2025-2026 Winter Challenge - Feed Mill

[PRR Modeler]

Great job on the awning and sign Mike.

[Michael Hohn]

Thank you, Curt.

[Michael Hohn]

With the structure nearly complete, I moved to the elevator and Bins.



The bins were gifts from Dave Emery.  They are meant for water or fuel tanks but scrolling through photos I noticed that old feed grains looked similar, so I decided they would work.  No details here on construction; nothing special.  Just join sections to make rings, pile the rings, and add the top.

The elevator is a PikeStuff kit.  I simply followed instructions. 

A couple of construction details . . .

Seeing no clear way to guarantee the platform would be straight, I glued pieces of stripwood against the ridge around the elevator, glued the platform on, and then, because I'd used a water-based glue. I removed the wood.



I was worried the small base would be insufficient to hold the elevator in place over time, so I glued a square of styrene to the base, and attached the assembly down to the homasote base with four track nails.  Here it is with the scenery partially in place to cover it.



The bins are glued down with tacky glue.

I've started adding the chutes.  Sort of delicate.  The chute to the building will need some thought.

Mike

[Larry C]

Mike the roofs look excellent!!!! Nice car and the grain bins should make up nicely.

[PRR Modeler]

Mike that's a nice set-up. Are you planning on adding grime and rust or will they be new?

[Michael Hohn]

Mike the roofs look excellent!!!! Nice car and the grain bins should make up nicely.

Thank you, Larry.

[Michael Hohn]

Mike that's a nice set-up. Are you planning on adding grime and rust or will they be new?

Curt,

Thank you. 

Excellent question.  I'll probably do minimal weathering.  I figure they represent the newest parts of the facility.

Mike

[Mark Dalrymple]

Coming on very nicely, Mike.

Cheers, Mark.

[Michael Hohn]

Coming on very nicely, Mike.

Cheers, Mark.

Thank you, Mark.

[Michael Hohn]

More Details


Foundation

The foundation is made from a paper product that I bought some years ago from Rusty Stumps, now available from Rail Scale Models. 

I simply brushed several gray and brown shades of powders, and cut strips to laminate on the foundation area:





I supplemented the sticky backing with canopy glue.

Chutes

I wanted a chute from the elevator to the building, but I also wanted to be able to remove the building.  I added a semicircular plastic piece to the elevator, and glued an angled fitting to the bottom of the chute:





The chute simply sits in place:



Steps

For making steps I used a jig and stringers I also bought from Rusty Stumps:





The result in place:



I have a few more details to complete on this model.

Mike

[Larry C]

Michael nice imagineering on the chute. The jig for stairs has to make the task a whole lot easier.

[Michael Hohn]

Michael nice imagineering on the chute. The jig for stairs has to make the task a whole lot easier.

Thank you, Larry.

Yes, the jig is the bees knees.

Mike

[Jerry]

Great progress!  This is turning into a wonderful scratch build.

Jerry

[Michael Hohn]

Jerry,

Thank you. 

I've enjoyed this project, in part because of the variety of materials and overall size. It will have a lot of presence on my layout.

Mike

[Michael Hohn]

Final Details (I think)

Today I worked on the area where the grain is dumped from a covered hopper.  It consists of a pit covered by a steel lid, a trench with auger, again covered by a plate of steel, and a small set of concrete slabs surrounding the pit.  I didn't cut a pit; just the metal coverings and concrete pad.  Here are the pieces in place, not glued down as yet:



The next photo shows the completed "pit" just visible between the bins and building. I rusted up the steel components with dark brown acrylic paint, dark brown and rusty powders.  I also scraped off some chalk into a powder and spread it on the concrete pad to represent spilled grain.  I'll have better pictures tomorrow showing the area in more detail.



The photo also shows that I dirtied up the bins and elevator with brown-gray powder applied with a brush and wiped with one of those soft sponges used with pan pastels.

Mike