Large Scale Central

Rowson Yard Windmill

Modeling
#1

I am having to much fun with building up the Rowson yard. So far the yard has the engine house (former MIK build), the sand house (this years MIK build), a water tank that is near completion, and the latest addition will be a windmill that sits on top of a pump house. I am sure this happens lots of places, but it is not uncommon here in the inland NW to see an enclosed pump house built around the base of a windmill. How else do you keep water flowing year round when it freezes. Since Rowson is the yard for the Sinsley Mountain Mining and Logging Co. it is located somewhere at higher elevation in the Rocky Mountains. It needs freeze protection. So I have begun the next installment for the yard. An 8’ diameter Aermotor windmill set on top of a pump house.

Wiindmill back
Wiindmill back487Ă—516 62 KB

windmill front
windmill front470Ă—518 59.7 KB

I already printed one of them but I had the scaling off and it was too small (it will go on my On30 layout). However, even though it was too small it was a successful design. The larger one fiinished printing last night sometime and peeked in on it this morning before work and it looks good. So tonight I will have it ready to show off.

It is not a perfect replica of a aermotor design. Their blades (at least all the ones I looked at) are a curved affair. I didn’t want to go that far so I just made a flat blade of my own design. I hope the folks at aermotor don’t mind.

#2

And No. . . .I am not Devoning my MIK build. I actually am way ahead of schedule on it. It likely will be done this weekend. Where the Devoning will inevitably come in will be actually building the ceiling layout and putting the stuff up there.

#3

Well done on the windmill, Devon. I like the idea that you have a means to get water in the tank. Don’t forget about the vertical clearance issue with the ceiling layout. I think I remember you noting that the engine house was too tall as designed. Just thinking ahead.

#4

Dan,

I have already thought about that. And there are just going to have to be some compromises. One of them will be things that are too short for reality. This will be one of them. My tank is already going to be too short.

What I think I will do with the windmill is place it in such a place as it sits on a lower level that already has to be built for the engine house. That way the thing will be at least as tall as the engine house. If it looks too darn ridiculous I will use it on the outdoor layout. But I am hoping with some trees that are at or near the same height it will give some forced perspective and not look bad. The whole entire layout will have to have compromises to do what I want to do which I am fine with. It was never going to be a prototypical rivet counting layout even when I had it planned for waist level.

#5

The only height restriction for this layout is door and window clearance. I have two doors that obviously need to be opened. Even the window can be partially blocked at the top. But the governing height is the doors. So where there is not a conflict with the doors I can make “drop downs” that allow for things to be a little taller. And really that would not be all that non-prototypical as many times grades were built up higher than ground level. I am thinking I will have little areas where stuff will sit on a lower level shelf that will allow for a taller scene.

#6

Doors need to open ……… who made that rule :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:. I think your lowered shelf idea will work fine.

#7

So here is what I am thinking for the yard area. Given where the conversation is going with needing to clear doors and the desire to have height I think the idea of having an elevated track above some of the scenes isn’t the worst idea. The track will be at a level that clears doors and then I can have a few places around the room that drop down to allow for a little more developed scene. The yard area would be one of those.

So it is time for opinions. Would something like this look bad for the yard.

Rowson
Rowson1331Ă—387 69.6 KB

The engine house and things like the tank, sand house, and windmill can sit on the lower section with an imaginary siding that serves it and the mainline above it. Of course trains would not be able to use the yard but being on the ceiling I wouldn’t likely use it anyways its just for show. I could even put a static loco on the tracks in the yard to be getting water. I just happen to have a Lil Big Hauler empty shell.

#8

That wind vane will be a neat addition to your yard. I built and enclosed water tower with a vane on top years ago. It was based on one I saw in an old timey photo. The top was visible over some other buildings so I had to fudge the bottom but I was able to convey the theme. I cut the vane part from a piece of metal.

DSC_1077
DSC_10771920Ă—1280 325 KB

Here is a silly idea. Since you are building on the overhead RR and you have height restrictions with the ceiling you could build the weather vane pump house upside down so the vane part is under the RR. It would be a real conversation starter. :grin:

#9

That would be entertaining.

Had I not already started printing/building the tank prior to the idea of the windmill I would have done something just like what you did. That thought crossed my mind. I became intrigued with this idea when I got bored one day and took a drive out west of Spokane in the farm fields. One farm I came across in particular had the windmill on top of what could best be described as a grain elevator/barn. It was pretty cool. And I have wanted to produce something like it since.

#10

Devon, how much elevation change are we talking about and how wide can you make the layout where the yard will be?

#11

Okay I am not sure where you are going with that question Dan. But here is a rough lay of the land. The room is somewhere in the neighborhood of 12 feet long and 8 feet wide. There is a door at each end (the main door and a closet door). The train will run the ceiling perimeter. I have a couple places where I can do the “drop down” shelf scenes. And how much it gets dropped is pretty arbitrary just depends on how much vertical wall space I would want to give up for other things. i plan to make the ROW 8" wide. This will give me room for track at the inside edge of the ROW and room behind it against the wall for scenery flats.

The track itself will have to stay level. With door/window/shelf placing it really needs to stay at one level. If your are thinking of having a spur that will drop down to the level of the yard so that it can be operational. . . .probably not enough room to gain enough elevation at a reasonable grade. Not to mention I don’t want to get to elaborate. This is just a ceiling run around.

The yard can/will be the most elaborate thing. I have a nice corner for it that will be above my 3d printer cabinet (which rolls so I can move if need be to get to the ceiling layout) and the end of my On30 layout. it will be basically a 4 X 4 triangular piece

Yard Area
Yard Area597Ă—507 34.3 KB

#12

Todd,

this is the windmill I was refering to. I found a picture I took of it. Your water tank reminded me of it and is the one that gave me the idea of putting the windmill on top of the pump house.

Windmill
Windmill1824Ă—1836 316 KB

1 Like
#13

Well, that was where I was going, but obviously, you’ve thought of that too :grin:

1 Like
#14

I’ve always wanted to build a vertical transfer table / elevator to move 1 car at a time.

#15

There ya go, Devon. Jon has provided the solution :wink:

1 Like
#16

Don’t we have to give Devon MORE time??? :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes:

#17

Ummmmmmm. . . . .No!

#18

Remember Bruce I still have to actually build it. I have plenty of opportunity to Devon it to death.

#19

Here is the printed windmill wheel and motor. I think they came out alright

Windmill 1
Windmill 1508Ă—617 69.7 KB

windmill 2
windmill 2460Ă—561 15 KB

1 Like
#20

Alright ……. Just alright ……. I think it came out much better than alright. Damn fine job, Devon.