Looking for Refinery-Sized Oil Tanks

[C855B]

I'm looking to build a large-ish refinery, combining several Cornerstone kits for multiple cracking towers, processors and the plumbing that goes with them. I realized this evening that despite the photo on the box cover there are no tanks in these kits. What good is a refinery without tanks to store the product? Walthers offers two in HO, a wide one, and this taller tank.

Did they (Walthers) ever offer these in N? Does anybody offer something equivalent, either a kit or built-up? I've been searching online until blue in the face and finding nothing.

[Steveruger45]

Model power made some like this.
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F392175283797
I’ve used the tanks only on my layout.

[wazzou]

Check out the PVC and/or ABS pipe caps at your local home center.

[peteski]

Couldn't you use the H0 scale kits' tanks?  I was under the impression that large Walther's N scale kits like the refinery and steel mill were selectively compressed. If you are planning on a large N scale refinery, the H0 scale items might fit the bill.

[johnb]

I made a pair of tanks tonight. The larger one is a 3″ ABS pipe coupling and the smaller one is two 2″ couplings. I made the roof out of a .005″ sheet of styrene, and I shot them with Rustoleum Aluminum. I printed out a Clever Models texture for an insulated tank onto a 8.5″x11″ label.

[Spades]

Couldn't you use the H0 scale kits' tanks?  I was under the impression that large Walther's N scale kits like the refinery and steel mill were selectively compressed. If you are planning on a large N scale refinery, the H0 scale items might fit the bill.

Peteski

Yes, I thought Walther marketed 4"tank as n scale, you were to remove the top rail and post on the handrail.  Plastastruct domes and PVC pipe have been used to model storage tanks.

[Philip H]

Those wide tanks will be correctly scaled for an N scale refinery complex.  The tall ones can be shortened a couple of courses and still used. Take a gander at the satellite image of Exxon Baton Rouge https://www.google.com/maps/dir//Mid+City+North,+Baton+Rouge,+LA+70805/@30.4888093,-91.1787569,1366m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m9!4m8!1m0!1m5!1m1!1s0x8626a05102d40a99:0x84c53e774ba39cd2!2m2!1d-91.1785016!2d30.4823045!3e3 and it becomes clear how big the tanks are in real life.

 The pipe caps are also a good suggestion,  though the ones with the rounded over tops probably have too great a curve radius to be convincing.

[C855B]

@Spades suggestion to use the Walthers HO tanks by modifying the step handrails is likely the solution. The HO wide tanks are going to be very, very close for 100' diameter tanks in N. As @peteski noted, the HO versions are evidently quite compressed, about half in diameter, maybe 2/3 in height.

Pipe caps could be OK, and as far as the domed tops, you just need to use the pipe caps for the low pressure (drain) PVC. I use these in building layout supports. Those are practically flat (slight dome) in the larger sizes, as the Schedule 40 pressure type are domed. Anyway, maintenance stairs, vents, access hatches and so on are details that would need to be added, and part of the goal here is a minimum of benchtop time. Good idea for cheap/easy stand-ins, tho'.

@Philip H , we have a nearby tank farm, a major pipeline "station" (eastern terminus of the controversial Keystone project). From your suggestion I looked at the sat views, and the largest tanks there are ~250' in diameter, although those and the smaller tanks are of the floating roof type. Anyway, that emphasized how undersized the HO tanks are, so there we go. Clipping the tall tanks is a good idea for a little variety, although that may even be unnecessary if you consider storage of lighter distillates such as gasoline. Street views might help assess that.

Tanks, everybody! 

[basementcalling]

Heck, get some proper diameter PVC pipe and hook up with one of our Anycube Photon owners. They could easily print a proper diameter tank roof for whatever sized pipe you decide to use, and probably stairs too.

There are a couple vendors on Shapeways that offer them too.

[peteski]

@Spades suggestion to use the Walthers HO tanks by modifying the step handrails is likely the solution.

Yeah, in a reply to my post recommending doing just that.  I just didn't get into the details.   

[C855B]

...There are a couple vendors on Shapeways that offer them too.

Ah! This guy has an amazing amount of refinery and heavy industrial parts: https://www.shapeways.com/shops/ngineer . Some of the models seem familiar - he wouldn't happen to be a member here, would he?

I see heavy impacts on layout budget with these details. 

[wazzou]

Yeah, he's a member. @Ngineer

[basementcalling]

Ah! This guy has an amazing amount of refinery and heavy industrial parts: https://www.shapeways.com/shops/ngineer . Some of the models seem familiar - he wouldn't happen to be a member here, would he?

I see heavy impacts on layout budget with these details. 

Yea, he's taken more of my money than I like to admit, but that's some super detail to include in almost any type of industrial scene. Amazing what I saw that I "needed" for my paper mill.

[Spades]

Plastastruct CLEAR ACRYLIC DISHED DOMES are used to cap the tanks.

[mu26aeh]

Yeah, he's a member. @Ngineer

No, it's actually @Erik aka Ngineer