Return to Main Index


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 indusries. 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.

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
(Silos, tanks, cooling towers, kilns, furnaces & weighbridges)
Available Models for Lineside Industries
Industrial and agricultural vehicles and equipment Milk - Creameries and Dairies and other milk related industrial premises
Railway related industries General Engineering and Shipyards
Mines - General introduction. Open Cast Mines & Quarries
Coal mines Mining and smelting Iron Ore and other metals
Iron and Steel Works & Stockholders Scrap metal Yards, Foundries and Forges
Rolling Mills, Wire Drawing and Pipe Works Glass Works
Electricity Generating Stations Gas Works
Coke and Smokeless Fuels
Canals, docks, harbours and ship types. Industries associated with docks and harbours
Petroleum and LPG Lubricating Oils & Associated Works.
Chemicals, salt and plastics industries Coal Tar and Wood Tar Distillers
Paints, Dyes and Inks Fertilisers.
Pottery and Brickmking. Cement Manufacture and Distribution.
Builders and Wood Yards Paper and Paper Products
Floor coverings - Carpets, rugs and linoleum. Flour, bread, biscuits and breakfast cereals.
Motor Cars, Commercial Vehicles, Construction and Farm Machinery. Waste Disposal.






^
Go to top of page


International Good Guys ~ Making the world a better place since 1971 ~ Site maintained by Disabled Access to Computing
All material Copyright © Mike Smith 2003 unless otherwise credited