Lineside Industries (suitable for British N Gauge models)

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NB - This section is currently under construction, many drawings are not in place and many of those that are need extensive revision.
Lineside Industries

NB The sketches used are NOT scale drawings.

Note that details of cranes and associated lifting equipment will be found separately under 'Wagon Loads and Materials Handling'.
This section deals with the kind of lineside industry that can be accommodated on a model railway layout. The bias toward British N Gauge means that some options may be impractical in OO or O scales, however where possible allowance has been made for the larger scales. It is often said that industries are too large for inclusion on a layout but in practice a representation can often be accommodated, albeit confined to the periphery of the industry in question.
At its most basic a single (gated) siding alongside the main line, backed with a large building equipped with loading bays and with the company name or principal product described in the brickwork, can serve to represent the majority of lineside industries. For those wishing to embark on something more substantial I have tried to identify the distinctive structures and associated railway traffic for each of the industries described.
Adding these industrial sidings offers scope for running unusual wagon types and generally adds purpose to a line, justifying additional traffic. One final reason (or possibly excuse) for including an industry is the possibility of modelling something a little out of the ordinary, certainly less tedious than rows of terraced housing (many of the industries described can be included on a layout even if not served directly by the railway).
I am not an expert on any of the industries described, however I hope that the information provided will serve at least as a starting point. When these notes were first compiled the internet did not exist and research involved many hours trawling through the various libraries. As a result there are certainly gaps in the material and quite possibly errors, although I believe most of the information is correct.

It has been brought to my attention that I have used the term 'firm' incorrectly, apparently a firm is a partnership not a company, although I am also informed that no else seems to know this either.

Introduction to Line-side industrial premises and associated rail connections	Prototype industrial buildings This section offers suggestions for making more visually interesting industrial structures using common elements.
Prototype industrial ancillary structures (Boilers, silos, tanks, dust extractors, handrails & pipes, cooling towers, kilns, furnaces & weighbridges)	Available Models for Lineside Industries
Industrial and agricultural vehicles and equipment Covers tractors, small 'runabout trucks', factory cranes, excavators, narrow gauge industrial railways and welding and cutting equipment	Railway related industries
General Engineering and Shipyards	Milk - Creameries and Dairies and other milk related industrial premises
Beer, Breweries, Cider Making, Vinegar Manufacture and Pickles, Spirits and 'Fizzy Pop'	Sugar and Molasses, Starch and Glucose.
Agricultural Merchants & Fertilisers.	Flour, bread, biscuits, breakfast cereals and animal feed.
Canals, docks, harbours and ship types.	Industries associated with docks and harbours: Tobacco, ropes, grain, seed crushing, margarine, rubber (includes car tyres)and asbestos.
Pottery and Brick Making.	Cement and concrete manufacture and distribution.
Mines - General introduction.	Open Cast Mines & Quarries
Coal mines	Mining metal ores and smelting non ferrous metals
Iron and Steel Works & Stockholders	Scrap metal Yards, Foundries and Forges
Rolling Mills, Wire Drawing, Wire Rope, Electrical Cables and Pipe Works	Glass Works
Electricity Generating Stations	Gas Works Coke and Smokeless Fuels
Petroleum and LPG	Lubricating Oils & Associated Works. Also covers electrical oils
Chemicals, salt and plastics industries Also covers explosives	Coal Tar and Wood Tar Distillers
Paints, Dyes and Inks	Furniture Makers and Floor coverings Covers wooden furniture and carpets, rugs and linoleum.
Motor Cars, Commercial Vehicles, Construction and Farm Machinery.	Waste Disposal.
Builders and Wood Yards	Paper and Paper Products

Note - The illustrations of rolling stock started life as pencil sketches, prepared so I could build models whilst travelling without carrying heavy books. The body detail is about right but the chassis detail is pretty rough as I use RTR or (more commonly) Peco chassis to build the (N Gauge) models. The sketches were later re-drawn using a computer (and version 2 of 'PC Paintbrush') so I could pass them on to the lad to have a go himself, but the chassis detail remains approximate and they are certainly NOT scale drawings. The coloured illustrations were prepared when the web site was set up and these are simply tinted versions of the original sketches, I have tried to 'sample' colours from photographs but they are very much an approximation of the prototype. For more accurate and detailed drawings you really need the books listed in the bibliography. If you are hard up you can request books from your local library using the inter-library loan service (which has turned up some really obscure and useful books for my own research), many societies and clubs also maintain libraries of books donated by members.

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