I used .060" plain styrene to

I used .060" plain styrene to build the structures and covered them with a layer of corrugated styrene. I scribed the corrugated styrene with the tip of a scalpel to simulate the corrugated iron panels that cover the elevator. The elevator legs were built from 1/4" x 1/8" styrene tubes and U-shaped profiles.

Outstanding!

Your Grain Elevator complex is looking fantastic! I hope to build a similar structure in the not to distant future, I'll be following along for sure.

I love it!

Great work. I stay tuned about the progress.

Yeah!

Love structures that are in correct proportion to the rail cars serving them. Excellent start.

Impressive!!!!

Wow!!!  That is very impressive!!!  My layout is dominated with large elevators and I'd put that one on my layout in a heart beat.  You've done well, sir!!!  

Tom Johnson

very nice!

glad to see no Walthers parts in there!

I agree!

Very nice indeed. Good size for a prairie skyscraper. Just need the red lights and antennas.

Great Start

I drive by elevators in Illinois when I visit my father in law. They are very interesting structures, There is a Grain Elevator museum north of Springfield on 57. I have seen it while riding Amtrak but always forget to watch while driving. I'm going to make a point to stop next time I'm in the area. Your structure looks awesome.

Thank you …

… for your very kind comments. I derived a lot of inspiration from this forum and especially Tom’s (INRAIL) awesome layout made me want to build a scene with an elevator in it. I’ll be happy if it turns out only half as good …

Kurt

Really nice!

That's very impressive work Kurt.  Well done!

I love this!!

This facility is great and I really like all the details you have built. I really think the elevator legs are impressive and look much better than a lot of the commercial operations.

I have a Feed and Seed elevator that I have wanted to build and you gave me some great ideas and excellent motivation.

Please keep us posted with your progress.

Nice

I like it. Im looking forward to seeing it when it is finished

Great Structure

You have built a really great structure. Looking forward to seeing further post & pictures. Keep up the good work.

Richard - Superintendent CNW Peninsula Div.

blog - http://mrhmag.com/blog.richard_harden

Elevator legs

Thanks, guys. I really appreciate your kind words and I am glad that you like my little project.

Greg, I had a look at the elevator legs from Rix and Walthers, but the one from Rix did not look right, one of the Walthers legs was too short and the other one is way too expensive ($49.98 – Ouch!). Two of them would have cost much more than my entire diorama. Scratch building is much more fun anyway and fortunately it is no problem to find good pics and drawings on the internet.

I made a little progress yesterday by painting the foam and casting the foundations of the grain bins and the dryer.

Only have to add a few more

Only have to add a few more details, then I can paint the elevator.

I will have to look into building a static grass applicator. Using grass mats and gluing down countless pieces one by one to make it look realistic is quite tedious, but I hope a grass applicator will speed things up when I am building my layout.

Kurt

Great looking structure

Great looking structure, Kurt- the details are really impressive. Did you scratch-build the distributor system (I think that's the right term- remember, I'm a coal guy)? The scribe marks on the corrugated siding are extremely effective. I wasn't aware that Evergreen made this product, and I'll have to look into this for future tipple projects.

Nice work!

Tom Patterson 

Superb

Excellent Model!

Fantastic work!  Very realistic and well proportioned - in fact, maybe too realistic!  If I may offer one nit pick - OSHA is going to cite you for the ladder and cage at the end of the conveyor walk way.  The ladder needs to extend down to the cat walk and the cage has to extend 3'-6" (minimum) above the roof - if that is where the ladder is leading.  It will be hard to get on the roof as it is now.  The top of the cage should have a safety gate, too, but that is somewhat era dependent.  You might even need guard rails around the perimeter of the roof to protect anyone working up there.  Working in industrial architecture has made me very aware of these details!

Really, this is a fantastic model.  Can't wait to see the finished product!

Tom, apart from the grain

Tom, apart from the grain bins, the entire structure is scratch-built. I first thought of putting the corrugated siding together from individual panels, but the I took the easy way out and simply scribed it. I hope the scribed siding will still look good when it is painted.

Brian, I fear you might be right about the look of the grass and I will end up stying with my grass mats … that is why I will not buy an expensive applicator from Noch, but build a cheap one to try it out.

Alan, thank you for your nit picking. I am not really satisfied with the safety cage ladder myself. Your comment gave me the nudge I needed to try to come up with something better. Guard rails along the perimeter of the roof will not be necessary, as there are not any on the roof of the prototype.

Kurt

Very nice. I work around

Very nice. I work around these types of operations every day and it looks very accurate. I assume that your putting a railing around the leg head platform? 

FANTASTIC!!!!!

Impressive!!! You do not need to spend that much on a grass applicator.  I got one from Grass Tech and i love the way it works and it was not even $40...  anyway, your grass looks great... you can always mix grass mats and static grass for a more natural look...  Congratulations!!!

Pablo Moya

Cartago, Costa Rica

my grain elevator diorama...

still missing details... but getting almost finished....

Mendota, thanks for the

Mendota, thanks for the confirmation that I got it right, The elevator I am building does not look like the ones here in Germany, so I have to rely solely on photos and Google Maps. The leg head platform will get a railing, but I still have to decide if I build it from styrene or brass wire.

Pablo, thank you for telling me about Grass Tech applicator. I will have a look at it.

You did a great job on your elevator. How did you build it?

Kurt