4.8. Weldon Mills

I had planned for the Greystone & Rock Bottom to have a mill with an animated water wheel from the very beginning. For the mill structure, I was going to use the Branchline Laser-Arts kit as-is, but based on dozens of reference photos I'd gathered, the kit looked as if it was a work of pure fantasy. Worse, the water wheel was, in a word, pathetic. So I bashed the building and scratch-bashed a new water wheel.

The mill got significantly modified to suit the Mountain Vista Railroad's needs. It also saw the addition of the animated spillway.

The mill appears on the new layout exactly as modeled, including the animated water wheel. One change I did make was the water wheel mechanism: it was prone to jamming, and it was also rather noisy. So, I rebuilt the drive, isolating the motor from the wheel with gears so it could be mounted on a soft pad for noise reduction.

Reference

My research turned up many useful examples in New England. The first three are grist mills; the last two are sawmills.

Named For

Lee Weldon, a fellow modeler, fellow drinking partner, and fellow retro N Scale fan, has inspired and supported my work. He's also provided an enormous ear during tough times.

Return

Copyright © 2017-2021 by David K. Smith. All Rights Reserved | Site Map