3.2. Rearden Metal Products
Of all the projects on the JCIR, Rearden went through the most changes. There's no single entity that serves as the basis of this industry; it's derived more from the atmosphere created by any of a number of large industries in any of a number of Northeastern cities. As it happens, the industries of Jersey City exhibit more architectural variety than do the stores and homes—thus I made use of quite a number of different kits. It allowed me to revisit the type of sprawling industrial complex I'd focused on for the White River & Northern IV.
I started with the business offices, using this unknown structure in Jersey City as a reference:
The model consists of six Atlas Middlesex Manufacturing kits merged to make one massive monolith. The reason it took so many kits is because the kit's original back wall was shorter than the front, whereas I needed them to be the same.
The main building was fairly straightforward. To the back I added a number of extensions in different building styles.
The business offices and associated bits are separated from the rest of the complex by Carteret Avenue; one or two skywalks to connect them were planned.
The manufacturing side was an amalgam of many industries I've seen and wished to emulate. Below are just two of countless reference photos I had on hand.
The main building (foreground, below) is comprised of three Cornerstone Vulcan kits grafted into one. Although it would appear that little was done to the kit aside from lengthening it, there was a fair amount of cutting and pasting required to eliminate all of the second-floor doors on the street side wall. The three parallel structures (below right) are Piko Warwick Guitar Factories, staggered to accommodate the track curving around the corner.
The door on one end of the main building was opened up for rail access; I pieced together a little guard house to go next to it.
I used Walthers modular components for the additions off the back. These replaced goofy-looking additions made of stone, with sawtooth roofs.
The boiler house was made from pieces of Cornerstone's Water Street Terminal.
It was quite a lot of fun making this generously-proportioned overhead crane, which Jersey City once had in abundance.
Beside the overhead crane is a small Quonset hut.
And finally, Rearden has a water tower, which is the Cornerstone kit enhanced with brass ladders and railings. This became important due to its proximity to Liberty Gas Supply.
