NarrowTracks

Chemical Plant

The retort building of the chemical plant.  Cord wood entered the retort building in metal rack cars. 

The chemical plant is inspired by the Tionesta Valley Chemical Companies plant at Mayburg, PA.  The prototype plant was one for largest acetic acid plants in Pennsylvania.  It featured 12 retorts and was made out of brick instead of the more common metal siding.  Inside a chemical plant, wood is distilled, to capture the gasses that escape.  The most important product of the distillation process was the acetic acid or acetate of lime.  Acetic acid was used as a fixative for dyes, very important during World War I.  Another product that resulted from the distillation process was charcoal.

The model plant is significantly compressed from the prototype.  It only features 4 retorts (tracks) and does not feature the cooling chambers and sheds at the behind the retort building.  There just was not enough space.  All of the buildings, cord wood stacks, and rack cars were built by Paul Miklos.  

The retort building is at the rear of this photo.  The other large buildings contain the still house.  The stills were used to condense and separate the gasses.  Paul also build the 30' flat cars with racks on top.  Throughout Pennsylvania, Cord wood was hauled in cars similar to these.