Saginaw Terminal Docks (Michigan Sugar Co.)

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Active Member 68 posts Martin Burk Active Member 68 posts

Martin Burk

Michigan Sugar Co. (MSC) at Carrollton (between Zilwaukee and Saginaw) is the first industry I am modeling for my Saginaw Terminal Docks (STD) layout. STD is a play on Oglebay Norton's Saginaw Dock operation that existed until the late 1970s, I chose a fictional name in order to keep my options loose and open although all freight, power and structures will be prototypically modeled (no fictional stuff unless noted). Saginaw Terminal Docks will encompass semi-prototypical action along the Saginaw River involving the Grand Trunk Western, Chessie System, Central Michigan RR and its sister company the Detroit & Mackinac Railway in the 1980s. The Michigan Sugar Co. section is 13' x 22" with a 8' temporary extension (including the extension it is less area than a 4'x8') . This layout stands on its own with the extension serving as staging for trains to and from Mershon Jct. or Genesee Yard, where Chessie System, GTW and later in the 1980s the Central Michigan connected. MSC received and shipped numerous goods and material in all kinds of freight cars. Below is a google map view in which you see the Michigan Sugar Co. and what tracks I am modeling, along with the two mainlines to Bay City which will be built at a later date.

img.svg+xml ; position: absolute; opacity: 1; z-index: 8675309; display: none; cursor: pointer; border: none; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; top: 1563px; left: 30px; background-position: 3px 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">Save ; position: absolute; opacity: 1; z-index: 8675309; display: none; cursor: pointer; border: none; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; top: 1563px; left: 30px; background-position: 3px 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">Save

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img.svg+xml ; position: absolute; opacity: 1; z-index: 8675309; display: none; cursor: pointer; border: none; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; top: 255px; left: 30px; background-position: 3px 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">Save ; position: absolute; opacity: 1; z-index: 8675309; display: none; cursor: pointer; border: none; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; top: 255px; left: 30px; background-position: 3px 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">Save

Martin Burk at Saginaw Terminal Docks

MRH Link: http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/30169?page=1

Facebook Link: http://www.facebook.com/SaginawTerminalDocks

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batey_1020 Regular poster 267 posts

batey_1020

Fantastic start to a cool

Fantastic start to a cool industry to model.

Will be hours of switching action to be had there

Multi Deck Ho Logging Railway in the North West

https://owenpass.blogspot.com/

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Martin Burk Active Member 68 posts

Martin Burk

How I made MANUAL UNCOUPLERS

Avoid the unwanted uncouples, awkward opening of couplers and most of all KEEP THE HANDS OFF THE LAYOUT!

Martin Burk at Saginaw Terminal Docks

MRH Link: http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/30169?page=1

Facebook Link: http://www.facebook.com/SaginawTerminalDocks

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splitrock323 Prolific poster 1,364 posts

splitrock323

Great industry.

This looks very promising. Looks like a great industry to model and compress and have many hours of enjoyable operations.

What types of freight cars will be needed to service this industry? Did they use sugar beets?

I like the moveable uncoupling magnet. I make mine slide, I am not as good at carpentry as you. Is there a way to lock the magnet in the uncoupling position? It might be tough to pull the cord, turn the throttle and activate the reverse switch.

Looking forward to the progress.

Thomas W. Gasior MMR

Modeling northern Minnesota iron ore line in HO.

YouTube: Splitrock323 Facebook: The Splitrock Mining Company layout

Read my Blog

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Martin Burk Active Member 68 posts

Martin Burk

Freight cars and sugar beets....

1) Freight: Michigan Sugar Co sees a wide variety freight cars. It did recieve sugar beets in quad and larger open hoppers, but was re-tooled to receive beets by truck in the 1980s which I am representing. It recieved coal to power the plant, lime stone in open hoppers for the steffans house furnace to make quick lime for a particular type molassas. It ships sugar in air slide hoppers, bagged sugar in box cars, beet pellets for feed in covered hoppers and in the liquidified form in 27K tanks, molassas in shorty tanks, old machinery/scrap in gons and flats, and lastly the beet farmers co-op stores its leased beet hoppers here at times, even though this plant only receives beets by trucks (there are many beet plants in the Saginaw Valley and Thumb region of Michigan that are part of the co-op and still use open hoppers to this day).

2) Uncoulpers: I have a way to lock the magnet in place which I might do in the future, i have tested it and have all the parts to do them all. It is very simple: I install a little spring on the cord under the table to give the tab some elasticity with the pull of the tab. Then use 2 small hex head screws protruding out a 16th or so of an inch about 1/2 inch a part and 3" under the tab. This would serve as a fork/hook, pulling the tab down and placing it under the 2 protruding screw heads with the cable in the center. The spring I added to the cable will keep it taught and in place and all the bolts on the magnet and hinge will pull the tab back to hole in the fascia regardless of the spring when you unhook it. I will post a completed one soon.

Martin Burk at Saginaw Terminal Docks

MRH Link: http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/30169?page=1

Facebook Link: http://www.facebook.com/SaginawTerminalDocks

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musgrovejb Prolific poster 1,711 posts

musgrovejb

Excellent

Nice Job!

Joe

Modeling Missouri Pacific Railroad's Central Division, Fort Smith, Arkansas

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLENIMVXBDQCrKbhMvsed6kBC8p40GwtxQ

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forfoum Frequent poster 888 posts

forfoum

Ingenious!...

ingenious solution to a bothersome problem.

Marc

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Martin Burk Active Member 68 posts

Martin Burk

Thanks

Thanks Guys!

Martin Burk at Saginaw Terminal Docks

MRH Link: http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/30169?page=1

Facebook Link: http://www.facebook.com/SaginawTerminalDocks

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Martin Burk Active Member 68 posts

Martin Burk

Thanks!

Thanks everyone for checking it out

Martin Burk at Saginaw Terminal Docks

MRH Link: http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/30169?page=1

Facebook Link: http://www.facebook.com/SaginawTerminalDocks

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Martin Burk Active Member 68 posts

Martin Burk

Layout Tour w/ mock-up structures

Martin Burk at Saginaw Terminal Docks

MRH Link: http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/30169?page=1

Facebook Link: http://www.facebook.com/SaginawTerminalDocks

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Martin Burk Active Member 68 posts

Martin Burk

TEST/FIRST OPERATING SESSION...

FIRST OPERATING SESSION - It is long and kinda slow, but it demonstrates how long a basic job at the plant can be... over 40 minutes!

Martin Burk at Saginaw Terminal Docks

MRH Link: http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/30169?page=1

Facebook Link: http://www.facebook.com/SaginawTerminalDocks

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Martin Burk Active Member 68 posts

Martin Burk

Second Switching Session

Martin Burk at Saginaw Terminal Docks

MRH Link: http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/30169?page=1

Facebook Link: http://www.facebook.com/SaginawTerminalDocks

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Martin Burk Active Member 68 posts

Martin Burk

styrene down for cement...

Martin Burk at Saginaw Terminal Docks

MRH Link: http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/30169?page=1

Facebook Link: http://www.facebook.com/SaginawTerminalDocks

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Martin Burk Active Member 68 posts

Martin Burk

UPDATE: The main building is on its way to completion-

Martin Burk at Saginaw Terminal Docks

MRH Link: http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/30169?page=1

Facebook Link: http://www.facebook.com/SaginawTerminalDocks

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cslewis Regular poster 363 posts

cslewis

Impressive!

That sure is one impressive looking building for your take on MS Co. Been waitin' for the update.Waitin' to see the next update.

Charlie

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Martin Burk Active Member 68 posts

Martin Burk

Quick Video of Trailing Point Switches 4X speed

Martin Burk at Saginaw Terminal Docks

MRH Link: http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/30169?page=1

Facebook Link: http://www.facebook.com/SaginawTerminalDocks

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AzBaja Prolific poster 2,048 posts

AzBaja

Operations? Cars and

Operations? Cars and ratios need for in bounds and out bound operations I have gone and figured the inbounds and out bounds based on 75% water, about 20% sugar, and 5% pulp ratios, I did some lazy math and figured out what was needed to support 20 beet gons inbound and what cars would be for out bounds etc. I'm just wondering what ratio of cars you have inbounds and outbound of Beets,Lime,coke,coal,sugar,molasses etc. etc. lots of activity for one industry

AzBaja
---------------------------------------------------------------
I enjoy the smell of melting plastic in the morning. The Fake Model Railroader, subpar at best.

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Martin Burk Active Member 68 posts

Martin Burk

Ratios, Switching and the grey area...

Yes, my ratio is about 4 large beet hoppers = (1 airslide hopper of sugar + 1 covered hopper of beet pulp pellets or 1 20,700 K tank car of beet pulp mixed with water or 1 boxcar of bagged pulp). BUT, sometime in the 1980s (the time I am modeling) Michigan Sugar Co. (Carrollton) started getting all its beet deliveries by truck and that is what i am going to go off. So the only ratio I need to worry about is between pulp products and sugar (about 50/50). BUT, in the 1980s Carrollton had a storage capacity and that will effect the ratio during sessions also. I am not calculating at all, I just like to run the cars I like in the most interesting way possible and the storage capacity allows a cover for any unbalance to the critical eye. I have in no way found any info on the different molasses and their ratio to beet, again I just assume that have a storage capacity for their shipments in those shorty tanks. Inbound Coal to Lime again will vary because the lime is only for when they are producing a type of molasses. So a very loose parameter and hence one reason why I chose this one industry for possibly the whole layout(who know when i can afford a larger space to expand). Another reason was in not trying to cram more allowed the long sidings, broad curves, and a proper scale of the industry to the size of train cars.

Switching is my main focus: interesting and efficient puzzle solving on the fly. The crew comes into Michgan Sugar Co. and gets the switch list and goes from there. I keep everything modeled as proto as possible, but I gotta spice up the train running...

Martin Burk at Saginaw Terminal Docks

MRH Link: http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/30169?page=1

Facebook Link: http://www.facebook.com/SaginawTerminalDocks

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Sn2modeler Regular poster 101 posts

Sn2modeler

Following along

Nice work, just want to follow along.

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Martin Burk Active Member 68 posts

Martin Burk

Switching...

Martin Burk at Saginaw Terminal Docks

MRH Link: http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/30169?page=1

Facebook Link: http://www.facebook.com/SaginawTerminalDocks

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MikeC in Qld Super User 1,066 posts

MikeC in Qld

Coming along nicely, Martin.

Coming along nicely, Martin. Things seem to run well.

Mike

My Blog: http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/14628

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cslewis Regular poster 363 posts

cslewis

old equip.

Martin,

How about a couple of odd gons, filled with old rusty, worn out equip. As nothing lasts forever anymore. Followed by flat cars, with new equip. in crates. Depending on the life cycle of the equip. Or perhaps the odd flat, bringing in 20 ton A/C units to keep the employees cool. (If the employees aren't kept happy, they'll go on strike). than the plant will close. Maybe the plant needs new piping? Time for an overhaul? A few loads of pipe? Just some ideas.

Really enjoy your updates & photos.

Charlie

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Martin Burk Active Member 68 posts

Martin Burk

Work Crew...

Crew installing the salvaged ground throws from my old layout. The load came in on a Chessie System Flatcar.

Martin Burk at Saginaw Terminal Docks

MRH Link: http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/30169?page=1

Facebook Link: http://www.facebook.com/SaginawTerminalDocks

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Martin Burk Active Member 68 posts

Martin Burk

Switching Coal at Michigan Sugar Co.

If it is too slow for you, youtube has a new option where you can watch videos at 2X speed. It is located above the the quality setting in settings; watch in HD.

Martin Burk at Saginaw Terminal Docks

MRH Link: http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/30169?page=1

Facebook Link: http://www.facebook.com/SaginawTerminalDocks

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