Very seldom do I ever have a break from overseeing the shop, but an outage at a cement plant offered me the opportunity to deliver parts to a client. It seems every so often we find a place where time stood still, this is the locomotive shops of the old Glen Alden Coal Co. in West Pittston PA. Upon delivery I was able to take a few pictures in the facility which overhauls industrial kilns, and drives (just like the one in the Walthers cement plant). There are still some of the overhead pulley and belt drives, not in use of course, but it is 2015!!! Some ancient machinist equipment, which Steamtown has usage privelages, kind of cool. The old 20 ton overhead crane, and a pot to melt Babbit for bearings. There is even a 400 ton horizontal press which uses air and water for force! Enjoy the pictures there are some great modeling ideas to be had.

Bill

Some more pics of the shop.

Here is that press, and some of the outbuildings.

I don't think I shared this much on this forum, but I got a lot of motivation this week to get back into high gear and press on with my hollow-core door layout. Here is what it looked like yesterday. I finished all the trackwork tonight with the exception of the colliery yard, because I am not sure how I want to build that area up yet. I want to first build a breaker and surrounding buildings before planning any trackwork.

Nice pics 401.
Commendable Progress turbo. Nice basic double Loop. N is great for
Those. I advocate doing another tunnel on the right side
for your colliery to be tucked into.

The corner opposite the coal mountain will be open, as it is. It's the only place I'll be able to place some trees, and there just isn't much room even in N to have open land, when 1/4 of the layout is committed to coal operations. Instead I'll just have a nice short easy 2% grade leading over a bridge with some fly fishermen enjoying their favorite hole!