# Scrap yard junk



## beepjuice (Sep 17, 2014)

What do you use other than the normal car parts, etc. I want to find some things and paint 'em up rusty for a scrap yard. Just curious as to what you use. I saw a you tube guy using painted tin foil chunks. What else?

tnx


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## RUSTY Cuda (Aug 28, 2012)

I used about anything in there, bath tub, radiators both household steam & cars, old metal truck parts(train trucks that is, but street truck parts are good too), pieces of pipe, chain link fence scraps ,motors cars & electric, pulleys, just about anything made of metal will work.


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## beepjuice (Sep 17, 2014)

I guess I should ask where do you get these things. I'll go to Goodwill and check the old toys, etc and probably our "Swap shack" at our dump, oh, I mean recycling center.


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## slammin (Mar 25, 2016)

You should also consider using short pieces of styrene tubing, channel and i-beams and thin sheet styrene. Cut with jagged edges and treat with a suitable rust color paint will look very convincing. Several companies made HO scale pedestrian bridges that could be chopped up. Post some pictures when you have the scrap yard together.


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## tkruger (Jan 18, 2009)

Cut rail, cut pieces or brake lines for pipes, any metal bits small enough to fit the scale.


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## LateStarter (Mar 12, 2016)

There are different genres of what you might be thinking of...

_Junkyards_ these days are usually called 'landfills', and are harbingers of rats and seagulls, although the name is often used to denote any of the following as well.

_Scrapyards_ are 'privately owned-for-profit' companies, that accumulate metal items for cut-up and sale to steel mills and such... also used and reclaimed lumber.

_Salvage yards_ are more or less bargain bins for walk-in customers, and truck-load sales, (usually automotive and plumbing parts) to be overhauled, rebuilt, or used in a pinch, as well as metals for distribution to industries like steel mills.
They're busy affairs, usually with wreckers, car crushers, metal shears, balers, dump trucks, bulldozers, rail tracks for gondolas, etc. Many cover several hundred acres.

_Reclaim yards_ were popular in the '50's & '60's, for fairly new automotive parts (including entire engines and drive trains) retrieved from wrecks. Public auctions were common.

The salvage yard is probably the biggest operation of them all, since it requires constant reclamation to keep busy, and since it can include almost every commodity there is, both big and small.


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## beepjuice (Sep 17, 2014)

A scrap yard is what I'm planning. I have a loading dock and small crane and room for 2 50' gondolas with space for a nice pile of scrap.


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## MtRR75 (Nov 27, 2013)

If you are modeling the transition era, you could include parts of steam locos and tenders in your scrapyard.


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## Chet (Aug 15, 2014)

There are some resin castings of "junk" available. I used an old Roundhouse baggage car for a shop/office.


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## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

LateStarter said:


> There are different genres of what you might be thinking of...
> 
> _Junkyards_ these days are usually called 'landfills', and are harbingers of rats and seagulls


I've never heard 'junkyard' used as a name for 'land fill'.....case in point, there are no 'land fill' dogs.....:laugh:

Land fills are usually referred to as 'dumps', at least here....

When I hear 'junk yard', I think of scrap yard.....


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Old_Hobo said:


> I've never heard 'junkyard' used as a name for 'land fill'.....case in point, there are no 'land fill' dogs.....:laugh:
> 
> Land fills are usually referred to as 'dumps', at least here....
> 
> When I hear 'junk yard', I think of scrap yard.....


No different here. I have only ever heard "junkyard" used as a generic synonym for the other types he mentioned. 

Landfill and dump are completely different. Stuff goes in, but never out, although we still refer to our town's Transfer Station as a "dump", even though the landfill has been closed and capped for almost 25 years, now. The Transfer Station is a collection point for recyclables, Hazmat, and refuse that is sent to other locations for processing / disposal.


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

The passing years seem to have made changes even
in the junk business. Or at least in terminology. It
appears that for the most part, the old familiar 
establishment with the mean guard dog has given
way to an assortment of spin off businesses.

As I travel around our very large City I see a number
of Auto scrap yards. Places that take ONLY damaged
or no longer wanted motor vehicles and sell the
usable parts retail. Some You actually take the part
you want off the old carcas.

There are several places that buy scrap metals that
they resell to metal refiners. It is surprising the amount
of money they pay...I sold about 50 feet of chain link
fence and gate, got 100.00. These places take in what
used to go to old fashioned junk yards. There may be
an old junk yard here now, but I haven't seen it. 
I have seen them
in the past. You would find just about anything in them.
Used appliances, huge neon signs, construction beams,
old bicycles, shelving and counters from closed stores,
no longer wanted machines from industries and, of
course, wrecked autos.

There are a couple of very large businesses here that demolish
buildings or buy parts from others who do. They save
the interesting parts for resale. You can find
historic architectural parts, stained glass windows,
antique mantels, window and door frames, library shelves, usually of the more rare woods and designs.

So, depending on your era you have a wide choice in what
you want to use for your 'junk yard'.

Don


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## Mr.Buchholz (Dec 30, 2011)

Scavenge. Old circuit board pieces (resistors-capacitors-parts)/chunks of wire/old screws and nails/etc. can work. Let your creativity take hold. Nothing is off-limits.

-J.


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## isoc (Jan 23, 2017)

Chet said:


> There are some resin castings of "junk" available. I used an old Roundhouse baggage car for a shop/office.


I am trying to do something similar to the image you posted. Where did you get that crane?

Thanks, Ted


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## Chet (Aug 15, 2014)

The crane is a kit bash. The original crane I believe is from Vollmer. It was on wheels which wouldn't be the best thing in a salvage yard. Found a cheapie piece of construction equipment on ebay that had tracks, I believe it was an excavator. Chucked the wheels from under the crane and mounted the crane in the tracked excavator base. 

The crane comes with different attachments. I chose the one with the elecrtromagnet because I am dealing with scrap iron.


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## isoc (Jan 23, 2017)

Thanks, Chet! - Ted


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## tkruger (Jan 18, 2009)

I have never done this but have given it thought. At shows you will see various crane cars in junck bins etc waiting for repair. They can be adapted too like Chet has done. Life Like (I think) made a yellow crane car that is about the right size.


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## RUSTY Cuda (Aug 28, 2012)

Not nearly as impressive as some, but here's my little junk yard, just put in any thing I had in the bins that was made of(or supposed to be) metal.


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## isoc (Jan 23, 2017)

tkruger said:


> I have never done this but have given it thought. At shows you will see various crane cars in junck bins etc waiting for repair. They can be adapted too like Chet has done. Life Like (I think) made a yellow crane car that is about the right size.


tkruger, thanks, but it may be a while before I get to a show, so I'm working on some "new" alternatives. 

Chet, I used the links to get to the videos of your layout, and was very impressed. I've got much less space available, and less time to work on it (I'm 70 and just starting, so I can't think of a 20 year project.) But I must add that although I'm "just starting" I'm actually "just starting AGAIN." My present house does not have the full basement available that I had available(30 years) before. Now I get 1/3 of a basement recreation room. Still, like you, I'm interested in switching/operations, and have created layout enough to keep me busy. - Ted


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## Chet (Aug 15, 2014)

I did start the layout over 30 years ago, but I really only worked on it in the winter. Another one of my hobbies is restoring classic cars and devoted a lot more time to it. I have no hobby shops at all in my area which was another problem. Until internet retailers came on board, I would only have a chance to visit hobby shops when we took a road trip. There was a period of probably around 8 to 10 that I reraly got into the train room.


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## isoc (Jan 23, 2017)

Chet, I am fortunate that I have one excellent and one good hobby shop within a 10 minute drive, so I only rarely need the internet for model railroading. My other hobby is amateur astronomy, and for that I can’t do anything local as far as shopping. And living in central Ohio when it is mostly cloudy for weeks at a time, I wanted an alternate hobby for the cloudy season, which is why I started up my model railroad again. That, and I also got permission from my wife to use 1/3 of the rec room (saving the utility room for her exclusive use) for my layout. I’ve made more progress the last two months than I ever thought possible, but it’s been cloudy, or clear but too cold. Only had the telescope out once since last November. It's raining tonight. - Ted


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## ExONRcarman (Feb 7, 2017)

Hi. i was just reading thro your post, if your still looking for scrap for your yard, on ebay i saw a couple of posts for the perfect thing. it was a whole lot of steamer wheels and gears. i was looking under ho lot and i believe the title had steampunk in it. dont forget to select toys and hobbies.
here you go http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Vintage-Lot-...ins-Gears-Wheels-Slag-Steampunk-/201556659598


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## cchancey (Aug 27, 2015)

There are sources for HO scale "scrap metal". Try Model Tech Studio; Walther's catalog - in a recent flyer there was a really neat HO scale model of a car crusher machine plus stacks of crushed cars; Motrak Models Loads; Diecast Direct; 3000 Toys; and just do a Google for HO scale scrap metal to make a junkyard. Also, there are manufacturers of HO scale "scrap loads" for specific types of gondola and hopper cars. These loads can usually be cut into different shapes. Try Toy Train Heaven, Blue Ridge Hobbies and other large internet and mortar and brick stores. Also, try Ebay under HO trains and do a search for different types of scrap metal loads. You can also have whatever you want at a reasonable price. Contact Harry Hieke and explain what it is that you want and Harry will have many ideas and be able to also make whatever you decide you want. Harry's phone number is: 856-625-5506 (Mount Ephraim, NJ).
Good luck on your venture! You're going to find a ton of ideas and items that you can use to make your scrap yard look like the real thing.


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## isoc (Jan 23, 2017)

cchancey, thanks for the hint to look for "HO scrap metal." Got some good ideas and there was a thread in another forum showing a scrapyard in Holyoak, MA that gave some current prototype pictures. I've now got some ideas of what I need to do to make my layout more complete. I don't have enough space to do a large scrap yard, but I've included a photo of what I've got.



I really don't like my crane with the huge magnet, but it will do until I can find or kitbash something more modest. Also pictured is a "log loader" but I can imagine it's used for non magnetic loading and unloading. I just had to have something so the guys at "Craney Metals" don't have to load and unload the gondolas by hand. Eventually I'd like to find or create something more like what Chet has. - Ted


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## beepjuice (Sep 17, 2014)

ISOC
I got the same crane for my scrapyard and although it says 1:87 scale (HO), I find that the cab is too big so I'm going to sell it. It's more suitable for "O" gauge or at least "S" gauge, I think.


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## LateStarter (Mar 12, 2016)

I make much of my scrap steel out of bread wrapper clips, snipped into random sizes, and sprayed brown.
The painted pieces can be touched-up with powders or 'edge-sprayed' with lighter rust colors.
Sprinkle on CA cement, and drop handfuls on each other until you have a pile, or mold a shape on a basswood base or FlexSeal for gondola loads.
The shapes simulate sheet or plate steel that's been run through a shear, which many salvage yards had on the premises. A D7 bulldozer, or a front loader would be appropriate near the pile, or a magnetic crane op.


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