The Aylmer Coal Plant

 Ever since I went full time as a custom builder of resin kits, a number of people have asked me about keeping my interest level up and maintaining the energy to work on my own stuff. I don't mind telling you it's tricky balance. There are days where I just have to shove the cars aside and do stuff for the shear pleasure of the process. This structure fits the bill.

In the winter of 1943-44 CNR built, at the request of the Wabash, a new coaling plant in Aylmer, Ont. The idea was to reduce the number of refueling stops from 2 to 1 for the run across the province. Previously the Wabash would fuel at Glencoe and Nixon, where CN maintained large wooden coaling docks,as well as docks in Windsor and Fort Erie. They were all massive structures dating back to the Grand Trunk days.
I find it intriguing that the CNR would invest in major piece of infrastructure like this while there was a war raging Europe and the Pacific. And it's ironic that 7 years after it's construction it would be made redundant when the Wabash dieselized it's Ontario operations.
For my purposes, the structure still stands today, deemed to expensive to tear down. Which makes it simpler to model. It's a mere 20 minutes away should I need to look at something.

I finally got started on this imposing structure the other day. I started with the supporting framework, built up with styrene shapes following a drawing that was published years ago in an unknown publication that was sent to me by Steve Lucas. I'll be filling all the joints and sanding smooth once I'm sure I'm happy with the look of the unit. The silos are cut from 2.5" ABS drain pipe, which finishes out perfectly for the outside diameter. The roof will be a challenge, as I've yet to figure out how to execute it.
As it would only have been out of service for a few months in the era I'm modeling the coal chutes will be added to the final model.
This is going to look very sharp once it's done.