PRR Panhandle 2.0

Updated 7/07/2022:

All 9 full trusses and 3 half-trusses are now painted.  Took 3 full-size spray cans of paint! 

More when I know it.

George

Will there be photos upon completion??

Updated 7/9/2022:

I was working on adding the overhead lights to one of the trusses when I realized that the current 3VDC lighting strings are incorrect.  Things to fix:

• Remove the middle lamp in the string. It’s right where a column should go.  That will make the string consist of 4 micro-chip LEDs with lampshades (see 3rd bullet below).
• Replace the 3VDC string of LEDs one powered by 12VDC. This will eliminate a plug in wall-wart powersupply and free up a slot in the mill’s power strip.  For consistency, it's best to have everything powered by 12VDC (and I can use the Mean Well 12VDC supply).  And you never know when you will need the extra plug in the power strip.
• Modify each string to have 4 LEDs instead of 8.  That will mean having a total of 8 strings. That will give each truss its own string of lights (except those in the extended pouring floor section of the building).
• Extend the leads from the 1^st light of the string to be 72” long. That's more than enough extra wire, but I like having options.  Make sure that the supplier uses at least 28 gauge wire.

There are just too many things wrong with the existing lighting strings (designed back in 2018 and now overcome by updates and changes in the design) to go forward with them.  They won't go to waste, though.  I will end up using them in another structure, probably the Strip Steel building (which will not have a detailed interior).

Essentially, this means ordering new LED strings from Evan Designs.

More when I know it. 

George

Just to give you an idea of the software bugs I've been dealing with in my Arduino code - and this one was even featured on Svengoolie last night!

George

That’s why I preferred being a hardware man myself 😉

Sometimes you gotta cut your losses and start over. Better to have caught it now instead of when you're further along though.

@BillYo414 posted:

Sometimes you gotta cut your losses and start over. Better to have caught it now instead of when you're further along though.

Thanks Bill.  You are exactly right.  The process of re-thinking the lights was a very useful exercise.  Even though the lights themselves are wrong, I caught a bunch of additional mistakes in the concept phase.  I can still fix those before the model is built.  And the lights will be re-used elsewhere.

In particular, I was surprised at how long the leads turned out to be for these LED strings.  It's a big mill and that's what is really needed; might as well get them made correctly versus using connectors to extend the wires.  More extensions, better chance of a poor connection.  Below is the revised lighting diagram for the LED strings.  It's not strictly to scale.

George

Are these like a homebrew lighting fixture? Or did you buy shades and fix them to the little LEDs?

Actually, I had Evan Designs install them on the old string of LEDs when they made these back in 2019.  As I said before, the voltage is wrong (because of my own changing requirements).

George

Updated 7/11/2022:

Today, I updated the cross-section diagram of the mill to include changes to the floors.  I have added spacers to make the furnaces sit correctly in relation to both the charging floor and the pouring floor.  I am starting to test-fit these spacers and floor sections.

More when I know it.

George

Updated 7/12/2022:

I laid down the Pouring Floor track and then did some test-fitting of components.  First, the track.

Next, I placed one of the exterior wall columns in position.

And just for grins, I tested clearances with a switcher.

More when I know it. 

George

George, why the two rail track? I thought from previous pictures that you were using three rail.

@naresar posted:

George, why the two rail track? I thought from previous pictures that you were using three rail.

Excellent catch.  My layout is 3-rail, but:

1. I will use that locomotive and an idler car to pull a string of ingot buggies out of the mill.  The buggies will sit on the 2-rail track, while the locomotive and idler car will occupy the 3-rail spur leading to it.
2. I intend to have the mill judged as a structure and I want it to be as prototypical as possible.
3. If at some time in the future that track needs to be changed, I have an idea of how to do it.

George

I am a big fan of test-fitting components and taking photos during the process.  In looking at the photo below, I figured out that the track was too close to the column.  The column will eventually support an inspection platform.  Any 1:48 steel worker standing on a platform that close to freshly-poured ingots will probably burn to death (or at least be well-done).  So the track really does have to move a few inches to the right.

Just to give you a real-world take on these ingots and ingot buggies, in the summer of 1973 I was working a temporary job at Weirton Steel.  I was assigned as shop boy in the Blooming Mill roll shop.  One day a few of the older roller machinists and I were sitting on a bench just under the shop windows.  Suddenly, a massive blast of heat swept over us.  Those older fellows could move!  They leaped off that bench like they had been shot out of a cannon and they took me with them.  Through the windows could be seen shimmering heat waves.  Some knucklehead of an engineer had parked an ingot train on the track next to the building.  If for any reason one of those 20,000 lbs (?) ingots had slid or toppled off the buggy, they would have gone through that brick wall like it was paper mache!  The roll shop foreman went outside and ripped the engineer a new one and he moved the train.  But man was that hot!!

George

Updated 7/13/2022 (AM):

Okay, so after further review, here's new positioning.

And here's a look at the updated RR-Track plan.

It might be time to finish making the outer and inner columns.

More when I know it. 

George

Looks like you are on your way with this project

Updated 7/18/2022:

It's not very exciting, but sometimes you have to stop, clean-up, and re-organize in order to make forward progress.  The last couple of days I've been on a tear doing just that.  I keep general storage boxes (plastic bins) dedicated to materials (e.g. track wiring, building interiors, etc.) and project boxes (for specific items like buildings or scenic areas).

• Awhile ago I acquired two lots of DPM wall components.  They have been scattered in a couple of storage bins.  Today I got all of them into one box and updated my spreadsheet of materials & storage.
• I re-labeled one of the existing boxes correctly for town & mill people.
• Also moved some hobby lumber back into a generic box for long / over-sized wood boards and sheets.
• Organized some newly acquired Plastruct into a Project Box for the Pipe Bridge and the Oxygen Tanks.
• Cleaned up paperwork on the desk as well as consolidated drawings and notes for the Open Hearth.
• The telephone & line poles were moved into 2 boxes and put on the shelf.  A jig for their construction stored nearby.
• Most of the Arduino components (except the ones being actively installed in the Open Hearth) were put back into their storage bin and moved under the workshop table. Also put the smokestacks under the table.
• Ran the sweeper in the workshop and swept the train floor room near the compound saw.  Where does all that dust, dirt, and sawdust come from?

The workshop and train room are cleaner than they have been in months, and it feels pretty good.  Several work spaces in the shop are now dedicated to portions of the Open Hearth build.  With the clean-up done, we are ready to go again.

I think I should memorialize this.  It's not likely to look this way again soon or for very long. 

Yes, that is the Open Hearth (in a very early stage of construction) on the table in the center of the photo.  Trusses are on the back table.

More when I know it. 

George

That’s a lot going on.  Your workshop is more tremendous than when I saw it.  Here’s mine under the layout!

That's what we get for agreeing to buying Mum-in-law’s house.

@Mark Boyce posted:

That’s a lot going on.  Your workshop is more tremendous than when I saw it.  Here’s mine under the layout!

It's an evolving mes, er project in and of itself. 

George

Someone at work gave this to me. Ran on the Panhandle  

Marty, that is a pretty cool railroad bond. I have never seen one. I do know my grandfather had told me that some of his relatives I think great uncle's had bought stocks in several companies early in the 20th Century. I had asked about them and he told me that they were only good for wallpaper. Guess they slumped.

That's really cool, Marty!

George

Those trusses look massive! Exciting times to hear the OH is coming around the bend

Updated 7/28/2022:

We are real close to having all the Open Hearth columns finished.  Here are a few of the outer columns in the paint booth ready to get their coat of flat black.

More when I know it. 

George

They look great!

I can't wait to see those puppies lined up in a building!

Updated 7/29/2022:

They are all painted - 11 outer columns, 5 inner, 1 center end.

More when I know it. 

George

Updated 7/31/2022:

Currently experimenting with colors and textures for the Open Hearth floor.  Gotta portray all that dirt somehow!

George

Did open hearths have dirt over concrete? Or just dirt?

@BillYo414 posted:

Did open hearths have dirt over concrete? Or just dirt?

That's a heckuva good question.  I have absolutely no idea. 

George

OK, some clarified thinking on the floor composition and color of Weirton Steel's Open Hearth.  I reached out to some people who actually worked in open hearth furnaces (one guy in Weirton's!) for some guidance.  In that mill, both the charging floor and the pouring floor were concrete.  The pouring floor was darker and had lots of slag spilled on it (no surprise there).  The charging floor would have been comparatively cleaner and lighter in color.

So I have some ideas now about what I want to do.

By the way, if you ever do find a clean steel mill, Saquatch and a unicorn will be sitting together in it having coffee.

George

Updated 08/05/2022:

OK, so finally all the major columns have been constructed and painted.  There will also be 14 minor columns, but they are simple, single "H" beams.

Tomorrow I will try to start the floor jig (template) and maybe start painting part of the floor.

More when I know it. 

George

Updated 8/8/2022:

Floor work has begun. I painted the 0.060" ABS gray sheet (after scuffing it with a scrubber) with Aged Iron (a texture paint). Looks pretty bad (I mean good ).  Also began laying out and gluing down the supports for the floor.  This is really the place for measuring twice (or more) and then cutting out notches for columns in the flooring.  I am proceeding slowly.

More when I know it. 

George

Updated 8/9/2022:

Here's a little teaser photo.  Most things are just being test-fitted as noted in the previous post.  Pouring Floor to the left.  Charging Floor to the right.

More when I know it.

George

Ready for the concrete mixers!

Updated 8/13/2022:

Work progresses on the Open Hearth furnaces - No. 11 is under construction.  It's furthest away from the viewer, so I started it first.  I hope to make all the mistakes on that one. 

In the meantime, the US Snail delivered this beauty from Altoona Model Works.  They did a great job on this replica of the smokestack at Federal Paperboard in Steubenville, OH.  Many thanks to Pete Condro (Putnam Division) for the reminder regarding this stack.  Pete, we're going to meet again in front of the Altoona Model Works booth in the Orange Hall at York in October, right? 

More when I know it. 

George

Super looking stack!  Great job, George, Pete, and of course Altoona!!!!

Updated 8/14/2022:

I spent the better part of the last 2 days correcting and up-sizing my Visio drawings of the top, front, back, and sides of the Weirton Steel Open Hearth furnaces.  Originally, they had been drawn in a scale that would allow them to fit on a single sheet of 11"x17" paper.  That size proved too small and required a number of conversions - very error prone.  These are pretty intricate structures.  I finally had enough and converted them to full size (1/4" = 1/4") for construction purposes. They are done, but the effort was mentally exhausting.

The timing is right though, because I am about to start assembling the front (oven doors) and top of the first furnace.

More when I know it. 

George

Updated 8/26/2022:

Painting and installation of the Open Hearth pouring floor was suspended to allow me to focus on a prerequisite - getting the furnaces themselves correctly built. This project is proving the adage: "Fools rush in where angels fear to tread." 

Three sides of the furnaces were already built when I decided to raise the charging floor by 6 scale feet (1.5").  That forced me to extend downward the furnace sections visible on the pouring floor by that amount.  And it required that I construct the front and roof of each furnace.  In looking at the drawings, I determined they were still not crystal clear.  I spent additional effort in cleaning up the drawings so that components and measurements are right and the order of assembly is determined.  I ended up with a slightly revised drawing of the front of the furnace and 3 top view drawings.  That's because the roof is layered.

I'm getting there, but it's not a quick process.

More when I know it. 

George