PRECIPITATORS Part 12

Not a lot of steel mill modeling to report.  Besides the modular trip and working weekends a lot there hasn't been too much time left for model railroading.   We were able to attend to some benchwork and track issues in the past few weeks, with the goal of finishing the mainline loop by Christmas.  Last week we installed all new track in the port area, reconfiguring things there, much to the better I would say.  Jimmy has already done some heavy switching to test things out.  The tracks are all wired and hooked to a PSX breaker board.  I just need to add three more Tortices and then wire the control panel and we will be done there.  I now have a spur for R&H Chemical Works, in addition to Atlas Cement and a three track dock/yard.  I have been looking for specific kits to modify for the chemical works without luck so far, but might shift to plan B - modify a Walters Greatland Sugar Refinery.    About four feet of the main line and engine service facility area is benchworked and has roadbed down.  We have also added about six feet of elevated benchwork to connect to the coal dock - we are sloping downgrade as we go.  Jimmy was quite happy to see this work started as I think he thought we were never going to connect with the coal dock.  

I did assemble some of the stair towers I spoke about in the previous post.  As I said in that post two towers come in each kit, along with a whole bunch of flat platforms and piping and other detail items (see on photo - sprues in background are additional parts)  For $15 or so it's a bargain compared to how much it would cost in Plastruct stairs and railings and structural parts to build something similar.  Not to mention the time you save.  I have figured on using two and a half for the two towers in the Precipitator Complex - the first is done as shown in the photo with modifications made to the top platform as shown, using mostly parts in the kit with a few from Plastruct and a small Tichy stair section.   I built the second tower but I need one more section to get to the right height so I will have to wait until my local hobby store gets me additional kits.  I also will probably use a tower on the gas washer structure - several sections here, and also I might fit one in on the B-Furnace topworks.   There will probably be another half dozen sites where they will come in handy too.