At 02:42 AM 4/19/01, jeff worones <jworones@y...> wrote:
Looking for some assistance in creating an industrial
track plan for a tractor plant, such as John Deere or
CaseIH.
<snip>
I'm assuming they operate similar to an auto
production line. Raw materials are formed into parts
and then staged along an assembly line to be attached
at the appropriate times.
Well, Jeff, I would suggest for further info you join up with the Railroad
Industry group on yahoogroups at
Ry-ops-industrialSIG@yahoogroups.com
Also, check out the Model Railroader magazine articles in the June, 1997
issue starting on page 92 on modeling the automobile industry, and the
October, 1998 issue starting on page 101 on the paper industry. Both have
extensive information which may be of help to you and both also feature
LARGE trackplans with multiple trackage and spots, inside and outside of
buildings to serve these large, single product industries. I would think
these would be applicable, at least in part or as a starting point, to a
large farm implement manufacturing concern as well.
A couple years back I was considering modeling the same thing on my CB&Q
Illiniwek Branch layout. I decided at the time that the cost of all those
scale size farm machines would get pretty expensive, pretty quick - I don't
know if that would still apply now. Anyway, my solution was to instead
model a large trailer manufacturing facility. The Walther's van trailers
were (are?) relatively inexpensive when compared to the cost of then
available farm machinery models as the trailers are only a couple bucks
each. I also envisioned a bunch of undecs being transferred somehow to the
paint building. I even emailed a couple of tractor manufacturers to try
and get info and possibly printed material, photos, etc. to use for
reference but I didn't get a single reply. So much for public relations.
Anyway, changes in subsequent layout configuration and resulting
trackplan resulted in this idea being scrapped, but I still think it is a
good, Midwestern type of industry to try and model on a layout. As the
current trackplan doesn't allow the room now to do this type of operation
justice, IMO, I am instead planning to model an appliance manufacturer
complex which seems like basically the same type of operation but in a
smaller area.
What type of raw materials/freight cars would be
inbound?
Coil steel cars for sheet steel rolls?
Gondolas for steel/aluminum billets?
'Auto parts' type (60'+) box cars for engines and
other large components produced off site?
Flat cars for tires?
Tank cars for machine oils, paints, or fuel?
All of these sound good, at least believable to me, Jeff. Your research
will help nail down what the actual reality was/is, though. I envision
most of the commodities you mentioned above as well as freon coming in for
cooling systems.
Good luck!
Paul Kossart - Peru, Illinois, USA
BRHS, TP&WHS, La Salle & Bureau County Model Railroad Club
Proto-Freelancing The CB&Q Illiniwek River Branch in HO in the 1960's...
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"Serving Agriculture and Industry in the Illiniwek River Valley since 1904."
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