Steel Mill

Brad,

I have done three of them in o scale. I used mainly styrene and abs materials purchased from Plastruct and Evergreen. All the mills included a blast furnace. I used a book I purchased to help layout and build the struc tures and learn what each piece of equipment did. I am in the steel constrcution buisness so I have some background in how large structures like a steel mill are constructed.

Alan Graziano

Carnegie Science Center Steel Mill

Here is one side of the casting house with a blast furnace (there is one at each end).

Dave

Wow--stupendous!    How much space are you dedicating to make it seem scale?    I am not sure I will have enough.

Alan,

How many true square feet would I need for a small blast furnace....   I am likely trying to compress too much into my layout at this point.

Brad,

The balst furnace buildings I constructed had 4 tracks running under them. They were about 30 inches long and 18 inches wide. The blast furnace was about 6 inches in diameter at its base and the total structure height was about 36 inches. You can also construct a conveyor to go to the top of the furnace to load it with ore and other ingredients. You can have another track designated to this for hopper cars, adjacent to the furnace.

The vessels that produce the blast were placed on a board adjacent to a track between the two structures. This base was 6 inches wide and 24 inches long and it had three air reciever vessels and one stack. The height on these was about 24 inches.

What you can do is build face sections in front of a wall that are maybe one to 2 inches deep so you can show some depth. You could build a whole steel mill that way without taking up too much space. If you look in the back of the Plastruct catalogue, you will see a steel mill building fron kit. Look at some pictures of steel mill structures and buy the parts to create them from Plastruct.

Alan

Many thanks--could you post images of your creation?

Brad,

I have made them for three different people. I will have to see if I have any pictures on the computer camera. If I do, I will try to post them.

Alan Graziano

Our modular club built a permanent layout for the Youngstown Historical Center of Industry and Labor. The primary industry on the layout is a steel mill complete. In one area we used a Walters HO steel mill which we elevated to give it some height. Using small O27 rolling stock works well with it and most people who have seen it don't know it's HO. Photos of the layout can be found here.

Bill

My Island Valley Railroad

Bill

Thank you and very timely; I would add that your photos have given me a creative use for my old lionel coal ramp!    I had been purchasing a bunch of magnetic dump hopper cars and now have a way to incorporate it into the layout.   

Brad,

I am going to attempt posting a picture for the first time. It looks like it worked. Blast furnace is in the background.

Alan Graziano

Alan

AWESOME!    can you perhaps post a few more and also provide some insight as to actual size (feet and inches...).

Thank you

Brad,

Here are a couple more pictures. The blast furnace building is about 15 inches wide and 30 inches long. Use the handrail as a scale. The handrail is about 7/8 inches high.

Alan,

Great help---btw did you use the old lionel coal ramp for your hoppers---I was thinking about this for mine!

WOW!

Alan,

Nice job!

Dave

Nice!

I have hauled steel out of mills and the photo takes me back.

If you have google earth. You may wish to exlore granite city Mo east/ n e of St Louis.

I recall waiting on the hot metal cars once in a while.

Aluminum is electric arc and the wheeled hotpot vehicle had the absolute right of way over all others including God as they transferred to a shop to be cast.

I hope to build a foundry but smaller in scale.

 my two cents.

Superb craftsmanship.

Brad,

The coal or ore ramp, was custom built from Plastruct Beams.

Alan Graziano

Sorry Alan---should have known!

It inspired me to bid on a old 356 ramp so I can kitbash it and create a more realistic ramp....

Alan

Do you have any over all photos showing the steel mill on your layout.  I am in O and am planing to build a small mill.  I have a space about 4 by 24 feet I can devote to the mill.

One of the members of the Trackers built a condensed version of Carrie Furnace.

Jay,

I do not have an overall photo. I do not have a layout. I build structures like this for individuals that have layouts. This is the fourht one that I have constructed. They have all benn built differently. If you tell me what you are trying to model, I can possibly draw out a plan for you.

Alan Graziano

The owner of the mill just sent a couple. This was scratch built mostly with pvc pipe.

HI! Years ago, I used to drive past Carrie a lot. All the other mills too. majority are gone now. the models are great!! Check out this site of Carrie in HO:          tacoma-trains.com      Here are some pics of Carrie in the '50's:

.....and the "little giant" The P&LE was there a LOT!!

 Pete

Alan incredible work! Thats your first picture post? What else is on your layout??

Zett,

I have no time to build a layout for myself. Maybe after retirement from my real job. As for now, I build for anyone that will have me. I never try to duplicate the same model twice.

Alan Graziano

Alan

I would be glad to have your assistence in anyway.  I have three helpers now, one is a great scencery guy, the other just loves to build stuff.  The third guy is into electronics.  I also have a guy who has written 99% of the software to run my Bruce Chubb CMRI signalling system.  He even came down for a week to get the wiring of the CTC board started which I am now finishing. 

So what is your arrangement when you help?

My direct email is jay@thebeckhams.us

Thanks

Jay

I'm surprised no one mentioned "The History, Making and Modeling Steel" by Dean Freytag.

Gene Anstine

Gene,

That is the book I used to help create the steel mills I constructed. I was lucky to find a copy of it. I even talked to Dean about the book. I was somewhat associated with him since we both promoted Plastruct materials. I wish Dean was still here to consult with.

Alan Graziano