Starting to rough out Cajun Hydraulics

In the last post I laid out the new plans for DuBach, LA. and also mentioned adding a new industry:  Cajun Hydraulics.  They are a manufacturer of Hydraulic hoses. This came about as I picked up a few of  the Carbon Black hoppers that came out a few years ago from Scale Trains.   

As most know who follow my blog, my layout is more or less a freelance design of the Little Rock and is meant to give the flavor of the line and not represent it prototypically.

After picking up those hoppers, and knowing I wanted to redo DuBach, it was time to see if I could get it to fit.  The first thing I needed to do was to make it served by the NB local and keep the placements of the current spurs designed to use the proper trailing point spurs so that I didn't have to go back and redesign the Ops in JMRI.

Luckily I was able to move A&A Cement and ARKLA Plastics to new locations while keeping the same trailing point turnouts proper, thus not making me redo the Ops plan.  Where A&A Cement was recently located, was actually a double ended siding that was used back in the day to store a few cars when the Ops were different.  I plan to remove the turnout from the left end of that rear siding (just right of the Bog) and use the right turnout after I move it to the left a bit.

With the location set, I wanted the chance to use a backdrop flat building for Cajun Hydraulics.  I wanted it 3D and not a normal kit that would be seen on other layouts, this meant I needed to kitbash something.  So I started looking around, looking for three different kits that would fit together and would possibly tell the story of growth.

I came up with the idea to use the tall brick section of the Walthers Cornerstone Water Street Freight Terminal as the original building. Second I came up with a newer brick building with the use of the DPM modular 2 story wall sections. I used four sections: one with windows high and low and I cut out the opening in that one for a walk through door and overhead door from Pike Stuff leftovers. Then I used two blank 2 story walls to finish out the length. The last set was cut in half for use of the ends. The final building was the N Pikestuff Modern Yard Office.

Each one of these kits would have the look from the 40's to the 60's and finally to the late 70's.

I determined the length of the DPM brick walls by sitting two hoppers next to them and quickly realized this would be a rather lengthy industry, especially when I added the tank car unloading spot using the Pikestuff kit.  But I had the room so onward I went.  I would also need to make a base for the eclectic concoctions of buildings.  I plan to use a 0.04" for the base and will have to add another strip around the bottom to raise it to rail height.

The vertical storage tanks on the right end will be used to store whatever chemical is brought in via the tank cars.  I found those on the web, made by a company called igMakes.   

The owner creates things a little thicker to withstand rough handling as most of his prints are made for wargaming, but started designing things in N scale.  I think these will work and look just fine once they're painted, weathered and the scenery finished!