4_more_images )

I am currently building for a client a large bridge crane in N which closely duplicates my original red prototype. I will post images of this once it's completed.

In the meantime I had repainted my original black crane grey which I think is inspired more from my trip to Weirton WV. I pulled off the original vertical stairs and safety caged ladders and will rebuild it eventually more like the red one when time permits. At the time I build the black one I was not as privy to the prototype but now knowing it better will make the necessary changes.



Now having my workbench right next to my blast furnace module has caused me to stare at it ALOT. I've been looking at the ore trestle way at the end next to Furnace B which was never intended to be a ore pocket type deal. I decided I can't convert it to match the existing 6 foot portion and I'm going to have to rebuild this 3 foot section from scratch to match the other 6 foot section already completed next to the other 4 Blast Furnaces.

Buuuut now this leaves me with a 3 foot bridge section left over. Where will it go? It seemed appropriate to reserve it for the OPEN HEARTH. Yes that 8+foot monster on the drawing board. Wanna know more about that gotta go here:

Steel Making Journal

Well as things got unseasonably warm this year I was prompted to finally move my workroom from the hottest room in the house to the coolest which is the room that holds the blast furnace module. In so doing I had to pack up and store the ore yard but this gives me easy access to the blast furnace module to do the work that needs to get done. Like piping and lots of it. One of the more recent goals was to get all the clean gas mains that go back to the boiler house all roughed out and I'm just about done with that now. These are the largest pipes in the mill and are the backbone sort of speak to the pipe configurations.


The clean gas main connects up to the Walthers precipitator (Furnace B) on the right and turns back to the boiler house on the left:


With the B Furnace removed one can see the clean gas main coming from both directions into the boiler house:


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While sifting through the parts on a recently acquired Walthers HO Champion Packing Co. kit I came across a squarish cooling tower that goes over the boiler house from that kit and declared it part of my layout.

I simply cut them at the prototypical angle and will have to detail with catwalks, stairs, and fans at some point.





( click_to_see_1_more_image )

Blast Furnaces E and F also received a much overdo overhaul at the dust catcher/gas cleaning equipment areas. I connected the large clean gas main to the precipitators, and this time opted for a more traditional pipe arrangement from the very top of the gas cleaner to the bottom of the precipitator while also adding gate valves at the top. Also, the pipes are attached to the bottoms of both gas cleaners to eventually connect up to the dust catchers. This module is now complete with the exception of a stairway that has to be added in between both gas cleaners to connect all the catwalks you see in the images.



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