# Help With Industries



## Carnival Man (Sep 8, 2018)

I have started out with a new layout and I have set up the track on a foam base. I then added a bridge and cut a lake/pond. I then realized that i hadn't planned what buildings to put. I'm hoping for some ideas for what to put around the track. It is HO and a 4x6 since i don't have much space. I want a sort of industrial theme but with a little bit of some sort of restaurant or store for people to shop/eat at.

Here's an image:

https://ibb.co/hLOtvU


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## JoeSaggese (Aug 17, 2018)

I like to look at web sites of cities during the industrial revolution for ideas. Since I grew up in Newark NJ I use this site for ideas........

http://newarkphotos.com/mainindex.php


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Since you're not modelling anything specific, you just need some ideas.

Go to the Walthers website (www.walthers.com). They are the larges wholesaler of model railroading stuff in North America. Browse the selection of model kits and pick ones you like. Most of the listings have photos. Also, look at their "Magic of Model Railroading" section for layout photos. Most listings also have the dimensions of the completed kit.

Browse photos in the press. Model Railroad Hobbyist is an on-line publication (www.model-railroad-hobbyist.com). All their back issues to 2009 (when they began publication) are available free to subscribers, and subscribing is also free, so it's a great source of inspiration.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Does anyone see anything when you click his picture link?
I don't see anything?

Edit,
Just tried again and now I see it. I tried multiple times then asked.
Now it works.
Edit again,
Here it is so you don't have to click.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

How about a bait shop by the lake? Add some boats and a launching ramp and dock?
Maybe a hot dog cart or ice cream truck parked by it?

Because of the size maybe just keep it a rural layout?
Put a small RR station in the back?
Small farm on it?

Or else use the whole area for a circus setup?

Too bad you didn't have a little larger layout.


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## BCFx (Jul 22, 2018)

If you want to make it industrial, make the whole layout an industrial scene. Use the lake as a cooling lake for a small power station. Build some factories, maybe a small sample of a steel mill, chemical plant, stuff like that. You could split the layout in half with a road going across the center so trucks can have a way of getting in and out. 
Put taller buildings in front of the inside siding to block view of it from the other side. It'll force people to walk around the layout to see the whole thing and might help give it a bigger appearance.

Edit to add:
The space between the sidings on the left could have an old team track loading dock with the road going off to the left. The end of the siding on the right could end inside a building. 
The small space between the siding and the curve in the upper right could be a small fenced in staging area for industrial supplies. Fence the area and place boxes, poles, transformers, etc inside there. Let the weeds grow there and it'll look like a lot of old staging areas that had unused material left there rather than spending the time/money to remove it. 
Even industrial areas have "greasy spoons", or ma/pa restaurants to feed the local work crews during the day. You could even put a holding signal in the lower left to simulate train crews stopping there to wait for a signal and then running inside the restaurant real quick to grab something to eat. 

Again, just ideas.


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