Empire Power Authority
Greetings All,
The Empire Power Authority Coal Fired Power Plant #3 is now in service. Originally designated the Empire City Power Authority I changed the name slightly as I'm planning to rename the city / town where Terminal Yard and its surrounding industries sit.
The E.P.A. was designed to be a low cost backdrop industry that will provide intra layout train traffic between it and my Hudson Coal and possibly receive some virtual ops coal from the B&O or LV via the KP&W on Ralph's Kings Port Division. Further project research introduced me to Fly Ash that opened up some additional operational possibilities. Let's take a look at the project.
In a previous post I wrote about moving the Pier 16 Grain Silos from this location back to its original location which is to the left.
The Pier 16 Grain Silos went into service on July 27, 2019.
Shortly after that I began working on the coal powered Empire Power Authority which begins to take shape. The first casualty of the covered unloading portion is E.P.A. Track #2 which needed to be disconnected electrically and moved slightly.
A second section has been added to give the impression of a large power plant that serves a major metropolis. Since I cannot simulate the unloading of the coal hoppers and have no space for a large coal pile dumped by my coal hoppers I opted for the covered track.
The P-2000 LV Switcher continues to get a good workout moving coal hoppers in and out of the covered unloading shed.
The trackwork is back together and the E.P.A. is taking shape. The E.P.A. has a capacity for fourteen cars which seems to work best.
The Empire Power Authority as seen from across the room.
Fast forward a month or so and I've sprayed the structure with Dupli-Color Red Primer.
Some hobby sticks sprayed with gray primer are being attached to reflect steel curtain construction and add visual interest.
The E.P.A. is starting to look like something...
While this structure is by no means prototypical I continued looking into what types of freight cars other than coal hoppers could be needed for additional operational scenarios. In my search I came across a coal fired waste product called Fly Ash that could be shipped out in covered hoppers.
To keep everything simple and not get confused with the covered hoppers coming and going to the Pier 16 Grain Silos I thought some two bay covered hoppers were perfect to transport the fly ash from the power plant.
Some industrial piping, chimneys, vents and two fly ash loading canopies have been added.
The structure is now easily identified. The E.P.A. can handle 7 coal hoppers and six 2 bay hoppers for shipping the ash. Fly Ash is generally used in making concrete while Bottom Ash is commonly used as fill and snow control on roads.
It definitely looks like something...
Now I need to be able to receive some of the things that are needed to make electricity.
An overhead roll up door and a Jimmy Durante looking hoist have been added and the E.P.A. 3 is now in service.
Thanks for reading!!!
See ya soon!!!
Congratulations on the opening of the EPA's Power Plant #3! The huge structure is very convincing as one needing lots of rail service! The vents, piping, and striped chimneys nicely detail the big building and create a great looking scene as evidenced in your third from the last photo in which it "definitely looks like something". Yes it does! The power plant offers a lot of operations potential with coal and fly ash movements! Nice thought adding the large door to accommodate shipments like the transformer load. Looking forward to see the new plant in action!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the compliments Ralph!!!! It will be nice to work the E.P.A. into the virtual ops!
DeleteThat building is absolutely amazing! Expansion is an understatement. More like eminent domain in Empire City. The step by step on how you developed it was very interesting. It looks like you started with foam core? I do like the covered track area for the coal cars. Looks like Empire City won't have to rely on those other power companies that like to sell their excess electricity. Just a superb structure. Kudos to you!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the compliments Sir Neal!!! The building is indeed made from foam core and is extremely light. As Empire City expands so does its power needs!
DeleteAwesome project! It looks great. The covered unloading shed was brilliant way to save space. I'm sure the model took more effort than the pics implied, it sure looks that way. I've learned a lot from your post. I'm hoping to include a cement plant on the new BRR. I had no idea about fly ash. One of the more surprising things I learned is about the LIRR. I always believed it to strictly be commuter line. BTW: thanks for the info on the C-628s. Also, the last PCCM was a good read. Nice touch with the wreck. Looks like not only will that bumper need to be replaced, but the 'GIANT GLUE TUBE FROM THE SKY' may need to be called in to repair the road sign post.(I hope the driver has a 1/87th scale deductible!) Cudos to all you PCCMers.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the compliments Mark!!! After two or so years of mulling this thing over I finally just started to cut and glue the foam core. The imagineering phase and gathering of surplus things to use did take awhile.
DeleteThe covered track was indeed a space saving way to give the illusion of loaded coal hoppers going inso to be unloaded. I wasn't sure I would like that but once the whole thing was complete I'm onboard with it now.
I hope the E.P.A. will be able to send some rail shipments of fly ash to the BRR served cement plant. I'll try to match any covered hoppers you use for the deliveries. The discovery of fly ash was a pleasant modeling surprise.
The LIRR did run freight service on Long Island, Queens and Brooklyn up until the 90's I think. They then leased that out to the NY & Atlantic Railway which runs it to this day.
Glad you liked all the other stuff and the PCCMs!!! Thanks for following along and all the nice compliments!
Hello John. All I can say is WOW! I love it! It's very impressive. I also like your clever use of the dual meaning E.P.A acronym.
ReplyDeleteHi Robert, Thank you for the compliments!!!
DeleteYou get the prize for being the first to catch the dual meaning acronym! Nice work!
Wow! The E.P.A. thing got right by me. That's CLASSIC!
ReplyDeleteThanks! You get second prize! A year's supply of 1/87th scale fly ash!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the compliment "Unknown". No offense to you but I had to delete your comment with the link you included as your identity is not known and the link may or may not be something a reader would regret clicking on.
ReplyDelete