Sprinkle vs Wet Spread

I had similar thoughts for applying some tailings material to a mine that I was building. After sifting the fines, they were so small that sprinkling them on really didn't give me the look I was hoping for as it didn't to be thin and clumpy. I then tried some floor grout, but this time stirred it up to a fine slurry and "painted" a thin layer on and let it dry overnight.  Much better results although a did have some areas which didn't adhere as well where I had a slightly thicker grout layer and there didn't seem to be enough adhesion to the wooden base I used.  Solved that problem by adding a small amount of Modge Podge to the slurry.

Do It

I've done the same thing.  I also used gray sanded tile grout.  In both cases the material will set up in place with only water, so you don't need to use glue.

70% alcohol...

... misted on with an artist’s fine mist sprayer will produce good results. You want 70% because the water content will activate the cement. Using a fine mister prevents puddling. 

ground cover in a Cement Plant

For about 25 years I did the surveying for the local cement plant. Davenport was an old plant dating to around 1900 IIRC so had lots of cement buildup. Some of the older buildings had 2 to 4 inches on the roofs, looking like gray snow.  The fine cement powder would build thickness over many years of dust settling and dew or fog wetting it. One of the most interesting things was chain link fences with the dust blown on them creating a honey comb effect on the downwind side of the wires. So if you are patient you don't need adhesive, just dust on some powder and wait :> ) .....DaveB

Cement Plant

I’m fascinated by your cement plant project and I hope we hear more about it as you progress.  I recently retired from engineering and constructing cement plants (PA, AZ, Peru, Brazil, Colombia).  I’ve never been to Union Bridge but I seem to remember that it was upgraded in the early 2000’s.  I’m sure they included a lot of dust collectors, 30 to 40 are common for a large plant.  Of course those are required now for environmental reasons, plus dust just plain costs money.  Even with that cement plants tend to be dirty so I’m sure you can have all sorts of gravel, dust, and coal laying around.  Plus I’m thinking dust collectors themselves would be a real PITA to model.

I'd love to see what you think of my creation.

I'm completing the mill building and the conveyors and then I'll be posting a few photos on my blog here on MRH.  I'I know next to nothing about cement manufacturing and have been going by Google Earth photos with lots of kit bashing of Walther's kits.  Fitting everything into a 2' by 10' space isn't that easy when the prototype is about 500-700 acres.  I would be very interesting in getting you opinion about how I can improve it.  

Looking forward to seeing it

I’m sure you’ll have fun with that, unlimited opportunities to model.  My last plant had 1.6 km of conveyors so you’ll have to do some selective compression ha ha!  I thought about modeling that myself but eventually decided to model coal/coke/logging short line in western PA.  So many choices, so little time....

Ya might just try

spraying the area with cheap hair spray and then sifting on the cement.

Nevin, I worked in cement

Nevin, I worked in cement logistics for 8 years with Lafarge.  I have a lot of photos and can help explain how cement manufacturing works.  Looking forward to your pics.

JAJ

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I have a rather large cement plant on my layout and EVERYthing has been covered in cement "dust".  I initially tried using sifted cement, but it wouldn't cure on its own, and gluing it down like ballast lost the appearance I was after.

I ended up mixing the sifted cement dust 50% with plaster and sprinkled it on the ground and structures with a very fine screened sifter. Once in place, I used a very fine mister (old hairspray bottle) to soak everything down. Next day it was dried in place and still had a very textured, gritty look to it.

Mark.

@ToddGriffith and @jjoyce1

You two might be a perfect duo to write an article on how a cement plant works and what role rail access plays in that industry. It could provide insights in the basic process from base materials to finished product, how it moves through a plant and what equipment is used. And more importantly for us, what comes in and out via rail using whatever types of cars. It could provide guidance on facility size versus car loads in/out so at the end the reader can design a realistic sized model and avoid things like 'That kit is a model for a small local cement distributor but the rail access it has makes it look like it's supplying the entire Mid-Atlantic region with product'

Vallejo pigments

I have used Vallejo 73.113 Light Slate Grey to represent cement buildup on a covered hopper with good results.  I mixed some pigment into matte varnish to get the buildup, and I sprinkled some dry pigment over the wet mix to get a dry look.  That said I suspect it would be fairly pricy to cover a large area with it.

Corrosive

Cement is somewhat corrosive, so that could be concern with spreading it around. It might not be an issue with the amounts used. I use grout for ground cover, and it contains some form of cement, but I haven’t noticed any harmful effects after probably close to 8 years.

JAJ, I would like to contact you about the cement industry.

I would like to talk about cement modeling with you. I worked on a branch line in 1973 and 1974 in the cement belt of Pennsylvania as an agent-operator. I am just starting a new layout design and would like to be accurate in my modeling of the cement industry.

Bob Stafford

direct email: SpiritTowerGarden@Yahoo.com

Cement Dust

I airbrushed Testers Model Master Aged Concrete over all my track before I ballasted it. Having worked on the railroad in the Cement Belt of Pennsylvania I remember the cement dust on the ties and the sides of the rail. 

I did a video about the operation of the Cementer on my layout. It is a two-part video since it switches two mills. 

These mills are not accurate, just made to create the cement belt feel in the space I had to work in.

The Cementer Part 1

The Cementer Part 2

A post I did on Lackawanna Railroad Bottle Cars

https://trainmasterbob.com/lackawanna-railroad-air-activated-cement-bottle-cars/

Bob Stafford

Nice Cement Action

Bob - I enjoyed watching your videos. I got a real Lehigh Valley feel from them in general and the old Keystone plant in particular. Loved the Pen Argyl slate dump!

 I was a PM for the Keystone Bath upgrade that started up in 2009. I spent a lot of time there but must admit I was not much concerned with rail operations then.  Modern plants (post 1990 or so) have a quite different look from the old days with the big mill buildings and rows of silos but the vestiges of the past are still there for the most part.

The bottle cars are cool too. I modeled one and it was a fun build. It turned out nicely but you have done a much better job of weathering yours.

Todd Griffith