Refinery Facility Ideas


M

Myowngod

Pennsy Tuscan Red Blood
I'm looking to add a refinery facility on the layout that my Dad and I are building. It is based in the Philadelphia area. I remember driving down one of the highways and seeing the refineries, especially one. It had a bunch of round globe type storage tanks. The best part of these was that they were painted like giant baseballs. Probably due to the proximity to the Phillies baseball stadium.
I would like to build a facility like this, and also find a supplier of globe storage tanks. I have seen one of the European companies, like faller or something have one, but I was wondering if any others have them?

Also if you could post some pictures of refineries that you may have built, it would be greatly appreciated. Any plans or layouts of how a facility like this may be done. I've seen a lot of plans of steel mills... how about refineries. I'm going to hop on Goggle or MS maps and see what I can find. I'll post any pix that I may find or links.

Thanks
 
I found a few that might fit in here ---somewhere

These were taken in a number of locations around Sarnia ON. If you are going to do any of this do be careful as the companies are getting a little wary of the simple act of photography. I'm getting some permits so that I can actually get better shots of these things

Enjoy
 
Another few----

The St Clair off loading site is from Shell's facility in Sarnia the same as the tankfarm. That structure in the second from right photo is an interesting one---I've got a mind to play around with the scratchbuilding and work up that trellis framework.--BTW, those towers in the far left of that photo seem pretty unique to this establishment---And on the far right is a glimpse of the older DOW refinery site there---
 
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I've not seen models of the globe-shaped storage tanks but perhaps you could use styrofoam / florist foam balls. Or maybe some cheap rubber balls from the toy section of your favorite dollar store. Paint them white, use a piece of PVC pipe for a base and you'd have a tolerable representation. You'd have to scratchbuild the stairways on them though I'd think.
 
Globes were not the only things seen up here. But styrofoam balls which are about the right scale size would/could be joined together by things like drinking straws, scale piping and who knows what all. Those globes I've also seen with columns supporting them or even settled right into the ground.Globes or cylindrical tanks seem to be everywhere too. The framework around some of the tanks---for catalysis--can be a challenge to work up I'd think. A couple of elevators I'm building have dryers set in a framework something like the ones I photographed--these I'm doing with Evergreen scale beams and columns---then adding gussets to everything -----sheesh. :eek:

BTW--if you google Sarnia you should check out some of the layouts of the refineries up here---there are loads of old buildings and roads that are just barely hanging on---

How much space you planning on using? :);)
 
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the round/spherical/globe tanks are rare in the US, they are primarily used to store liquified natural gas (LNG) under pressure. The cylindrical tanks are used for non-pressurized liquids such as crude oil (before it is refined) and all the stuff that comes after it is refined.

google earth: Deer Park, Pasadena, Beaumont or Port Arthur, Texas.....that'll get you the motherload altho some may be blurred on purpose....

Walthers has a lot of smaller kits of piping and various towers and tanks that can be used. I used to see some stuff by Rix (?iirc) that could also be pressed into service. A few feet of brass wire (1/16" etc) will come in handly, it beats using just what the kits have. An older or smaller facility is likely to have a few old tankcars elevated on racks for general storage, too.

The sky's the limit on this kind of facility. Especially when they explode....
 
Here are a couple of photos of the massive fuel depot at Fort Lauderdale on Lake Mabel. If you follow it around, you can see where all the trackage used to be. This terminal receives all of its fuel supplies by tanker and then it is trucked out. It is a combination of old and new tanks. It would be an interesting terminal to model along with the pier area.

Larry


http://www.bing.com/maps/default.as...&phx=0&phy=0&phscl=1&scene=38800284&encType=1






http://www.bing.com/maps/default.as...&phx=0&phy=0&phscl=1&scene=38788475&encType=1
 
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