Industry Ideas for West Virginia Layout

[Cody J]

I have an open space on my layout and would like to add an industry. I already have a coal mine, a lumber yard and a furniture factory. So coal and wood. Any ideas on a 4th industry?

thanks

[Tom Lapointe]

You didn't mention what time period you were modeling, but especially with your other industries listed, logging would be a natural choice for West VA.    (Especially with Cass Scenic RR  virtually in your "back yard"!).     Bachmann makes some beautiful Shay models of the Cass locos (including, I believe, under some of the road names of Cass's predecessor RR's), so that would be a logical choice if you're modelling say 1920's ~ early 1960's.  If you're modeling present day, have Cass as a connecting tourist railroad.       Tom

[Cody J]

Thanks Tom. I'm modeling modern CSX.

[pdlethbridge]

Because it's west Virginia a 2nd coal mine would be in line.

[Cody J]

I guess I should have asked: I have a medium sized open space on my 4x8 layout and I don't know what to put there. I can't add another spur for an industry. Unless the industry is right along side the mainline which, in real life railroading, would be suicide to put an industry right along the single-track mainline. So I need something easy to build, or something pre-built, not super expensive, semi-modern or modern, fits into a CSX WV layout. Any ideas?

Thanks

[Cody J]

I figured you guys might want an idea for how large the space is so here are some pictures:





The area is situated between a coal stockpile/coal mine and the spur for the Mt Storm Lumber Company (the lumber yard). I would prefer if it would be some sort of building, I would prefer if it was pre-built because I am not artistic at all.

So pretty much, I need something in the area between the "dividing hills" (dividing the industries from the yard), the lumber yard spur, the main line and the coal mine.

Thanks

[ryeguyisme]

West Virginia, I've got a big word for ya, COAL 

[Cody J]

Thanks, but I already have a coal mine, and 2 coal mines on a 4x8 will look bad and I don't want two coal mines right next to each other

[Terry Toenges]

How about small company houses for the workers? Glue factory? Diner? Gas station? Coal yard with trucks hauling coal to heat the industries? General store?

[RAM]

Just put in a factory.  you ship receive and ship via box cars.  Call It what you want.  It could be a beauty factory.  You ship WV Beauty all across the country.

[ebtnut]

Just a thought, but Kingsford Charcoal has a plant along the old WM line out of Elkins.

[Cody J]

Interesting, but it's gonna be another lumner yard

[ebtnut]

OK, another thought - how about a pulpwood loading facility.  There were some that were nothing more than a bare spot big enough to dump the pulpwood next to a siding, and the cars were loaded by hand. 

[jward]

i think everybody is thinking in terms of industry and overlooking the obvious choice. put a mountain in the space......that's all west virginia is anyway, mountains.....

[Cody J]

That is true, but I'm gonna go with the pulpwood facility. And maybe some trees and hills around it