And here is the latest track plan of the YVR. Note the sidings on the lower left, Valley Pipe & Forge and the Slag Reclamation.
This is the plan for the talk I am giving soon at the local club that's why more names are in bold type. (so people can see what I'm talking about!)
The original is on a PDF file this is a photo from it. Roo. 
Hi Everybody.
Good news twice!
First good news, you will no longer have to put up with anymore old " Nostalgia photos" !
Second good news. We have finally installed the new control panel at Valley Forge and wired all the new track at the Slag and pipe works it's been tested everything works, I am now ballasting the area and laying some ground cover I will have some photos soon I might wait till Friday which is our scheduled operation day. The photos should look better as I will snap the action during the day while we are running the trains. The trains won't be staged just for the photos. I am so happy to have this area up and working it seems like it's taken years when it's really only been a few months as we get older things seem to take longer but I don't care we got there!
I say "we" because my good mate Bruce Temperley does the electrics and I do everything else we make a good team. So see you Friday. Roo.
I will patiently wait for a video of a loaded steel train move. I will patiently wait for a video of a loaded steel train move. I will patiently wait for a video of a loaded steel train move. I will patiently wait for a video of a loaded steel train move. I will patiently wait for a video of a loaded steel train move. I will patiently wait for a video of a loaded steel train move. I will patiently wait for a video of a loaded steel train move. I will patiently wait for a video of a loaded steel train move. …….
Same here!
Ha Ha. Roo.
OK jokes aside.
When Big John arrives on Friday I will try and organise something. Big John fixes computers and everything else to do with them so I will try and enlist him to do something with his fancy High Tech phone.
I'm going I have ground cover to plant, things to do to make everything look pretty for Friday. I'm turning this thing off! Roo.
The old nostalgia photos were downright fun for those of us that hadn't seen your previous layouts.
I snapped a couple of photos mainly to see if anything major is missing apart from details. In the first photo that unloader you see over the tracks in the Slag plant is temporary I am building something three times bigger after a photo came to light of a crusher mine will just have the one track. I have every volume of Morning Sun "Steel Mill Railroads" and many more of their books I read them all the time. The tracks on the right lead into the Rolling Mill this is going to have a major change made as well when I get the time...... another large building with crane to load the coils. It's good fun. Thanks. Roo.
The latest structure is for the Slag reclamation Plant it's for unloading broken up slag from Side dump cars part of a crushing plant here is the unloader before it gets it's cladding. That's 3mm MDF I hand saw or scribe most of it and wear a respirator mask for the dust. A few clamps are handy to hold it together. Sorry it's not much of a photo but sometimes it's good to see how other people build things and what materials they use. I could have used 3mm styrene or even 2mm for this instead of the MDF but it's very expensive compared to the MDF price and I have to keep costs down somehow. Roo.
It maybe just my imagination here, I remember the steel mills I went to being dirtier than yours.
Other than that, I think you nailed it!
Looks like a good start Roo! I hope you will post more as you go along!
of course, some are dirtier than others.....
Big Fire!
Thanks Mike. This is the latest photo getting to hot outside and not because of a fire!
It all fits, now the cladding and the paint, and I assure you it will all be weathered one day this new structure will look all rusty and dilapidated. Now for a shower and a rest and read a Steel Mill book. Ha Ha. Thanks. Roo.
A Train of Brand new Hot Metal cars leaving Valley Pipe and Forge for various Steel mills.
In reality they are Lionel cars converted to 2-Rail and will be used on Hot Metal runs between the Basic Oxygen Furnace at Republic Steel and Valley Pipe and Forge. They are all different because I try to buy them at the cheapest price resulting in all kinds of colours and mills. I don't get a choice when your chasing price! They will be eventually heavily weathered.
Wonderful cars Lionel at it's best. Roo.
Fabulous, ROO, really fabulous.
FrankM
Thanks FrankM.
I am having the operating session on Thursday this week due to the Grandaughter getting presented with an award at school on Friday we have to be there, orders from her mother!
I will try and snap some photos on Thursday's session of the action. Roo.
Roo posted:In reality they are Lionel cars converted to 2-Rail Wonderful cars Lionel at it's best. Roo.
I had a few MTH hot metal bottles; I think that the Lionel cars look better, more detailed. The MTH cars had two two-axle trucks under each end.
Due to the increase in Hot metal traffic I have decided to update the track work at the high line resulting in improved running and an extra dead end siding also the small dead end spur running onto the highline has been lengthened by running it off the slag track. See photos and diagram if interested. You just can't have enough tracks in a Steel mill!
The photo shows the first stage the diagram shows the final stage. The track to the highline nearest the furnace is temporary as two more turnouts will be added sometime soon. It's all working but the control panel will have to be renewed in the future. Apologies for the loco and the hoppers being "on the ground".
While this is going on operations will not be hampered as it is Saturday and train running is Fridays.
Thanks Roo.
Roo, sure looks nice! But man that sure is a lot of work! LOL
Hi Mike.
Yes it's a lot of work but also a lot of fun. We look forward to Friday's and running trains.
One of the latest projects is 2-Railing six Lionel Metro cars unfortunately the way we have gone about it is beyond most people as a lathe and a milling machine is needed to make up all new powered and unpowered trucks from scratch this is a one of project we will never do again!
One day I'll take some photos we will expect people to laugh and say there is a simpler way, if there was we couldn't find it, we have limited access to talented O scale people and parts over here, so we work with what we have. Thanks mate. Roo.
Roo, that sounds really cool! I cant wait to see how you did the new trucks! It doesn't matter if there is or isn't a simpler way, Its all about having fun and doing what you have to, to make things work the way you want them to!
I think what you have done so far is just amazing! Keep up the wonderful work and post!
If anyone is interested in how I went about building an O scale Blast furnace and all the related Mill buildings go to the Scenery and Structures forum and look for the "Steel Mill related structures" thread. I have so far posted scale drawings and lots of photos but that is only half of what I will post lots more to come.
And all the plans and photos are free to download and keep ! Thanks Roo.
Thanks Roo, excellent work! Thank you for posting. Looking forward to your updates.
Andy
Just a quick update for anyone interested.
First I'm not dead I just pinched myself and Yep, I'm still alive. I have had some kind of virus since I came back from the walk which has kept me in bed for 10 days about 30 tick bites didn't help things either, but I am now out of the worse of it and starting to do things I fitted some Kadees on another new Atlas SW yesterday so that's a start not a big start but something.
Today my mate Bruce is coming over and we are going to fit the new Republic Steel control panel the priority is to get the layout up and running again nothing else matters so that is what we will be doing this week. Lots of plans for the future lots of photos all kinds of things coming up as soon as i get fit enough.
You all take care.
Roo.
Nev
good to see your and development on Bayridge
Colin
Nev good to see you posting. I was beginning to wonder if that walk took too much out of you.
coach joe posted:Nev good to see you posting. I was beginning to wonder if that walk took too much out of you.
Coach Joe.
I have to admit it did. Thank you for thinking about me.. We are getting closer to getting the layout up and running again this Friday if everything goes to plan.
Colin, nice to hear from you again we have just fitted some new trackwork and a control panel at Republic Steel then I got crook and things slowed right down I'm on the mend so see above. This Friday hopefully. The photos are an under and over view of where we are working. Nev.
ROO:
Looks like someone you know may work for the phone company - that's what the terminals look like to me!
Joe
Joe .
No, we didn't do a raid on the local telephone exchange, if your referring to the terminals on each end of the board they are 'through connectors" used in industrial switchboards. My friend and operator who does the electrical had a job once of planning and drawing industrial switchboards so he has a good knowledge of the parts needed !
Thanks Roo.
Hi Everyone.
At last we have the layout up and running again and to celebrate we are having TWO running sessions next week Tuesday and Friday give me a call if you can make either day or even both! I provide the lunch and the trains. Photos show the new control panel and trackwork at Republic Steel and our first of two Rail Car sets no more locos running around the coaches, more about the passenger side of the layout later we are working on that it's a project we do in between projects, we might be in our middle seventies Bruce and mysel,f but we are still building and operating trains more than ever. It's Mothers day this Sunday coming so the kids will be over with their kids maybe Grandad will let them run some trains! Take care. Roo.
Neville, very nice!
Dan Weinhold
Thanks Dan. More photos coming soon. Roo
Hi Everyone. I have just cleaned up the Team Track area at Valley Forge which included relaying one track and painting the cobblestones the high level platform where the rail car set is stabled is not yet finished that will be this week more photos soon. That Lionel Rail car set might not be the scale length but it fits in good with the sharp curves and short sidings on the YVRR and more important it runs fine after it's 2-Rail modifications, another set will be ready soon if we stop running trains and snapping photos for a few minutes! Roo.
ROO, Looks good! You cant have all work and no fun! LOL Just enjoy the ride!
Roo, I never realized the Long Island Railroad or is that Metro North had an Australia Branch. I don't think there is any "maybe" associated with Grandad letting the kids run some trains. Happy Mother's day to the Missus.
Roo, Looks great. Glad you are running trains too !!
-Tom
Hi ROO, I much enjoy seeing the detail of the guys on that walkway relaxing above empty ladle-cars
, because having them standing above such cars filled with molten contents in real-life, would have had them cooked alive.
Attention to detail like that is masterful, IMHO, and enjoyable.
FrankM
Hi Everybody.
Well things are back to normal again with the layout, great day running trains even managed to snap some photos. As you can see most photos are from my operators position and show a variety of cars associated with Steel Mills even two Lionel Car Works, Hot Metal cars ready to go into service! Take care. Roo.
Looks great Roo! I am glad things are back to normal! I sure bet you had some fun running the trains!
Access to this requires an OGR Forum Supporting Membership
