Hey guys...I'm back. New Kit from Bergen National Laser

[pmpexpress]

That's the one - thanks Neville!  You sure come through with lots of useful info!

You're welcome.

With a great appreciation for model railroading's rich history, I thoroughly enjoy researching and conveying information about the topic.

[GaryHinshaw]

I was going to ask about the smokestack and you already provided a partial answer.   Is this a commercial smokestack you will include with the kit?  You said "ceramic"?

I think he means that the prototype stack is made of ceramic blocks that are larger than bricks.

[peteski]

I think he means that the prototype stack is made of ceramic blocks that are larger than bricks.

So much for my comprehension - I think you're correct. 

[CacheJunction]

Dave, are you back in business for good?

If so, we have a triple decker to talk about.

Hey Daniel. I'm definitely back, but I'm limiting my time a lot more, unfortunately. I will be doing few, if any, shows for instance. I don't think I will be able to get to your triple deckers...

I wish somebody would make an N scale tall industrial chimney of 1/2-5/8 wide at the base.

The stack that comes with this kit is 7.5" tall, .75" wide at the base, and .5" tall at the top. It's engraved from birchwood.



OK Peteski...let me answer some of your questions...According to the drawings, the 'bridge' was for a crank shaft. I believe the controversial roof covered the coal drop which produced the power to turn the crank shaft and run the machinery in the main building. Sound right?

And I'm not sure what chimney you are talking about, and what window. I tried to place them according to the prototype, so if it isn't right it is my mistake. Maybe the angle of my photo? Here is the prototype:



A quick note about the coal drop roof. I followed the design of the drawings of the prototype. Again, the roof should actually hit a couple of feet below the windows and if you install the roof on the model, it should hit about 1/8" below the sills. I don't think this was a good design, but I think it is plausible. Sawtooth roofs on factories sloped into windows and caused problems with leaking, not to mention the need to regularly clean debris that accumulated at the bottom of the angles. There was typically a trough or some other drainage system, and Finer Iron probably had one of these. It might not have been the best system, but there it was none-the-less. Again, if you don't like the roof, it is optional, as is the crank shaft and the water tower.

I've spend the weekend revamping the main building and it is coming along very nicely.

[peteski]

Hey Daniel. I'm definitely back, but I'm limiting my time a lot more, unfortunately. I will be doing few, if any, shows for instance. I don't think I will be able to get to your triple deckers...

The stack that comes with this kit is 7.5" tall, .75" wide at the base, and .5" tall at the top. It's engraved from birchwood.



OK Peteski...let me answer some of your questions...According to the drawings, the 'bridge' was for a crank shaft. I believe the controversial roof covered the coal drop which produced the power to turn the crank shaft and run the machinery in the main building. Sound right?

And I'm not sure what chimney you are talking about, and what window. I tried to place them according to the prototype, so if it isn't right it is my mistake. Maybe the angle of my photo? Here is the prototype:



A quick note about the coal drop roof. I followed the design of the drawings of the prototype. Again, the roof should actually hit a couple of feet below the windows and if you install the roof on the model, it should hit about 1/8" below the sills. I don't think this was a good design, but I think it is plausible. Sawtooth roofs on factories sloped into windows and caused problems with leaking, not to mention the need to regularly clean debris that accumulated at the bottom of the angles. There was typically a trough or some other drainage system, and Finer Iron probably had one of these. It might not have been the best system, but there it was none-the-less. Again, if you don't like the roof, it is optional, as is the crank shaft and the water tower.

I've spend the weekend revamping the main building and it is coming along very nicely.

That stack looks really nice David!

As for the chimney, the ones on the front of the building look fine (located between windows. I was questioning the one on the back.  In this photo it looks like it woudl partially obstruct the window below and to the right of it. But it might just be an optical illusion at the angle the photo was taken.

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As far as the crankshaft goes, I wonder if it was more of a drive shaft?  Many mills of that time had a stationary steam engine with the rotational movement was distributed throughout the building by series of line shafts and belts.  I wonder if the power plant in the Finer Iron housed a large stationary steam engine and that bridge housed a main drive shaft to distribute the power throughout the main building? Then I guess the location of that bridge would make sense.  Your description above seems to pretty much state the same thing.

[thomasjmdavis]

Looking at how that all goes together,

I am wondering if their should not be a coal and/or coke bin under the track between the two buildings, feeding the boiler in the power house and the forges in the main building (I assume, given all the chimneys).  Give you an excuse to switch a hopper in now and then.

[wazzou]

I would imagine that the chimney's could be located just about anywhere you wanted them to be or omitted entirely.  That is the nice thing about kits.