Peter's Model Railroading | My Library | Magazine Categories
Industries Articles

An Industry With Heritage

Creating industrial complexes that appear to have been added to over time. This can be done by combining a variety of structure kit types. Article includes examples from the real world, and step-by-step instructions on how the author build such a building.

Coal: A Fuel and Raw Material for Industry

How coal is formed, how it is mined, how it is transported (via rail), and how to model coal mining.

D. H. Griffin Go. Scrapyard

The article is based on the scrapping yards of D. H. Griffin Wrecking Co. Inc., of Greensboro, North Carolina, and how that relates to the railroads. The article includes lots of prototype photos, and a "3D" diagram of the track layout.

Houston-White Company Mill & Basket Factory

The company was based in Millsboro, Delaware. This article is a history of the start and fall of this company, what they manufactured, how they survived the Great Depression, and how they relied on the railroads. Includes many photos, a track map, and several scale drawings of the buildings.

Modeling an Old-time Feed Mill

Prototype and model photos of a feed mill. Includes scale drawing and construction photos.

Modeling California's Sugar Beet Industry

The history and current state of the sugar beet industry is discussed in this article. Also included are scale drawings of a beet dump and loader located along the SP RR in San Ardo, CA. This article also describes the special beet gondolas used to transport the cargo. The article wraps up with information about how to model the structures, the cars, and the beets.

Modeling the Steel Business

This article describes what makes iron and steel manufacturing a good candidate for modeling, and what it takes to plan a steel mill-based layout. It describes the basics of a steel mill, what types of cars are used, and which materials are needed, processed, and produced,

Modeling the Sugar Beet Industry

This article focuses on the American Crystal Sugar plant in Mason City, Iowa. Includes many prototype photos, a sugar beet processing flow chart, overhead photos and maps of the facilities, and many interior views. A tremendous number of references are also provided.

Petroleum Terminals

Prototype description and photos. Modeling suggestions.

Seneca Glass Company

Information and photos of the Seneca Glass Company Factory in Morgantown, West Virginia. Includes photos and diagrams of the building and its interior.

Tankcar Fuel Facility

The author describes how he used two old American Flyer tank car bodies to build two fueling facilities.

The Hercules Cement Plant

Photos and full discussion of the Hercules Cement plant in Stockertown, Pennsylvania.

The Lime Industry at Gibsonburg

This article covers the history of the PRR's Toledo Branch, and the author then describes the town's lime buildings and his hiring on to the PRR. Includes many photos of the lime industries, a complete 1966 track diagram, the engines used for the lime runs, and other industries served by the railroad.

The Pickle Industry and Railroading

This article covers the history of the pickle industry, how pickles are made, salting stations, pickle cars, and how to model the industry. Includes many prototype photos.

When Coal Was King

The author describes the different types of coal, different types of mines, and how to model it using, of course, Lehigh Valley Models' kits (Frank's company).

Working the Mill Job

Instead of a bunch of small industries consider one big one.