Saw Mills

New version in the new Catalog, others are the same.

K-Line made a nice Sawmill if you can find one. More realistic then the Lionel version.

Also a place in Australia makes a nice group of Scale Bush Sawmill pieces that go well together depending on the look you want.

The latest versions have simulated spinning blade and strobe lights.  There have been various color schemes over the years. If you search using "Lionel Sawmill" on the popular web search sites and auction sites you can see most of the variations. The latest Lionel catalog out today (2014 Vol 2) lists one with the new Lionel "plug & play" features.

The best value in used sawmills is probably the #2301 sawmill from the MPC era.  It was the first re-issue of the postwar #464 sawmill and is virtually identical.  I have had one since it was issued in the 80's and I have been very happy with it.  It was always a hit with the kids!

At one point in my career, I consulted to the saw mill industry. I sure learned a great deal about them, and those that were around for a long time had a history of the mill burning down. So a smoke feature would be very cool.

The added huge saw blade spins backwards in the newer ones!

I agree with banjoflyer. You should checkout the Flyer sawmill made by either Lionel or MTH. If you have some extra money in your pocket, you may want to buy a original Flyer one.

If you are looking for an operating saw mill, I recommend either of the Lionel saw mills mentioned above.  I have both and like each for different reasons.  My favorite would be the Lionel MPC reissue of #464.  I cannot begin to dlll you the number of kids and adults that have asked if it is really cutting the log into lumber.  I t is a very good illusion.  It also gives you a great place to use one of those log dump cars to dump the logs into the saw mill.

The reissue of the American Flyer saw mill is also a lot of fun with a lot of action.  It has a smaller footprint and works equally as well with a truch to drop the lumber in as a train car.

Good luck on your decision and happy railroading,

Don

BTS has an elaborate saw mill layout for big pockets.


There is a sawmill interior kit also.

I have a really old one by Foxhill Models in Maryland as pictured below. Models a Frick Sawmill with a diesel replacing the steam tractor power. Hope to complete the scene someday when health allows.

Does anyone have a photo of the K-Line saw mill?

Here you go, these are pictures of the K-Line saw mill on my layout.

Mine will have a Steam engine in it.

Yes, I have the K-Line sawmill, it's very close to what my uncle operated for most of his life. Add a few bits and it will be there.

That K-Line sawmill really looks more like the real thing than other operating sawmills I have seen.

The Lionel PW & MPC sawmills have the "vibrotor" drive. When it's running it sounds as though it's really cutting the logs. GN Man is right: the kids LOVE it! Plus, they're generally the cheapest to buy.

the BTS interior is amazing--- and an amazing amount of time to construct...

Art,

That will be the choice, do I get one that pleases me or one that would please kids.  When our girls were young, I had an N scale layout that pleased me.  They had only a passing interest.  Being girls, they may not have had more than a passing interest even if I had animated scenes.  That seemed the case when we visited shows that had kid oriented layouts.  Now they are grown, and while we do not have any grandchildren at this time, I am keeping in mind what would interest kids.  Since I am now in O Gauge, that will be easier for me to do.  Thank you for your input!

The large band saws pictured on the BTS website seemed unusual.  My time in the forest, here in western PA, the most common cut seemed to be the large circular saw.  I could be wrong and often. 

The large band saws pictured on the BTS website seemed unusual.  My time in the forest, here in western PA, the most common cut seemed to be the large circular saw.

Band saws were common, especially in larger mills cutting big wood on the west coast.

A circular saw is limited to a bit less than HALF it's diameter for single cut sawing.

If you have an 84"(7 foot) diameter saw, with at a guess a 3" shaft, you would have a maximum depth of cut, of no more than 40.5"

 By slabbing off the sides, you would be able to mill a somewhat larger log, but I don't know the formula as to how large a log you could manage that way.

Doug

A circular saw is limited to a bit less than HALF it's diameter for single cut sawing.

Hence the double circular saw ....

or the band saw.

A band saw could get you a thinner kerf for the same capacity.

Interesting stuff.  The solid circular saw appeared to produce more speed, and more saw dust. Apparently 54" saws are still available today. The cutting edges/teeth are set in the saw blade and locked in.  I remember stories of the one saw mill, near the farm, that my brother, Dick, work for one summer.   Hitting something other than wood, nails/spikes/etc., in the raw lumber at the least put holes in the saw mill roof. Lumbering is still an occupation where workmen's compensation is expensive or difficult to get.