LDD MOC: Ballast Loading Station

[Lazarus]

Hello All.

Some of you may know i have been working on a nice MOW train and been wanting to make a coaling type tower to load the trucks. I have been buying up a lot of the mining sets as they have been on special close to xmas and got all the trucks and cars and that that i want to add to this model.

I started with the model from the gold mining set that is out at the moment as it had a layout i could work with and not to large. I gutted it and removed alot fo the stuff i did not like and anything what makes it more like a mining set than just a loading station. And i ended up with this what i think over all with all my trucks and the ballast wagons i desiged it looks really good.

The main building with 3 streight tracks will fit on a 48x48 base board what is my plan.

Enjoy guys C&C welcome.

Mary Xmas.

PS. some of my other works i have about 80% of the parts waiting on shipping so in the new year i should have some real photos of my double shed with signal tower and also some ballast wagons made.

[Lazarus]

After a few more hours of tweeking.

Looking better.

[Hrw-Amen]

I have been thinking of some coal trucks for a while now and developing a goods loading yard/siding. I like the look of the crane, I was going to use the base of the green one from the yellow cargo train for mine, but your with the mining stuff looks good. I have been getting some of those trucks myself so may have a think about it. Certainly does look good. One small point though, how does the crane driver get to the roof of the building to access his crane? Is there going to be a ladder or a access hatch in the roof of the building?

[LEGO Train 12 Volts]

Just one word: GREAT!

[Lazarus]

haha ya now you say it no ladder. that crane is legos design i did not mod it a bit haha. But will add one on that for that, eyes go a bit funny after a few hours of looking at the same thing need fresh eyes. :-)

[Lazarus]

Done now with ladder

Edited December 23, 2012 by Lazarus

[eurotrash]

It looks great, but I've two minor comments. First, there doesn't appear to be sufficient clearance under the bridge for an Engine with pantographs and second, in real life I don't think you'ld have a structure with windows so close to the area where the crane is. Maybe you might consider having a separate structure to act as the office and just have the area under the crane to be a simple utility area.

But I really like the way you've shown the evolution of your ideas and thank you for sharing it with us.

[Lazarus]

Ya the clearance i have to deal with i rased it one more brick but any more and the crane wont be able to clear and off load his load. also the whole thing looks to tall so idea is just so the train can back under and fill up and then move out the way it reversed in.

There is to offices/control rooms so i might just convert the one by the crane into something else like you say

[Lazarus]

OK a few more hours after your comments and put all under action and it does look better. It was a bit of work trying to add an extra 5 bricks height with out just adding them to the hopper and making it look dumb. Managed to pull it off and my Yellow train what this is built for can just fit though. This has come along way since the first picks and from the Mining set it once was.

Edited December 24, 2012 by Lazarus

[roamingstop]

Actually it is highly unlikely that pantographs and cables would be anywhere near overhead loading - either the electric engine would not go through the overhead loading point; or it would use a local diesel shunter (switcher) to load the trucks / wagons before they are hauled off the branch line and onto the mainline with electrics. Actually the Cargo train really looks like a UK diesel and the overhead pantographs seem a bit out of place.

Although to be fair this electric loco looks right - and could also be a form of Cargo train version

Class 185 European Bulls

Edited December 24, 2012 by roamingstudio

[Lazarus]

I know this but its lego its not a model set. Any way it has space to fit all my locos though now. I always though this loco looked more like a diesel than electrictic but hay thats how lego made it. just like the no ladders to the crane from earlyer.