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NB - This section is currently being edited and re-built, 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.


This section deals with the kind of lineside industry that can be accommodated on a model railway layout. 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.

Currently the best option for varied traffic seems to be the jam and preserves industry, for unusual traffic the dye industry has a lot to offer.

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.
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.


Prototype and Model Buildings and Structures
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
Needs updating

Vehicles & Related Equipment
Industrial and agricultural vehicles and equipment
Covers vehicles and equipment for set dressing
Works Locos & Industrial Narrow Gauge Railways
Manufacturing of Motor Cars and Commercial Vehicles Traction Engines and Tractor Manufacturers
Manufacturing of Construction Machinery and Plant
Very little uploaded so far
Not yet assigned

Coastal and Riverside Industries
Canals, Docks and Harbours Quayside Cranes and Cargo Handling
Barge and ship types. Seed Crushing & Oil and Cake Mills
Rope & Cordage Grain (imported)
For domestic grain see under Flour Milling
Gutta Percha, Rubber and Tyres
Very little uploaded so far
Tobacco
Very little uploaded so far
Margarine, Soap and Detergents
Very little uploaded so far
Boatyards, shipyards and dockyards

Farming Related Industries
For tractors and traction engines see Vehicles & Related Equipment above
Agricultural Merchants Farm Machinery and Agricultural Engineers
Fertilisers. Animal Feedstuffs

Food Related Industries
For Salt see under Mining Industries below
Milk, Creameries and Dairies
and other milk related industrial premises
Beer and Breweries
Wine, Port and Sherry
Very little uploaded so far
Spirits and Distilleries
'Fizzy Pop'
Very little uploaded so far
Cider and Perry
Vinegar Breweries Sugar and Molasses, Starch and Glucose.
Preserves, Jams, Marmalade and Pickle Works.
Very little uploaded so far
Canned Foods and Canneries
Very little uploaded so far
Flour milling (domestic grain)
For imported grain see under Grain (imported) above.
Bread and Cakes
Very little uploaded so far
Biscuits
Very little uploaded so far
Breakfast Cereals
Frozen Food Industry'
Very little uploaded so far
The Meat Industry'
Very little uploaded so far

General Engineering Industries
Iron and Steel Stockholders Heavy General Engineering & Boilermakers Works
Foundries for Iron, Brass and Other Metals Blacksmiths, Forges and Steel Pressing
Very little uploaded so far
Rolling Mills, Wire Drawing, Wire Rope, and Pipe Works
Very little uploaded so far
Machine Tools
Very little uploaded so far
Electrical Cables and Cable Drums Railway related industries
Very little uploaded so far
Tinplate Tin Boxes and Cans
Very little uploaded so far
Gas and Electric Welding and Cutting equipment Scrap metal Yards

Mining & Smelting Industries

For railway coal yards and coal concentratuon depots see Freight Operations - Coal
Mines - General introduction. Open Cast Mines & Quarries
Sand & Gravel Pits Coal mines
Salt Iron Ore Mines
Very little uploaded so far
Iron and Steel Works Mining and smelting non ferrous metals
Lead, Zinc. Copper & Tin etc.
Smelting Aluminium
Very little uploaded so far
China Clay
Not yet uploaded

Chemicals and Related Industries
Heavy Chemical Industries
Coal Tar Distillers
Wood Tar Distillers Plastics Industries
Dyes Explosives and Fireworks Industries
Very little uploaded so far

Petroleum & Petrochemical Industries
Oil Refineries, Petrol & Fuel Oil Lubricating Oils & Associated Works.
Also covers electrical oils
Bitumen Oil from Coal and Other Synthetic Fuels
Petrol Additives and Refinery Chemicals Petrochemicals, LPG and LNG

Gas and Electricity Industries
Electricity Generating Stations Gas Works
Includes Coke and Smokeless Fuels

Building Materials
Brick, tile & clay pipe works. Cement and concrete manufacture and distribution.
Glass Works
Includes bottles and fibreglass
Builders and Wood Yards
Includes plywood,chipboard and veneer
Asbestos Related Industries
 

Consumer Goods Related Industries
Furniture Makers
Floor coverings (Carpets, rugs and linoleum.)
Paper, Paper Sacks and Wood Pulp Pottery Making.
Matches and Fire Lighters Polishes
Very little uploaded so far
Paints and Varnishes
Very little uploaded so far
Inks
Very little uploaded so far

Rail Connected Public Service Related Industries
Waste Disposal.  
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 - the chassis detail remains approximate and they are certainly NOT scale drawings. The coloured illustrations 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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