Modeling a Forest Products Industry

Several weeks ago the mailman delivered some of  the remaining kits that I had purchased to support the start of my Muskoka Timber Ltd. operation, which is loosely based on the prototype in Bracebridge, Ontario.  This is one of my last modules to build on the KLR, and the ideas and planing for it have been in my mind for many years.  I had long ago chosen to model this type of sawmill operation, as I wanted to have a steady stream of log cars coming into a location, and rough sawn and finished lumber going out.  I justified the loading on log cars at at unlikely spot based on a railfan trip to the Matheson, Ontario, where log cars were being loaded just feet away from the passenger station and ONR tracks.  Although the Ontario Northland runs nearby and through Bracebridge, which fits in with my overall northern Ontario theme, unfortunately the prototype doesn't actually have any rail operations.  So I decided to combine the rail operations from the well documented Hull-Oakes sawmill operations in Monroe, Oregon, which I had a chance to visit while working in the Pacific Northwest, to the general layout of the Bracebridge operations.  This kind of modeling license is what I really like about the hobby, since it allows me combine the best aspects of similar business operations into my modeled world, while still keeping a large amount of reality and generating revenue for the railroad.

The first task was the hardest, trying to compress as much of the operations from both locations into a 2 ft by 6 ft module.  While that sounds like a large amount of space when planning, it turns out that it really isn't as large as one would think given some of the buildings I wanted to include, such as the saw mill, planing mill, tepee burner, several storage sheds, and dust collector(s). Now add at least two tracks and possibly a third track and you see the result is fairly busy area.  So much for trying to maintain my philosophy for the railroad that individual scenes would take up a realistic amount of space but not be overcrowded.  After all, the prototype in Bracebridge is about 500 feet wide by approximately 1/2 mile in length.  The first photo shows the outline of the saw mill, chip loader and the loading building (with the planing mill in the background).  Second photo shows that I was able to fit in my loading track, chip loading track, plus an additional track.  The initial ground cover, consisting of sculptamold, has been painted green and is awaiting further ground cover. The track has been test operated and all switches and track found to be operable.

The next step will be to start working on building details, including installing windows, stairs, and some weathering while working to add ground cover and some other details.