fitzgerald

The city of FitzGerald, WI, is located on a two and a half by twenty-one foot section of the layout and represents the starting point of my model railroad. Trains head north to Sault Saint Marie from here. Included in the city of FitzGerald are several industries, including Tate Milling, FitzGerald Paint Distributers, Kaytee plant #3, the McSorley Brewery, and HiWater Industries. Other hightlights of FitzGerald will be a small yard which is used to sort cars during operating sessions and a city scene with large buildings and narrow streets. From here, trains head north to Coleman.

This photo shows an overview of the city of FitzGerald looking from the right (north) edge of the city back towards the helix. There is no completed scenery on this portion of the layout, though many of the buildings have already been placed.

This photo shows FitzGerald from the other angle, looking from Tate Milling, near the helix, through the city, and out of town to the north. Below the city is a nine track staging yard accessed by the helix that is out of sight directly to the left of the photographer. Above the city of FitzGerald is Sault Ste. Marie, which is the end of the line for my layout. From here trains go back to staging via the helix. This photo also gives you an idea of my upper level benchwork.

This is the Tate Milling Company. A Walther's flour mill kit that I have kitbashed with the help of a City Classics building. I like my industries large, and by kitbashing this kit, I was able to nearly double the size of the original.

This photo shows the FitzGerald Paint Wholesaler. A large building made from DPM modular wall sections, it barely fits in a photocopy paper box! A Bar Mills "Sherwin Williams" sign and Walther's roof and vent details really bring this kit to life.

Here is another kitmingling project. I have taken a Walther's grain elevator and combined it with a Pikestuff kit to make Kaytee plant #3. This plant mixes, bags, and distributes several varieties of bird seed to the midwest.

This is an overview of the south end of FitzGerald. Behind the industries that have already been described will be an elevated downtown area. I am looking forward to giving this protion of the layout a big city flavor. The track just to the left of Kaytee #3 is the return leg for the balloon track that will allow trains to have a continuous run on the first level for open houses. This track will be used as an interchange track at other times, most likely interchanging with the WC.

One of the focal points in the city of FitzGerald is this industry. The McSorley Brewery will be nearly eight feet long when completed. It will use the pieces of five different kits and have locations to spot nearly a dozen cars on six different sidings. It was named after Ernest McSorley, the captain of the ore carrier, SS Edmund Fitzgerald, which sank on Lake Superior in 1975.

This close up of the McSorley brewery shows four of the six main sidings. All four of these will actually enter the structure. The two tracks on the right will receive inbound tank cars of corn syrup and carbon dioxide. There will also be a location to spot cars of diatamacous earth, which would be used for filtering. The left two tracks will be for inbound grains and outbound spent grains.

This photo shows the other side of the McSorley complex. This side will house the brewhouse and finished product loading areas. To the right, out of this picture will be the bottling plant and loading area, keg loading will take place on the right side of the brewhouse where the reefer is spotted.

This photo shows Commerce Street yard. I chose this name after the Milwaukee Road's yard in the heart of the brewing district in Milwaukee. Much research went into this area of the city, which I hope pays off in added realism.

Here is a shot of a unique, totally freelanced industry. Named Hiwater Industries, this company receives coil steel and fabricates large water and sewer distribution systems for skyscrapers. They then ship the finished product out on the same coil steel cars that the raw material comes in on. I used Walther's Allied Rail Rebuilders and outside travelling crane kits to make this industry.