Preparing for Post-Session: Hartford Rayon Tank Farm

Now that DEY-5 #0604 is (almost) done*, I thought I'd turn my sights to something different. . .

Hartord Rayon receives chemicals by tank car - and those chemicals need to be stored in tanks where they're held for later use in the manufacturing process. For more about Hartford Rayon, click here and here.

I considered a number of different tank configurations . . .

Large Tichy tank, split into two smaller tanks

One of the Tichy halves, with another two smaller-diameter vertical tanks

Same as before, but with another horizontal tank

Based on feedback from the Valley Local FB Group (be sure to check it out & consider joining if you haven't already!), I decided not to use the large Tichy tank here at all and started playing around with different configurations of scrap tanks. By the time I got to the point of the above pic, I figured "all" I needed was some additional piping.

But while looking for piping at the always-fantastic (and often overwhelming) AA Hobbies, I came across these Walthers kits and figured they'd have everything I needed, all conveniently together in one (well, two) package(s).

Of course, it wasn't until I got home that it occurred to me that - if I couldn't rearrange the stock configuration of the kit components - everything may not fit.

So I did a quick mockup of the footprint dimensions on the box - whew! It'll all actually fit VERY nicely! 

And since a quick poll of folks over at the group concluded that I should assemble before painting, it looks like I can dive right in! It's been a LONG time since I've built a kit, having been driven to distraction by the DEY-5 project, but I'm really looking forward to this change of pace.

I'll have to wait a bit though - the 2022 legislative session doesn't adjourn until midnight this Wednesday and it's 18-20 hr days until then. But at least now I have a fun project to look forward to! Hope you do too!

*Apparently, locomotives - like layouts - are never really done. In addition to weathering, I have a few minor things left to do on the 0604. I'll cover those, as well as share some lessons learned, in a future post.