Blast Furnaces

Boiler House #3 Progress

2008-10-09T18:46:27Z

So as it turned out I had 15 greenmax factory window pieces for the 16 openings. Good deal. The height of these N scale windows matches exactly to the HO scale openings so there is a lot more detail in each window. The 16th opening I filled out with Ho scale Rolling Mill venting. Those modular vent widths coincidentally are the same width as the wall openings.

The stacks are difficult to see at the moment but they are still being built. I have to add a catwalk halfway up them, attach a safety caged ladder to each, and add the top collars. Then I can actually paint them. Once that detail work is complete it'll really add a lot fo great detail to the boxy simple building.

There was one match up error I made where the horizontal scribing didn't match up but that can always be fixed later with piping.

There's a close up showing the window detail: Here you can also see the Ho scale openings I filled in at the bottom and the way I painted the concrete base only halfway up the kit provided height.

Layout Plan Update

2008-10-05T23:43:40Z

The updated layout plan herein showcases 2 things. The addition of the (1) company town and (2) highlighted buildings indicating what is yet to be built.

(1) Company town. Now how could I resist doing one of these? It gives me a good place for my main office, company hospital, AND workers homes! This are is located at the end of the steel making department (top left) and I have found the best suited houses for the era are the lovely lady series by Atlas. Those kits feature popular catalog homes from the 20's and run very similar to the homes built in Gary Indiana. I have been purchasing a few here and there and am very optimistic about this portion of the layout. The main design intent is to have a camera shot down the street with the huge mill in the background behind a wooden fence and parked worker cars all along the fence.

(2)I have been going through my stuff and clearing shelves under the layout to fit new buildings that one day will find their way onto a finished model table. The Boiler House #3 structure and Machine Shop #1 structures are an example of this in which for now they rest on shelves. I will not let the space problem affect the construction of the model.

The plan below shows the highlighted buildings yet to be built. Not too bad in my opinion. Also, the company town finds it way near the end of the steel making department as indicated by "main office" and "company hospital."

The juxtaposition of the compnay town and the mill are based roughly on the juxtaposition of the Open hearth #4 and company town of the USS Homestead Works.

All dimensions are subject to change until the final dimensions of the space are known but the plan is the main gist of course. At this point all I know is the space will be a basement when we move.

Boiler House #3 Rough out

2008-10-05T03:43:11Z

Ok so I have roughed out (not glued) the final shape that is to be the Boiler House #3 structure. It's essentially 2 HO kits end to end with the tops lopped off.

Some features include:

Scored sides
Filled in openings to smaller N scale standards
The standard kit provided roof plates
4 "smoke stack bases" from Walthers Superior Paper kits (Originally the tapered N scale Superior Paper pulp wood tanks pieces)
Some HO scale cooling towers that are originally HO scale loads
Modified base concrete band set lower to aid in scale perception

This leaves the windows....ah the windows. I do not want to use the kit provided windows cuz they look too large...I will have to find an alternative, maybe greenmax if I have enough.

The smokestacks are going to be made out of the clear butyrate tube to the right of the first image. It is 1" tube or 13.5' diameter which are the dimensions of the prototype. Also, like the prototype I will build a catwalk on each stack up half way and have safety caged ladders.

Boiler House #3 HACK HO to N

2008-10-02T01:12:14Z

Step 1: Lop off the top.

I figured the easiest first step was to have the two kit bases end to end with a side piece in the middle. I cut off the top at the low roof line in the kit which in scale measures out to a nice even 70' tall.

In the rear wall inside you can see the white panel where I filled in the HO scale opening to N scale proportions.

Boiler House #3 Parts

2008-10-01T01:05:46Z

OK so here is the jumble of parts I have. Out of this the Boiler House structure #3 will be born. In the image you see one failed building that will be hacked at and recycled and a whole bunch of ugly light blue parts. All HO scale Tri State stuff. Also, the butyrate tube from plastruct I had on hand so I figured it'd make a good fit for this project.

My only initial thought is that the building will not be much higher than the indicated red line. This should prove interesting. Once again in the background are structures I have to sell. Some N, some HO. I have looked through my inventory and can make about 8-10 more buildings to sell on ebay from junk parts. Man it never ends.

Boiler House #3

2008-09-28T23:53:25Z

Next up will be Boiler House #3, a building that like Machine Shop #1 is not on the plan featured on the website. However, it's location helps to form a second parallel row of support structures across the designed blast furnace row. I actually did draw an updated plan which even features a small area for a company town however I am hesitant to upload it until things settle a little more on it.

The ingredients for this building will be (2) Walthers HO cornerstone Tri State Power kits. I've had the main kraft mill parts for these sitting in a box AND left over from a previous build. (Remember some of it is from my paint stripping exercise several months ago).

For inspiration I looked to 2 places.

1. Gary Indiana, where the original Blowing Engine House was half demolished to make way for the big boxy boilerhouse structure. The original remains are on the right of it. What I like about this one is the many large stacks in a row.

2. Chicago Illinois South Works circa 1958. Boxy with some coal conveyors.

Machine Shop #1 Complete

2008-09-27T03:00:53Z

With the exception of some stairs this sucker is done. An easier build than my previous large structures due to the lower amount of scratchbuilding required.

The windows from Tichy Train Group are far superior then Grandt Line. There is no warpage or rear flash to deal with PLUS you get more per pack for the same price. Below the windows are glued down to polyester clear sheets from midwest.

I had used some fairly large tubing from Evergreen to provide a stong frame to support the roof. The roof panels are from the kits:

The building is 36" long x 6.5" wide, so not one of my largest but among the top. It works out to be 530 scale feet long which includes the addition.

The building in the back is an HO scale background building made from the spare parts I didn't use in the Vulcan Manufacturing kits. It is created from the un-used parts to recoup cost on the build. My N scale freight trucks seem to be having trouble loading onto the dock LOL. ebaY item # 110292843153

I think I'm up for another challenge next....another boilershop based on 2 HO Walthers Tri State Power kits I'm thinking....and I have images in my head of what it should look like....a new post about that later.

Where's COE?

2008-09-21T02:26:18Z

Today would be one of those days where I do not feel like building structures. Hence, I built a truck. A 1948 COE tractor to be exact. I had purchased this kit over a year ago....and mAn are N scale vehicle kits a pain in the butt to build.

Model Layout Virtual Tour

2008-09-13T14:52:05Z

Being as though this week marks the 3 year anniversary from the inception of this project I figured I'd give everyone a virtual tour of the project. This will let you see how I deal with storage and organization issues.

The project is completely contained within 2 bedrooms. So the rest of the house including the garage is completely "normal." When we have guests and I have to shut it off I close 2 doors and its out of sight out of mind.

Room A is 10'-4" x 11'-0"
Room B is 10'-4" x 11'-8"

Room A: General view of Blast Furnace Plant with Steel Making Dept on right along wall. (Taken from entry door into room). This currently shows the first 5 blast furnaces I have constructed and the main EAF structure behind. The scheduled plan calls for 5 more blast furnaces in 8' of additional length to the right. The EAF module in this orientation will eventually be rotated 180 degrees with a removable wall so that the inner workings can be on display from the walk area. Note the blast furnace module extends into the closet in which the doors have been removed. I did this to gain a little extra space and did origially purchase replacement mirror doors for that closet but never put them up since I extended the model.

Room A again but taken from the opposite corner from the closet. I received all these ugly floor lamps from a friend that was ditching them.

Room A and under the support shelves. This shows the Machine Shop #2 structure which is easily movable in case I ever want to work on it.

Room A and under the support shelves again. These are a few buildings I have built for the model but can't place as there is no space for the base plywood sheets where they go. On the left of those are the tubs that hold my rolling stock.

Room A and the Fuel and Utilities Plant Module. Same deal as the Machine Shop #2 building where it is removable if I want to work on it. This is directly below my ore ship and dock on display above.

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Room B with an overall view. (Taken from entry door into room). In this room I have the first phase of my Coke Plant Module, bookshelves, workbench, and computer. Note the unfinished structure on the very right of the frame on top of the bookshelf is the Machine Shop #1 structure I am currently working on. There are 2 coke oven batteries in this image and the scheduled plan calls for 2 more to the left end. They are most likely to be joined with a more modern single large concrete material bin tower in the middle of each battery.

Room B This room has a small walk in closet that is where I keep all my kits and parts. Most of the boxes shown are built kits and have loose left over parts in them. Some are the parts from what the box shows and some are condensed where I wrote on it with a sharpie what is actually inside. The red drawers on the wall is my plastruct center. This is where all piping fittings are located along with stairs, railings etc. Each drawer is labeled with its respective part number.

Room B This is the drawer in my workbench and how I organize all my Evergreen Stock. I built 3 separate compartment walls out of basswood and from left to right I have Piping, structural shapes, and bar stock.

and that's it!

Machine Shop #1 Walls up

2008-09-10T00:49:26Z

Got all the walls up and we're ready to start building the roof. All in all I believe the compression exercise from Ho to N scale was sucessful. It looks big but it's only the 3rd largest building I have.

The inspiration for this building came from one of the original Electric Station buildings at Gary Indiana

Which in 1920 looked like this:

and in 2007 looked like this: (Note the appendage building removed and remnants of the stack foundation).

Machine Shop #1 Pouring the Foundation

2008-09-06T14:02:35Z

When I had built my large Fuel and Utilities building and Machine Shop #2 structures I had used N Cornerstone Modulars. I had to build them directly onto the base wood because they were so large with complex roofs that building them as "pick up" buildings just proved too difficult. I never liked doing this (due to the inability to get inside the building in case a window ever falls out) however those are the only 2 cases in which I did. In the case of the large Blowing Engine house structure I had built a removable roof but fastened the walls down permanently.

But in this case for Machine Shop #1 I was able to use the factory provided bases so the building can be built up as a "pick up" building. Plus the walls are a little thicker and more sturdy with less weak points such as in N scale Modulars which further supports this choice.

I set out to the store and purchased Evergreen strip stock #189 which is .25" tall like the other 2 previously mentioned buildings I have done only this time it's .125" thick, a little thicker than those. The reason for this is so I can direct set them onto the factory provided base which has back up edges .125" back from the edge of the foundation base edge. Essentially my strips fit right in and receive back support.

The side walls are glued together and setting to dry:

Machine Shop #1 modifications

2008-09-04T23:26:36Z

The following pictures show the cut bottom wall previously mentioned and the cut top cornice. The corners were replaced with more prototypically accurate square tops which help scale the building down a bit.

A before and after:
The square top pieces are Ho scale DPM modular pilaster stock.

Machine Shop #1 Mock Up

2008-09-04T01:21:32Z

The first step was to cut all the brick walls to size. That is, lop off all the first floor parts. Again, the rolling door comes from the N Northern light and Power kits as do the windows for proper scaling.

But now we have a problem. After staring at this mock up for.... oh a good 2 hours last night, I remained unconvinced. The proportions were still a little off. After all, I am placing this building next to N scale modulars on the layout and it can't appear to large in proportions.

To further remedy this I will:

1. Cut the brick wall down at the bottom more all around to only have 2 bricks below the windows before the foundation.
2. Use the Tichy Group clerestory windows (dbl 4x4 pane 3065) in lieu of the kit provided pieces and reserve those kit ones for some other exercise at the EAF or OH.
3. Cut down the angled cornice brick at each end facade of the building so they are not so thick.

A brief note about Tichy Train Group
Previously I had used the same dbl 4x4 window type (5210) made by Grandt Line for my clerstory window builds. I later discovered that these are exactly the same size and only vary slightly in sill design as the Tichy ones. But essentially, its the same exact product and looks exacly the same. The main difference is that if you buy direct from Tichy Train Group shipping is FREE AND you get 3 windows per pack whereas with Grandt Line you only get 2. Both packs cost $3.00 each. The choice is simple.

Unfortunately there is nothing I can do for the width of the pilasters but after some investigation I found their width (N scale 3') to be prototypical.

Down the Line

2008-09-02T23:41:28Z

Update shots of Blast Furnace Row. 50% of designed length so far. Now we're gettin' somewhere. Each elevated box to the right is each respective blast furnace skip hoist house. 5 BF's down, 5 BF's to go.

Machine Shop #1 part b

2008-09-02T18:02:39Z

With the completion of the final and 5th Skip Hoist on Blast Furnace Row I think it's time to shift and work on the Machine Shop #1 structure. Originally I was going to do some more detail work but after doing the ore boat, the #2 bridge crane, and finally 5 skip hoists I'm a little tired of stairs.

Thus work will commence on Machine Shop #1, the older cousin to Machine Shop #2. I had thought back to Gary Indiana and really wante dot add a second row of long support buildings to my layout as I thought it made better for pictures and backdrop....PLUS it allows me to keep building!

The image at Gary Indiana showing the highline and blast furnaces on the right and the 2 rows of support structures on the left:

and the CAD drawing showing my additional second row of support structures:

Like I had previously posted, this building will be about 36" long and consist of (4) Walthers Cornerstone HO scale Vulcan Manufacturing kits 933-3045. This kit went retired again this summer so it was a little difficult finding them (avoiding ebay). I had purchased (2) at a local train swap meet in July for under $30 and needed 2 more as of a month ago. With a little searching over the last month I had found (2) more, one of which was $25 and both of which were the last ones in stock at each store.

An interesting story:
One train/hobby store in Cleveland Depotland.com had it listed on their website as "in stock." 3 days after I ordered and getting no confirmation of the order I called them and they told me they didn't have it but they then called a day after that and said "they could get it" for $10 over retail by asking the guy they sold it to last to sell it back to them to sell to me...

what?

I never returned the call.

Skip Hoist #4, Furnace "C" complete

2008-08-25T22:41:40Z

The 4th skip hoist build is complete. Only 1 more to go which is a duplicate of this one. In this example I used the previously mentioned idea of steep stairs which now switch sides of the skip hoist to access the bell level. This being a less detailed version I thought helped convey the idea of age a little more than the previous builds.

Machine Shop #1 part a

2008-08-24T14:39:53Z

Naturally when deciding for a name for my newly brainstormed (post skip hoist build) project I settled on a partner to my large Machine Shop #2 structure. Thus the older Machine Shop #1 is born. This structure takes (4) Walthers HO Cornerstone Vulcan Manufacturing kits and squeezes them down to N scale.

At first I thought it was an impossible task. Taking Walthers HO metal type structures are easy to bash to N but brick buildings are much more difficult because of the detailing and recognizable windows.

I was talking about this problem with my Father and he suggested chopping off the first floor completely. Eureka! Then the building takes on a look like the Walthers Dayton Machine building and proportions out better to N scale. I can use left over N scale Northern Power and Light Powerhouse windows for added mullion details (to aid in scaling the building down) and the windows just become larger examples. The side wall column to column spacing from pilaster to pilaster is 30' in N scale. Completely within prototypical specs.

To illustrate the idea I taped the windows in and added my 1/4" strip foundation at the level the building will be.

The center door will get an extension on the bottom and the brick opening will be cut out at the arch above: Again this is the second floor of the kit based building.

The inside:

Skip Hoist #4, Furnace "C"

2008-08-22T23:16:52Z

I have begun work on the fourth skip hoist which is for Blast Furnace "C" and once again this one will be somewhat different than the previous 3 I did. I wanted to replicate more age in this one and to me that meant less elaborate skip hoist details. As a result, I will do the same stair set up from highline to hoist house however from there and going up the stairs will be a steeper straight shot up on the side that follows the angle of the skip hoist incline. Also, the front of the skip hoist will be open with only cross bracing at the very top. These details follow prototypes such as the former blast furnaces at Sparrows Point and J&L in Pittsburgh.

The incline is much steeper than standard Plastruct railings so what I am going to do is use the Plastruct stairs, fudge the angle, and use the straight handrails instead of the angled ones. This also follows the previously mentioned prototypes.

So far:

Skip Hoist #3, Furnace "B" complete

2008-08-22T17:19:08Z

OK that's 3 down and 2 to go. This was was a little different than the last 2 in that the furnace was built at kit standard height so there was actually a little less work to do. I saw the natural opportunity to add a stair going from the highline down to the cast house floor.

The top works of this one is also unique from the other four in that there are no exposed catwalks rather a more solid enclosure. As a result, I built a door going from the wall out to the catwalk that then meets up to the skip hoist.

Also, as a side not all the catwalk bottom pieces are left over catwalk parts from my bridge crane projects. Now even though those Bridge Crane kits are HO scale, the catwalks are really narrow for HO and perfect for N.

Next up...2 more Skip Hoists....

Showing the door entering into the furnace interior catwalk:

Showing the connection between highline, hoist house, and cast house floor:

ooop randome cat pic

2008-08-19T15:52:51Z

Wh00p Dini in my ore yard dominatin'

Walthers Vulcan Manufacturing makes a comeback

2008-08-18T19:02:25Z

So recently I got (3) 933-3045 Walthers HO Vulcan Manufacturing kits under $30 bucks....and just in time because it seems they have retired them yet again! I bought these because I was at a train show and the opportunity seemed to good to pass up. I knew I could do something with them.

..and that something is make a 28" long blowing engine house type building to accompany the other behemoths. I always liked the two "tandem in line" design of these structures at Gary and may want to incorporate it into my layout.

But now the fun stuff, how do I get HO to N. This is what popped into my head.

1. Chop off the entire first floor. The second story end wall door is the same exact width as the Walthers N scale Northern Power and Light train doors.
2. Chuck the kit provided windows. The left over arched N scale windows I have from the Northern Power and Light kits come in 2 sizes. Standard side size and the larger ones at the ends. The mullions for the larger ones line up exactly to the larger end windows in the HO Vulcan kit and the side ones same deal. This adds mulls and scale details. So rather than this being a "2 story" looking building it is a large "one story" high type. The end result are windows on a similar scale to the Walthers N Dayton Machine Company structure.

3. Maybe cut a little brick off the top bumped out course to scale it down a little.

4. Roof built as is. The clerestory is of a similar scale to my 4' long Machine Shop structure.

5. Add 1/4" foundation with N scale personel doors.

Will it work?

Image from http://www.visi.com/~spookshow/layout.php

Who knows! All I know is in moving some model modules into two rooms to condense the model to only be in those 2 rooms I somehow gained 36" x 12" of table top to build something!

N scale Blast Furnace, HO scale Kitty

2008-08-16T00:34:16Z

I started the work on the Furnace "B" skiphoist and pretty much built it all except the stairs and railings. Before I could even size it properly and line it up with the highline I had to complete the furnace top works by painting the hand rails of it yellow and then securing it to the base.

The added cross bracing to the front of the skip hoist is from the same Walthers HO scale Cinder Conveyor kits used to create the Hoist House. As you can see, they are exactly the same width as the N scale skip hoist and fit right on.

To pounce or not to pounce, that is the question

The horizontals of the front added bracing only line up to the side braces every 4 modules. Some of them skip and don't line up, however, once the catwalks are added across the front (like the other 2 I did) it will be much less obvious.

Skip Hoist #2, Blast Furnace "E" complete

2008-08-11T00:50:31Z

Completed the skip hoist build for Furnace "E" today which now leaves 3 skip hoists to go and no more plastruct railings....all out. This one as anticipated went a lot quicker though than the first one so that was a relief. The next one I will work on is for Furnace "B" because I actually still have to secure that furnace top works to the cast house base.

Dorr Thickener Plant

2008-08-05T23:17:01Z

Before I tackle the next skip hoist I figured I'd build a dual Door Thickener Plant near the Boiler House #1 structure. Prototypes range between about 50' in diameter and 140' in diameter and mine are about 75' or towards the smaller end of the spectrum.

Mine were built from spare left over parts from the following kits:

Walthers HO Big Grain Bin parts (curved exterior walls)
HO Walthers Cinder Conveyor parts (misc fittings/connections)
N scale Superior Paper parts (the main boom framework)
HO scale Faller "old time" concrete mixing building (the center round pylon)
N scale Glacial Gravel (the vertical connector for pipes and booms)
N Heljan Diesel Sanding facility (the railings)
HO scale Walthers piping (pipes on framework)
and some Evergreen Sheet Stock (base, and spacers for framework)

Since I anticipate them being filled with churning water I did not model the parts that rotate around in the water.

TO EDIT: In response to a comment left here, www.peachcreekshops.com offers an easy solution by using a cd rom holder. It is featured in their articles section. If I didn't have the parts already I probably would have done it that way.

They will need some water in them eventually...

Skip Hoist # 1, Furnace "F" complete

2008-08-01T19:44:50Z

What a pain it is to build something level that is attached to something that sits up at a 30 degree angle. That would be the stairs for my little workers at my mill at the skip hoists. I had to go between my work bench and layout table a magillion times checking each tiem I added something to make sure it was lining up in the right place. Well regardless the first one of 5 is complete. The second sister furnace "E" will get one exactly the same so that build will be pretty easy and quick however the other furnaces are lower and will require different workings.

Unfortunately I had not included the ore boat in my calculations when I ordered the horizonal railings from Plastruct. ...and the ore boat used a lot of Plastruct railings. As a result, I only have 2 packs left which is not even enough to finish the next skip hoist.

It'll be a fun day when I have to finsih up the connections between the blast furnace bell level to the higher stove, the higer stove to the lower stoves, and the lower stoves to the vertical stairway.

For some of it I had to rig up something to hold the thing as I added the handrails...this was it...paint bottles and half a soda can...